Dynamo Renewable, LLC began as an idea in 2017 when a conversation between a father and son turned into a series of science experiments. Co-Founder James M. Baker, an entrepreneur and electrical engineer, was trying to develop a more efficient wine storage system using Thermoelectric Devices (TEDs). His son, Co-Founder John Baker got curious about the technology behind TEDs and began asking questions about how they worked.
TEDs are curious device because they can be used as heat pumps when they are powered, which was how they could be used to provided cooling for wine storage. While that experiment failed, as they sometimes do, John learned that TEDs could be used in a reverse manner – when one side of a TED is hot and the other side is cold, it will produce an electrical current. Fascinated by this, and after several demonstrations, John began to get ideas about how these devices could be useful.
Not long after, John suggested to James that it would interesting to see if these devices could be used for space missions, especially habitats on Mars. Intrigued, James did some research and although the available science suggested it may not be practical, space travel is not really about practical solutions so much as it is about stretching the capabilities of science and human ingenuity. Undaunted by the unfavorable odds, the two decided to do some experiments.
What came next were late nights, lots of wires, heat lamps and lots of brainstorming to develop the proper experiments that might create a new power source for harsh environments. Surprisingly, the experiments led to the discovery of several break-through technologies that became the foundation for Dynamo Renewable. And along the way, John has entered and received awards in both regional and state science fairs for his original and exceptional work.
Our ideas and work continue to develop, while we are working towards finding new and exciting ways to provide renewable power, both on Earth and in space. Our primary focus is developing components for large scale, terrestrial power stations. However, we also see the possibility that these new technologies could be applied to residential power generation, as well as rural and agricultural power generation. We are excited about the future and helping reduce the impact of climate change by harnessing renewable power.