Story by Liesel Schmidt
Technology has advanced in many fields and applications since the industrial age, and as time has passed, creating innovations that are ecofriendly has been an even greater focus. Through his work at Enginuity Power Systems, Jim Warren is part of that innovative advancement, sitting at the helm of a company focused on pioneering the production of patented ultra-high-efficiency engines.
“I innovate because it’s a kind of compulsion.' - Jim
The world's first production-ready four-stroke inwardly opposed piston engine is ideal for both manufacturers and consumers across an almost endless range of applications. “I innovate because it’s a kind of compulsion,” says Warren, who is one of the founders of Enginuity Power Systems and holds the titles of Board Secretary and VP of Design. “I can’t look at something without seeing how it could be better. When I look at power generation systems, I don’t see them as they are, I see them as they could be, and I want to make them better. I need to make them better. That’s what led to Enginuity’s new private generation appliance. I was looking for a way to showcase my new power production module, and one of my board members, Greg Powell, suggested a home appliance that replaces your water heater, furnace, backup generator and air-conditioner, which seemed like a cool way to do it. I mean, imagine not ever having an electric bill again, not having to buy a backup generator, or worrying about the power going out. Our new private generation system does all that while cutting your home’s carbon footprint by 50 percent the day you install it.”
For Warren, the ability to innovate and create comes as naturally as breathing. “People always want to know how someone ends up as an inventor, like maybe there are some classes you can take, or if I went to MIT or something,” he says. “In actuality, being an inventor is kind of like being an opera singer—you are either born with the ability to create new things or you aren’t. My business partners know I have this one particular ability in that I am very creative, but they also know I can’t balance the company books. It’s a tradeoff, I guess.”
As cutting-edge as their technology is, Warren and the team at Enginuity did not anticipate the profound effect their work would have. “We didn’t realize that we were going to completely restructure energy distribution when we built our first system,” Warren notes. “Private generation as a home appliance just seemed like it made sense to us as a showcase for our technology. It was only after people at the utilities and Department of Energy got wind of the system and started to approach us that we realized the scope of what the program could be.”
“We didn’t realize that we were going to completely restructure energy distribution when we built our first system.' - Jim
At the heart of Warren’s work is a driving passion that is simply based in the desire to impact the world around him. “I want to make people’s lives better, you know, doing well by doing good,” he says. “Unlike most people, however, I am fortunate enough to have the technology and the backing to actually do it. Imagine being able to put a big dent in carbon outputs, and being able to do it on a global scale. That’s where we are right now as a company. We have an appliance that is saving people money and improving their energy security while helping the environment. That’s a rare combination. Everyone’s always saying that people must reduce their standard of living to help the planet, but we just have to rethink how we do things. That’s where innovation comes in.”
