Our Inception
Watt Count
The story of Watt Count, the original technology company from which we were formed, really began in the late 1960’s and early 70’s. A group of engineers at Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tullahoma, Tennessee, had been research project managers investigating energy transfer in spacecraft. This research was related to the Apollo and Skylab surveillance satellites and other manned and unmanned vehicles that had to operate in the extremes of outer space.
During several “coffee pot” discussions, three of these engineers, Robert Brown, Tom Moody and Robert Sutherland, realized that if spacecraft could be insulated, heated and cooled in the extreme space environment (temperatures in space ranging from -450° F to +300° F) with very small amounts of energy (e.g. the Apollo Command Module could be maintained at 70° F using only 400 watts of electricity), surely a home or commercial structure could benefit from some of the spacecraft design results. For example, on a cold day in one hour, a typical 1800 square foot house may lose more than 100 times the amount of energy used in the Apollo spacecraft. That seemed inexcusable! Addressing the energy inefficiency of a structure's design is why Watt Count Energy Systems was first developed.
In 1981, the problem-solvers at Watt Count analyzed and engineered a home for a contest for the most energy-efficient home in the country sponsored by the NAHB. After winning the contest, this research was subsequently featured in an article in the 1981 NASA periodical called “Spinoff".
During this period, Richard Rue (now CEO of Wise Engineering and Building Solutions) began to work with Watt Count. These formative years were the foundation of Mr. Rue’s education in ultra-energy efficient construction. With considerable research and testing, the original computer program for Wise Engineering and Building Solutions became a functional reality. The program has evolved to keep pace with HVAC and building system advances. In fact, the entire program is revised and updated on an on-going basis. Wise Engineering and Building Solutions' computer program is proprietary and was co-authored by Richard L. Rue and William B. Poucher, PhD.
