David Sellers

AIA

Principal Architect, with over 20 years of experience with energy systems and off-grid technologies. Raised as a mechanic’s son, David worked his way through undergraduate architecture school at Texas A&M University on commercial fishing boats in Alaska. This is where he learned about battery systems, potable and wastewater systems as well as generators as a ship's engineer. Through that experience, he honed his skills as an electrician, fabricator, and welder. Later David received a master's degree in Architecture, Urbanism, and Building Science from Technical University Delft in the Netherlands. After living abroad for a decade David moved to Hawaii to work with The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii as the operations manager and Interim Director of the Palmyra Atoll program running the research station and managing the existing infrastructure as well as spearheading new projects such as the Palmyra Renewable Energy Project in which the research station was transitioned off of diesel generators via a renewable micro-grid saving over one million annually that could be directed into conservation and research. 

In 2015, David started Hawaii Off-Grid with now-retired architect Rick McGovern and civil engineer Jacob Freeman. HIOG took over McGovern’s 18-year sole practitioner practice with a client base and project stream as a foundation to transform into Hawaii Off-Grid.  McGovern remains an asset confidant and mentor.