Prior, Scott Sklar served for 15 years simultaneously running two Washington, DC-based trade associations, as Executive Director of both the Solar Energy Industries Association and the National BioEnergy Industries Association. Before his move to SEIA and NBIA, he was Political Director of The Solar Lobby, a renewable energy advocacy organization founded by the nine major national environmental organizations. Before joining “the Lobby”, he was Washington Director and Acting Research Director of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), founded by Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield and technologist EF Shumacher. This federally-funded applied technology organization assisted low income communities in utilizing energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Sklar began his energy career as an aide to Senator Jacob K. Javits (NY) where he focused on energy and military matters for nine years. During his Senate tenure, he cofounded the Congressional Solar Caucus that lead many of the innovative legislation promoting renewable energy in the 1970’s. Sklar is co-author of two books, The Forbidden Fuel, published in 1985 and updated and re-released in early 2010 by University of NE Press, and theConsumer Guide to Solar Energy, which was re-released for its third printing.

Scott Sklar serves on Boards of Directors of national nonprofits including, Business Council for Sustainable Energy (climate change), The Solar Foundation, and Chairs the Steering Committee of the Sustainable Energy Coalition (efficiency and renewable energy think tanks, industry associations, and advocacy groups). Scott Sklar lives in a solar home in Arlington, Virginia with solar water heating, geothermal heating & cooling, and photovoltaics/battery system. He has a unique PV system on the roof of his Washington, DC office overlooking Lafayette Park in front of The White House, and a zero energy VA office building with PV roofing shingles, small wind turbine, and a hydrogen fuel cell, and a web-enabled battery bank.

Sklar has overseen projects all over the world. Recently in the  Washington, DC region he facilitated an net-zero building at The Washington Navy Yard (PV, small wind, geothermal heat pump, electrochromic glass, LEDs), the new International school at American University (DC’s first LED-it parking garage, solar pre-heat system for building’s air intake, solar water heating systems and 26 kW PV system) , and Arlington County’s first solar lighting at a commercial parking lot for ABM Motors.

On November 4, 2010,  Secretary Locke appointed Sklar to the Department of Commerce’s Advisory Board on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and on December 4, 2012, Acting Secretary Rebecca Blank appointed Sklar to the Department of Commerce’s Advisory Board on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy where his term was just extended, and serves as its Chair, term ending June 2016.

Sklar is an Adjunct Professor at The George Washington University teaching two unique interdisciplinary courses on sustainable energy, and an Affiliated Professor with CATIE, an international graduate university located in Costa Rica focused on sustainability for Latin America.