Derek Knuepfer

Background

About Derek Knuepfer

Derek completed his studies in the Housing and Urban Development program in the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at Arizona State University. Prior to completing his degree and graduating with honors, Derek launched DKG Urban Concepts in 2004. He completed several small projects for DKG while also working for a large real estate development firm building invaluable skills in Land Development, Urban Planning, Alternative Energy Applications, Team Building, Project Management, Feasibility Studies, Project Estimation and Construction Management. Over a short period of time he developed hundreds of thousands of acres of real estate development projects in the Valley of the Sun while fostering invaluable professional relationships with local experts and leaders in the development industry. When the economic crisis hit Phoenix and real estate development came to an abrupt standstill, Derek turned to solar energy as his next venture. This opportunity allowed Derek to develop over 2.5 megawatts of solar photovoltaic (PV) system projects all over Arizona, California and Colorado. Now thriving in a much more prosperous real estate environment since the Recession, Derek proudly remains Owner and Chief Executive Officer of DKG Urban Concepts. DKG’s work has created a trademark in the industry of beautifully constructed, fully integrated, energy efficient buildings that utilize solar, the highest in water savings and cleanest indoor air quality in an attempt to create livable spaces that are healthy, environmentally sound examples of how to “live lightly”.