Keith is a Big Fan of Solar Energy in Region
Faces of Innovation column by John Davies
Sunday, February 10, 2008

Bill Keith thought it would be cool to sell solar powered attic fans as part of his remodeling business. But when he learned the product he had been selling was no longer available, the former roofer decided to create his own solar fan.

Little did the St. John resident know he would be in the forefront of the "green" construction industry and nationally recognized for his innovation. "I find myself in a tidal wave of 'green' building," he said, noting the rising cost of energy is fueling a transformation in renewable energy products.

He was named a Fellow in the Society of Innovators for 2007-2008. The society is sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana Northwest to recognize innovation and innovators in the region.

Like so many entrepreneurs, he was a man with a dream, working from his garage.

Last December, he passed his first $1 million in sales, and his product is being sold in just about every state and several countries, most recently Spain.

Named an Energy Patriot last fall by U.S. Sen. Dick Lugar, he believes he is making a difference. In fact, his vision for Sunrise Solar Inc. is to 'reduce energy consumption worldwide through solar-powered ventilation.'

But it didn't start out that way.

Bill and his brother formed a roofing and remodeling company right after high school. Bill then graduated from IUN with a major in business administration, and went to work for a regional bank. After work, he would change into a pair of jeans and help his brother in the remodeling business.

"The bank wasn't ready for me," he laughed. Within in a short time, he returned to the roofing business full time with his brother. He bought new trucks, changed the name and grew the business. "I thought that was going to be my lot in life."

Part of his job was to install electric fans in attics. "I hated to install them because attics were hot and sometimes I'd get shocked," Bill said. He saw solar fans as a solution for roofers. But when he learned the solar fan he was buying was no longer available, he told his wife, Lori, he wanted to make his own.

Finding the capital was difficult. First, the father of four youngsters turned to his bank, but the terms were unacceptable, so he got a line of credit on his home and launched his company out of his two-story garage. Soon he realized it would be more efficient to assemble the products at a factory in Warsaw, Ind.

Amazingly, his first production run of 100 units was purchased by Hawaii's largest "solar" store. Two years later, Honolulu International Airport purchased 94 fans to cool the terminals. Today Hawaii accounts for more than a third of his business.

Building Products magazine named his product the most valuable for 2005 and 2006. Last year, his product was the fourth most requested product in the magazine.

Bill is a founding member of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association. "Why shouldn't Northwest Indiana make solar panels?" he asked. Indeed, why not?