Bios

Alec Stevens, PE, Principal Engineer

During his undergraduate studies at Cornell, Alec was a team leader of a group of students that designed, built, and raced hybrid electric vehicles long before the advent of the Toyota Prius. After graduation, he moved to Michigan to work at one of the big three, where he gained his first experience in industrial energy conservation as a process engineer on the factory floor. After deciding that Michigan was too far from the ocean and the mountains, he moved to Boston to work for an electric vehicle R&D company.

In 1999, he determined that his career interests lay in the energy consulting field, and landed a job at DMI. He took over the roles of president and owner in January 2005. As the primary reviewer of DMI's work, he is involved in each project that DMI works on. Outside of DMI, Alec has taken on the long-term task of restoring a 17th century mill property where he lives with his family.

Professional Credentials
Professional Engineer
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Cornell University
LEED Accredited Professional
Member, ASHRAE
Senior Member, AEE

Specialties
Project Management
Walk-through energy audits and efficiency opportunity identification
Advanced control strategies for building automation systems
Industrial processes
Commissioning
Impact evaluation

Key Projects
Analyzed the cost effectiveness of retrofitting variable speed drives on chiller compressors and cooling tower fans for a 1,500-ton chilled water plant. Made extensive use of historical interval demand data to develop accurate load profiles, including operating hours and ton-hours for each of the three chillers. Determined that the retrofit was cost effective for two of the three chillers and cooling towers, but that the third chiller did not generate enough savings to be considered cost-effective.

Provided design phase document review and commissioning support for several LEED-targeted new construction projects. Such projects include a new office building for a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer and several large mixed use facilities throughout New England.

Peter Barrer, PE, Founder/Consultant

After completing his undergraduate and graduate work at Cornell and Harvard, Peter worked briefly in the petroleum industry. He quickly moved into the field of energy conservation by founding his first company, which specialized in residential energy audits and insulation retrofits. He subsequently ran the HVAC department at a major Boston engineering firm, and also served as a vice president for an outfit that specialized in energy conservation in the healthcare environment.

Peter started DMI in 1989, initially working out of his attic. He quickly expanded operations, developing DMI into one of the most respected energy engineering firms in New England. After running the company for 15 years, he turned the reins over to Alec Stevens in January, 2005. Peter continues to serve DMI as a part time consultant, and is a valuable mentor to junior engineers.

In his time away from DMI, Peter has a strong interest in making the world a better place for all. He serves on the board of directors of local non-profits that range from interfaith outreach programs to organic gardening co-ops. Peter also enjoys backpacking and canoeing, and has spent portions of the past several summers hiking in the Pacific northwest and relaxing in Northern Maine.

Mickey Bush, PE, Associate Principal

Mickey came to DMI from the Syracuse University Industrial Assessment Center. He serves DMI as a project manager for municipal, commercial, and industrial retrofit and new construction projects. While away from DMI, he is an avid baseball fan and runner.

Mickey's role as Associate Principal at DMI includes project management responsibility, business planning, and coordination of our efforts for key clients.

Professional Credentials
Professional Engineer
MS, Mechanical Engineering, Syracuse University
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Syracuse University
LEED Accredited Professional

Specialties
Project management
Energy efficiency opportunity identification
Commissioning
Impact evaluations

Key Projects
Provided coordination and leadership for the construction-phase LEED commissioning activities for a new high-rise green residential building in Boston.

Modeled energy consumption and savings for the major systems renovation at a leading pharmaceutical manufacturing facility. This included automation of a water-side free-cooling system, variable speed drives on air handlers allowing for HEPA constraints, upgrade of chilled water system including chillers and pumps, and occupancy control of lab space ventilation.

Wrote site evaluation plans, visited facilities to collect information and metering data, completed analysis, and authored evaluation site reports for HVAC and process impact evaluation studies. Coordinated and managed study completion for several evaluation sites.

Jay Robbins, PE, Associate Principal

Jay graduated from UMass Amherst and has previous experience in the design of electrical connectors and switches. Since coming to DMI, Jay has developed strong experience in HVAC and industrial process energy analysis. He serves DMI as a project engineer for municipal, commercial, and industrial retrofit and new construction projects. While away from the office, Jay is an avid cyclist and skier. He also participates competitively in canoe racing.

Jay's role as Associate Principal includes the supervision of junior engineers, the management of projects from start to completion, and interaction with clients and customers on a number of fronts.

Professional Credentials
Professional Engineer
BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
LEED Accredited Professional

Specialties
Retail and commercial refrigeration analysis
Energy and demand response audits
Advanced bin-model HVAC system analysis
Industrial water and air systems
Impact Evaluation

Key Projects
Analyzed energy savings associated with the installation of a variable speed drive on a chiller. Developed block load model for calibration with utility demand data for the facility.

Collected and analyzed metering from process equipment for a major dairy processor and distributor. Estimated savings associated with the installation of variable frequency drives on pumps serving a homogenizer and the re-piping of distribution systems to minimize process cooling and heating energy.

Studied and analyzed energy efficiency measures for a large, new supermarket facility in western Massachusetts. Analysis included comprehensive assessment of recommended measures in order to determine interactivity between individual opportunities.

Rob Bialobrzeski, PE, Associate Principal

Rob earned his BS in Engineering from Trinity College (CT) and his MS in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech, where his studies focused on Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer. Having a particular interest in alternative energy, his graduate research focused on modeling and optimizing the performance of solar thermal collector fields for large scale energy generation. Since joining DMI in 2007, Rob has gained extensive experience in whole-building energy modeling and technical analysis of energy conservation strategies in commercial buildings. While away from DMI, he stays active by participating in team sports including soccer, basketball, and volleyball.

As a Senior Project Manager, Rob's responsibilities include managing all aspects of projects for DMI clients, including proposal and scope development, site work, analysis, and client meetings.

Professional Credentials

Professional EngineerLEED Accredited Professional
BS, Engineering, Trinity College (CT)
MS, Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Specialties
Whole-building hourly energy simulation
Commissioning
Data Center Cooling Systems
Combined Heat and Power analysis (CHP)

Key Projects
Energy modeling and savings analysis of efficient design alternatives in support of utility incentive programs for four new municipal schools.

Design assistance, LEED energy modeling, and commissioning for a new renewable energy technology testing facility.

Energy and cost impact analysis for several proposed combined heat and power system installations.

Identification and savings analysis of efficiency upgrades to existing cooling systems in three data center facilities.

Kevin McGaffigan, Senior Engineer

Kevin graduated from UMass Amherst where he studied mechanical engineering. While at UMass he worked with a team of engineers to design and build a laser power and beam drift detector for CNC laser calibration. Before joining DMI, Kevin was an intern at an HVAC design firm. Outside of work, Kevin is an avid skier and hiker.

Professional Credentials
BS Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst
Certified Engineer-in-Training (EIT)
ASHRAE Member

Specialties
Whole-building hourly energy simulation (LEED and utility)
Bin model HVAC system analysis
VFDs on process equipment

Key Projects
Completed whole-building hourly energy models for multiple schools, lab buildings, supermarket, and office building.

Analyzed the energy savings associated with the installation of variable speed drives and controls on various peices of process equipment.

Evalutation of multiple completed energy efficiency projects using post-retrofit metered data.

Madeline Messer, Engineer

Maddy graduated from Cornell University with both a MEng and a BS in Environmental Engineering. Her courses focused on sustainability and, for her master's project, she developed an energy model of the first academic building proposed for Cornell's NYC Tech Campus. Prior to joining DMI, Maddy completed internships at an environmental consulting firm and a power utility. Outside work, she enjoys traveling, speaking Spanish, and exploring nature.

Professional Credentials
BS, Environmental Engineering, Cornell University
MEng, Environmental Engineering, Cornell University
Certified Engineer-in-Training (FE/EIT)
LEED Accredited Professional

Emily Shackleton, Engineer

Emily graduated from Olin College where she studied mechanical engineering. She was also one of the first graduates of the Babson-Olin-Wellesley sustainability certificate program. For her sustainability capstone project, she and her team consulted with a local hospital group to reduce its energy consumption. Her senior capstone project at Olin involved co-designing cycle rickshaws to better suit their users. Prior to joining DMI, Emily completed internships at a roller-bearings manufacturing facility and a renewable energy startup. She also spent a number of summers working at a local farm. Outside of work Emily loves to run.

Professional Credentials
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Olin College
Babson-Olin-Wellesley Sustainability Certificate Program

Jessica Duke, Engineer

Jessica is a graduate of Cornell University where she studied civil and environmental engineering. While at Cornell, Jessica was an active member of Engineers for a Sustainable World, Sustainable Building Connection and Meinig Family Cornell National Scholars. Jessica plans to start her Master’s degree at MIT in the fall, where she will study thermodynamic mapping in structural design. Before joining DMI, Jessica interned at FLEXcon Corporation, a company that produces pressure sensitive film technologies. Outside of work, Jessica enjoys running, reading and enjoying Boston sports.

Professional Credentials
B.S. Civil & Environmental Engineering, Cornell University

Cory Absi, Engineer

Cory graduated from Boston University this past May with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and a concentration in Aerospace Engineering. Before joining DMI, he worked for a solar energy crowdsourcing startup company and a multidiscipline research group called the BU Rocket Propulsion Group that designed, fabricated, and tested suborbital hybrid sounding rockets. Outside of work, Cory is very interested in astronomy and enjoys engaging in amateur astronomy and astrophotography in his free time.

Professional Credentials
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Boston University

Patrick Terrio, Engineer

Patrick is a graduate of UMass Amherst where he earned his BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering.

His coursework included energy storage thermodynamics, solar power and wind energy. While at UMass, Patrick held a research assistantship with the UMass Wind Energy Center and assisted in reviewing the suitability of sites for wind turbines throughout Massachusetts. Before joining DMI, Patrick performed product compliance audits for the Canadian Standards Association and designed linear motion systems.

Outside of work, Patrick enjoys running road races, skiing and writing science fiction. He is an avid Patriots fan.

Professional Credentials
BS Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst
MS Mechanical Engineering, UMass Amherst
Certified Engineer-in-Training (FE/EIT)

Kevin Fitzpatrick, Technician

Kevin is DMI's lead technician. Prior to joining DMI, Kevin owned and operated a small business offering residential home improvement and construction services. He has also worked as a lead technician for AT&T, providing field maintenance and installation services and as a field service technician for a property management and developement company. Outside of work, Kevin is interested in the restoration and repair of antique vehicles. He also enjoys outdoor powersports, walking, fishing, and kayaking.

Professional Credentials
Massachusetts Construction Supervisor License
AS, Diesel Technology, Massasoit Community College

Specialties
Mechanical equipment maintenance and repair
Building construction, maintenance, and renovation

Kathy Synnott, Office Manager

Kathy is DMI's office manager and provides much needed intellectual balance to a company full of literal, engineering-minded professionals. She manages the day-to-day administrative operations of DMI, including bookkeeping and payroll. Kathy also assists DMI's management team by compiling status reports, proofreading documents, assembling proposal packages, and making sure everyone's timesheets are up to date and accurate. Kathy comes to DMI with a variety of professional experiences, having worked in public relations, transportation consulting and office management for the creative trades. She was also a contributing author for a life-skills coaching manual. Kathy is a graduate of Manhattanville College.