Who We Are

Peter Banner – BIO

Mr. Banner has over 40 years of experience in the renewable energy industry.  Since 1982, he has been involved in the development of over 140 megawatts of renewable energy in solar, wind, and small hydro.  He was a founding member of the California based Independent Energy Producers Association (IEP), serving on its Board of Directors from 1982 through 1986. In 1977 he was retained by an Annapolis, Maryland based R&D company to set up their solar division and manage its U.S. Department of Energy contracts and grants.  In 1979 he became Senior Vice President of a California based solar company which designed and  installed solar domestic hot water system, as well as solar HVAC systems, for both the commercial and residential markets.  The company was subsequently acquired by a NASDAQ company.   Since 1982, Mr. Banner’s involvement in the renewable energy industry has been primarily in the wind industry, providing advisory services to wind farm developers. Involvement has ranged from project planning and site evaluation, resources assessment, environmental review, biological resource assessment, permitting, equipment evaluation, and coordination of consultants and construction contractors.   He has been project manager on seven wind farm projects taking them from permitting through construction and operation. In addition, he has been involved in the day to day management of wind farms and owner of twenty turbines himself. He served on an advisory board of the BLM for development of wind energy projects in the Coachella Valley in California

From 1994 to 1998, Mr. Banner was involved in India representing a U.S. based hydroelectric equipment manufacturer and a U.S. based meteorological and wind farm monitoring equipment company.  As a principal, he was involved in a joint venture with a public Indian company, subsequently facilitating the creation of a third party wind farm O&M company in India, a joint venture between this Indian company and a public Danish company.  This venture is now a joint venture with EnXco, a subsidiary of Electricity de France (EDF).  Besides India, Mr. Banner’s energy related work has taken him to Europe, Singapore, Vietnam, and Mexico.

Mr. Banner’s consulting experience in non-energy related industries is extensive.  He assisted in a LBO of a short-line railroad, a subsequent refinancing of this railroad, as well as lease financing for its intermodal subsidiary.  In 1997 he was retained as Senior V.P. of Investment Banking for a New York City based securities firm. From 2000 to 2003, he was retained by an L.A. based venture capital firm to assist in review and evaluation of their approximate $170 million investment portfolio.  Portfolio companies ranged from software, consumer products, aftermarket automotive components, emission reduction technology, and the entertainment industry. During this period he was an investor in and served as the Chairman of the Board of a microwave communications component manufacturer (terrestrial and space), whose customer list included Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Space Systems Loral, FAA, and NASA.  Mr. Banner was actively involved in day to day operations of this company.  He negotiated the sale of this company to a European investment group.   Mr. Banner has consulted for a number of public companies. He has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of a NASDAQ company.  Mr. Banner has consulted for companies as diverse as a UK based magazine publisher, a Mexican based company providing onshore services to the cruise ship industry and the U.S. Navy, an Arizona resort development, a public company importing and distributing consumer electronics, a solar electric (PV) integrator, and a public EPC construction company.  He is a graduate of the UCLA Global Sustainability program and currently chairs an advisory group to LA City Council Member Paul Koretz on greenhouse gas issues.

Posted by on March 1st, 2009 No Comments

Our Principal

Our Principal
The principal of Scientia, Peter Banner has been involved in the commercial wind energy industry for over 30 years.  He has been a consultant in the renewable energy industry since 1975, in the areas of solar, wind, energy conservation, and small hydro.    He was a founding member of the Sacramento, California based trade organization, Independent Energy Producers Association, serving on its board of directors from 1982 to 1986, and chaired their hydroelectric section during his tenure.  He installed his first wind turbine in 1979, and his first wind farm in 1982.  He has been involved in the development of over 140 MW of wind power and has owned and operated wind turbines for his own account.  Besides being involved in numerous wind farm projects throughout California, Mr. Banner has international experience, having facilitated the creation of an independent wind farm O&M company in India, and represented a U.S. manufacturer of  hydroelectric turbines  and a manufacturer of meteorological and wind farm monitoring equipment in India.


Posted by on March 1st, 2009 No Comments