About Our Business:
Living and working at 9,000 ft. has its challenges. We are constantly reminded how Mother Nature can punish equipment. We specialize in designing, installing, and maintaining power systems that will last in harsh environments. We have a broad scope of clients with different needs, from the small hunting cabin, to net metering on a grid-tied house or commercial building. We have worked with many different clients from homeowners and local businesses to larger entities like the EPA, US Forest Service, Gunnison County, and our local cities and towns. We take enormous pride in our work, and it is our goal to creatively problem solve design challenges, and install solar and storage systems built to last in any environment.
“We had started a solar project on our own and ran into some problems. Nunatak was honest with us and told us what was acceptable and what wasn’t. They went out of their way to fit us into their schedule and completed our project in 2 days. Their quality, professionalism and ability is first rate. We are so happy we went with Nunatak!”
Who We Are:
Where you’ll find Lena most days.
Lena Wilensky was inspired to take leave from her high school teaching career to explore the world of renewable energy in 2005. She began her renewable energy education with Solar Energy International (SEI) taking classes, helping construct their PV Lab Yard in Paonia, and eventually teaching PV classes around the country and on-line. She has written numerous articles for Home Power Magazine, worked as an electrician in Crested Butte and for several solar installers, helped develop solar curriculum to train installers in Haiti with Remote Energy, and is grateful to have her own business in her hometown. In addition to her work at Nunatak, she also finds time to design large scale solar farms with Bowman Consulting, be the mom of a future solar sister, and ski, bike, and hike in the amazing Gunnison Valley.
Jeff Perambo was introduced to solar power through several friends with off-grid cabins and was instantly fascinated. After many years spent in the outdoor industry guiding and instructing, he decided to pursue this new fascination by taking some courses at Solar Energy International over in Paonia. Afterward, he basically cornered one of the owners of Nunatak Energy and begged for a job. It turned out they were looking for an installer, and his career in solar was born right here in the Gunnison Valley in 2016. After three years installing grid-tied and off-grid systems for Nunatak, he followed his girlfriend (now Wife) to Seattle where she was pursuing an advanced degree. He spent the 3 years in Seattle working as a Project Manager and then Sales and Design consultant for a larger solar company there. Yes, solar does work in Seattle. In 2022 they finally returned home to the Gunnison Valley and Nunatak welcomed him back aboard as the Sales and Operations Manager. One of the things he loves about calling the Gunnison Valley home is that whenever he returns after being gone for a stint, whether for a month on the river or 3 years in a different state, it's like he never left. The towns might change but the people and the mountains are pretty much how he left them. He’s happy to be back working within his own community and making solar projects happen in our ever-sunny valley.
“The best picture of me ever taken” -Jeff
Donny’s finest moment near Uncompahgre Peak
Donny Davol has been involved in renewable energy since 2007 and brings a wide array of experiences to Nunatak. He began this career as a field engineer for a wind turbine manufacturer which eventually went bankrupt. Out of that dumpster fire, he and a few other former employees started an operations and maintenance company for distributed renewable energy systems around the United States. This work focused on project management of various wind and solar systems from 50kW to 4MW. He earned his NABCEP Certified PV Installer in 2012. Eventually, traveling all the time gets exhausting and after moving to Crested Butte in 2014, decided it was time to stay in one place. Working with Nunatak since 2017, Donny manages the engineering and permitting of systems while lending a hand as needed to any of the other installations or service calls. He holds an Engineering Sciences degree from Trinity University. In his free time, he can be found working on a Masters of Environmental Management degree from Western Colorado University. In his not free time, he dreams of getting lost in the mountains.
Dana Olof spent five years in the United States Navy rigging P-3 Orion turboprop engines. He then returned to Colorado to work as a Chairlift Mechanic at Aspen Highlands. After enough laps of Highlands Bowl, he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science at the University of Colorado - Denver where he first discovered the magic of solar photovoltaics. It wasn’t until 2019, though, that Dana broke into the solar field after completing residential certification in Paonia, Colorado, at SEI. Having originally grown up in Salida, the next town over, moving to Gunnison felt like coming full circle. Dana is our Project Manager.
Ryan Page has been in the solar industry for three years. He loves being outside in this beautiful valley helping to diversify the energy consumed here. He has been taking courses with SEI to further his knowledge in solar design and installation. He is also an electrical apprentice learning both AC and DC sides of installation. When he is not working you can find him skiing, biking, rafting, hiking and enjoying the serenity of this valley! Ryan is our Field Crew Lead, supervising the installation of panels and electrical equipment at the jobsite, and all the people it takes to make that happen.