
For several decades, Scott Sklar has been one of the country’s leading experts on solar energy and other renewables. He is an adjunct professor at The George Washington University, teaching three interdisciplinary courses on sustainable energy, and sustainable energy director of GWU’s Environment & Management Institute (EEM). He is also president of The Stella Group, Ltd., a global technical firm for clean distributed energy users and companies.
Sklar began his energy career serving nine years as an energy and military aid for New York Senator Jacob Javits. In this position, he cofounded the Congressional Solar Coalition, which successfully promoted early legislation for renewables. After leaving Congress, he worked at the National Center for Appropriate Technology for three years, then at the Solar Lobby, created by major environmental groups, for an additional three years as political director. For the next 15 years, Sklar headed the Solar Energy Industries Association and National Biomass Industries Association. Since 2000, he has led The Stella Group, Ltd.
Sklar has written and lectured extensively on solar and other clean technologies, including the publication of two books. He has held positions at several universities, including CATIE, a sustainable energy graduate university based in Costa Rica. He has served on the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy & Technology and on the Department of Commerce’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee. He has spoken at many conferences. And Sklar practices what he preaches. He lives in a self-powered solar/geothermal home and works in a zero-energy solar/wind/fuel cell self-powered office building.
Speech
Presentation, TransAtlantic Energy Conference (February 4, 2026)
Speech
“Energy Resiliency,” World Resources Institute (November 9, 2025)
Speech
Presentation, Northern Virginia Regional Conference Data Centers, George Mason University (April 2025)
Speech
“100% Renewable Energy,” American Solar Energy Society Annual National Conference (May 2020)
Journal Article (peer-reviewed)
With T. Stanton, “Utility Tariff On-Bill Financing: Provisions and Precautions for Equitable Programs,” NRRI Insights (January 2020)
Article
“Resiliency, the Electric Grid & Renewable,” Solar Today (April 2018)
Handbook
Coauthor, The George Washington University Community Solar Handbook (October 2017)
Speech
“The Future of Personal Energy Use,” TEDxTalks (April 3, 2015)
Journal Article (peer-reviewed)
“Perspective on multi-scale assets for clean energy technologies in buildings,” Environment Systems and Decisions (July 2013)
Book
With others, The Forbidden Fuel: A History of Power Alcohol (University of Nebraska Press, 2010)
Article
“Tapping the Homeland Security Market,” Solar Today (June 2005)
Journal Article
“Distributed Energy as a Security Tactic,” OGEL Energy Law Journal (July 2004)
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