December 20, 1996
SHEC Labs Incorporates
SASKATOON, Canada: SHEC Labs - Solar Hydrogen Energy
Corporation (SHEC Labs) today announced its incorporation to
actively pursue research on hydrogen production
technologies.
J. Thomas Beck, the founder of SHEC Labs has been doing hydrogen
and renewable energy research on a part time basis for a number
of years. The incorporation of SHEC Labs starts a full time
dedicated research effort with the objective of achieving
commercial and cost effective renewable energy and hydrogen
production technologies.
Tom was born on December 5, 1957 in Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada. His parents were Canadian born. His grandparents
emigrated from Germany in the early 1900's.
Tom spent his early years growing up on a grain farm. After
moving to the city he would still spend his summer holidays
during his grade school and high school years helping out on
his grandparents' farm. He was no stranger to hard work and
enjoyed it. He enjoyed the busy pace of the harvest, and
developed a strong work ethic. He found the farm a place to do
things, and the city boring in comparison. The farm had a
machine shop and Tom spent many hours building various
contraptions as he was growing up.
As Tom became older, he took an interest in electronics and
energy systems. He had a strong interest in renewable energy
systems, but there were no career opportunities in renewable
energy at the time. While Tom was growing up he said, "You can
do anything with electronics", and chose a career path in that
area.
Tom deployed a wind generator above his parents garage while
still in high school and had built a number of electrolyzers.
He also built his first thermal chemical hydrogen generator
while still in grade 12. Efficiencies were extremely low and
seemed impractical at the time. "If only the efficiencies could
be brought up, it could become the most economical means to
produce hydrogen from sunlight in the future", Tom had
said.
During his high school years, Tom spent all his money from part
time jobs to fund his basement laboratory. Tom graduated from
DeVry Technical Institute in 1977 with a diploma in Electronics
and Computer Controls. With that he went off to work for CNCP
Telecommunications. Even after he bought his own house, his
preoccupation was with the basement lab.
Tom jumped at the opportunity to work for a renewable energy
company which had started in his home town of Regina, SK. He
was in charge of designing and building the electronic controls
and testing apparatus for both active solar heating systems and
wind power systems. He was so excited with the opportunity to
work in renewable energy, that he invested part of his salary
back into the company.
He had designed a Delta-T controller for the Eutectic Salt heat
storage for solar heated homes as well as a microprocessor
based control system which controlled the entire solar heating
system, storage, and backup heating. It was the first control
of its kind in the world.
He also designed an air tight, electronically actuated air
damper which incorporated a low cost electronic braking circuit
for squirrel cage motors. Tom also designed and built a
computer data acquisition system for a solar house using the
TRS-80 Model 1 computer, which was a state of the art consumer
computer at the time. He also designed a testing platform and
instrumentation for a wind turbine. Tom says "To make our own
wind, the platform was mobile. We drove the platform at varying
speeds to obtain the wind speed we desired to acquire
power/torque curves for the wind turbines".
Unfortunately, this company did not survive. Tom went to work in
various industries in telecommunications and manufacturing
automation. He developed and managed development teams for
products for Video On Demand fiber optic Television, Machine
Automation, CNC systems. He was only able to work on his
hydrogen dream on a part time basis.
A number of electrolyzers were built over the years and attempts
at improving the thermal water splitting process were made. It
was not until a moment of inspiration in the summer of 1996,
that Tom thought of a way to separate hydrogen and oxygen as
they are produced to prevent recombination. This epiphany could
make his process economically viable. Tom gathered his family
and friends to help spread the word of his "inspiration" and
found enough interested investors to launch SHEC Labs in
December of that year. A formal research effort was
started.
Mr. Beck received a High Tech Entrepreneur Award for Innovation
and Scientific Breakthrough from KPMG Peat Marwick Thorne in
1990. He is also on the advisory committee of the University of
Regina Engineering Faculty. BMO Nesbitt Burns, a major Canadian
brokerage firm, nominated Mr. Beck for Entrepreneur of the Year
in 2000.
2010
January 19
SHEC Energy enters agreement with Emerson Process Management
2009
July 22
SHEC Energy Adds Dr. Andy Ananthakrishnan To Senior Executive Team
July 20
CTV News Highlights Global Interest In SHEC Energy's Solar Power Technology
June 17
SHEC Energy relocates to new headquarters - starts commercialization
January 29
SHEC Energy at WFES
January 14
SHEC Energy exhibiting at World Future Energy Summit
2008
November 26
SHEC Energy awarded a grant for approximately $40 million
September 23
SHEC LABS moves up to #2 Position of Clean Energy Companies
August 25
SHEC Energy incorporates in Beaumont, Texas
July 14
SHEC LABS has developed the world's most efficient Solar Thermal technology
Archive - 2007
November 2
Grand Opening - The City of Regina Hosts Ribbon Cutting
Ceremony of their State of the Art Landfill Gas Collection
System
October 31
SHEC LABS - One Step Closer To Commercialization
June 7
SHEC LABS - Solar Hydrogen Energy Corp teams up with the University of
Victoria for Large Scale Solar Concentrator
May 29
James S. Hansen, B.Eng joins SHEC's Board of Directors and Management Team
January 16
SHEC LABS - Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation receives
Best Company to become Public - TSX Venture award
Archive - 2006
December 22
SHEC LABS, Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation selected in top 10
of the world's best renewable energy technologies
December 22
SHEC LABS launches second Offering to fund construction of its first Renewable Solar
Hydrogen Production Facility
September 15
SHEC Appoints Neil Mohammed of BMO Capital Markets to Its Board of Directors
September 14
SHEC Thanks Team Member For Past And Continued Support
August 15
SHEC announces Victor Smith, CEO of Giffels/Ingenium has joined the Board of Directors
July 6
SHEC Concludes Hydrogen Workshop for "SHEC Station #1"
June 20
SHEC LABS completes first closing under recent Private Placement Offering Memorandum
May 5
SHEC LABS launches Offering to fund construction of its first Renewable Solar Hydrogen
Production Facility
April 25
O'Brien, Vice President of Environmental Services and Infrastructure of
Giffels/Ingenium joins SHEC's Board of Directors and Management Team
April 4
SHEC LABS announces Pierre Rivard, President and CEO of Hydrogenics Corporation to join its
Board of Directors
Archive - 2005
December 7
SHEC LABS and the City of Regina Saskatchewan are pleased to announce the world's first Solar
Hydrogen production station from landfill gas
November 22
Sustainable Development Technology Canada to Provide $42.5 Million in New Funding For
Canadian Clean Technology Projects
June 16
Jamie Bakos, Manager of Environmental Services of Giffels/Ingenium joins SHEC's Board
of Directors
June 1
SHEC Labs plans Renewable Solar Hydrogen Pilot Plant
May 18
SHEC Labs Releases Unit Conversion Calculator
May 5
SHEC Labs Releases Fuel Energy Equivalency Calculator
March 10
SHEC Labs applies for new patent for Heat Valve
January 5
SHEC Labs applies for new patent for Solar Receiver
Archive - 2004
October 15
SHEC Labs Announces Strategic Partnership with Clean 16 and UofT
October 12
SHEC Labs Announces Strategic Partnership with Hydrogenics Corporation
October 1
SHEC Labs Announces Strategic Partnership with Giffels Associates Limited
September 28
SHEC Labs files for Solar Aperature Patent
July 6
SHEC Labs produces Hydrogen from water in the Arizona Desert
May 26
Solar Hydrogen Generator at STAR test site
January 12
SHEC Labs completes long term testing on Dry Fuel Reformation Catalyst
Archive - 2003
October 21
SHEC Labs develops Anti-Coking fuel reformation technology
August 26
SHEC Labs Unveils prototype solar heating/cooling system
June 10
SHEC Labs Unveils The Power Of 5,000 Suns With It's Advanced Solar Concentrator
April 21
Government of Canada to fund SHEC LABS
April 7
SHEC Labs Launches ProShopMAX Division
March 20
SHEC Labs Granted United States Patent
March 7
SHEC Labs Announces Updated Offering Memorandum for Private Placement
February 12
SHEC Labs to open U.S. Office in Arizona
Archive - 2002
December 4
SHEC Labs Announces Private Placement
October 29
SHEC Labs Signs Asset Purchase Agreement with Mini-Tek Electronics Service
October 28
SHEC Labs Signs Licensing Agreement with Trillium Technology Investments Ltd.
September 22
SHEC Labs Starts Development of Solar Reactor
July 30
SHEC Labs Granted Patent
June 30
SHEC Labs Advances Spin-off Catalyst to Produce Hydrogen from Methane
April 30
SHEC Labs Develops Advanced Mass Flow Meters
Archive - 2001
December 15
SHEC Labs Closes Private Placements
November 30
SHEC Labs Commissions Advanced Catalyst Testing System
June 30
SHEC Labs' Technology Externally Validated by Giffels Associates Limited
March 27
SHEC Labs Completes Larger Scale Concept Machine
February 20
SHEC Labs Completes Initial Small Scale Concept Machine
Archive - 2000
December 15
SHEC Labs Closes Third Private Placement
November 30
SHEC Labs Completes 1/12 Scale Heliostat
October 30
SHEC Labs' Catalyst Technology Externally Validated by Wardrop Engineering Inc.
July 15
SHEC Labs Creates Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) Gas Separation System
April 30
SHEC Labs Develops Redumentary Catalyst
March 30
SHEC Labs Develops Near Real Time Gas Analyzer
Archive - 1999
November 15
SHEC Labs Constructs 350KW Power Control for Solar Simulator
June 30
SHEC Labs Completes Materials Processor
Archive - 1998
June 30
SHEC Labs Starts Work on Solar Simulator
May 30
SHEC Labs Files Patent for High Temperature Process to Produce Hydrogen from Water
April 30
SHEC Labs Closes Second Private Placement
February 28
SHEC Labs Demonstrates High Temperature Process to Produce Hydrogen from Water
Archive - 1997
July 30
SHEC Labs Closes First Private Placement
