2011 40 Under 40: Scott Hackel, PE, LEED AP, 31

Scott Hackel, PE, LEED AP, 31

Senior Energy Engineer, Energy Center of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.

University of Wisconsin-Madison, BS Mechanical Engineering, MS Mechanical Engineering

Hackel began his professional life as a reservoir engineer for Exxon-Mobil. Though he was interested in the energy industry, he preferred to be in a position where he could use his forward-looking, interdisciplinary thinking to move the nation toward sustainable energy solutions. In graduate school, Hackel merged his understanding of physics, mathematical models, and computer simulations with his engineering background to research geothermal systems. Now, Hackel is the principal investigator for the US Dept. of Energy project conducting performance research on hybrid geothermal heat pump systems in commercial buildings. As a senior energy engineer for the Energy Center of Wisconsin and member of its Buildings Team, his analyses and recommendations for architects and engineers have saved building owners nearly 7.3 GWh and prevented more than 12 million lbs of carbon dioxide emissions. Hackel is active in spreading his knowledge to other industry professionals as a faculty member of Energy Center University, the continuing education arm of the Energy Center. He serves on the ASHRAE geothermal committee and has contributed to the geothermal energy use chapter in the 2011 ASHRAE Applications Handbook. Hackel recently was recruited to assist the city of Madison, Wis., to provide energy design assistance for a high performance sustainable commerce center; he is proud to be part of a challenging engineering project that will also make a significant difference to the community. His dedication to energy efficiency extends to life outside the office: He is an adviser for the Emerging Green Builders group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and co-created a local energy modelers group through ASHRAE to assist others in gaining expertise. Hackel loves the outdoors and has completed four triathlons. He often takes camping trips with his wife and daughter to bike, kayak, trail-hike, or snowshoe, depending on the weather. At home, he enjoys remodeling and brewing his own beer creations nearly from scratch.

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