Bob Doane ’74 is passionate about renewable energy. Doane, the Chief Technology Officer of eNow, Inc., a clean-tech company in Warwick, Rhode Island, was recently visiting campus when President Lindgren took him on a campus tour. The two zipped around in the golf cart that Lindgren often uses to transport visitors. “I mentioned that I could put a solar panel on the golf cart to help charge its batteries,” recalls Doane. “President Lindgren jumped at the opportunity.” Doane, who majored in computer science at R-MC and earned his MBA from Bryant College, donated and installed the solar panel several weeks later. The panel can generate up to 100 watts of energy and can replace one-fourth of the battery capacity per day.

A Viable Energy Source

Doane’s interest in renewable energy began when his former employer, Cape Air Airlines, needed a corporate sustainability program.

“We installed a 258 kw solar panel system on the airport hangar roof, which supplied 90 percent of the electrical needs of the maintenance facility,” he says. “As a result, I became very interested in renewable energy technologies.”

In 2011 he joined eNow, and one of his first tasks was to develop a lightweight solar panel for trucks and trailers. “The result was a panel that is only 2mm thick and very lightweight,” he says. “I developed the electronics to take the energy from the panel to charge batteries. The energy can be used to run liftgates, air conditioning for drivers’ rest periods, and any electrical needs of the vehicle. eNow has become not only a solar company, but the provider of energy management systems for the transportation industry.”

Generosity and Advocacy

Doane is a member of the Presidents Society, and he also supports the John Rabung Endowed Fund for Computer Science, which was created in 2015 by former students of retired Professor John Rabung.

“One of the key goals of the fund is to supply equipment and tools to students working on research projects,” says Doane. “I support the fund because I am an advocate of the learning reinforcement of hands-on projects in conjunction with theoretical studies.”

Full Circle

“I started out taking physics classes and loved electronics, but followed the path of computer science, a field in its infancy,” says Doane. “My career path took me through computer programming and operations, technology assessment, management, and even finance. I am now back to where I had envisioned my career as I entered college. I believe my R-MC advisor, the late Dr. Wade Temple, would be very pleased.”