NeoVolta Announces Ardes Johnson as New CEO

SAN DIEGO, April 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (NASDAQ: NEOV) – NeoVolta Inc., a San Diego-based leader in smart energy storage solutions, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Ardes Johnson as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Johnson will officially assume his new role on April 29, 2024, bringing with him a wealth of experience and a proven track record of transformative leadership in the energy sector. His predecessor, Brent Willson, Founder and CEO of NeoVolta, will continue his role as Chairman of the Board and now serve as CTO.

“Ardes’ impressive track record in the energy sector, particularly his transformative role at Tesla, aligns perfectly with NeoVolta’s mission to innovate and lead in the renewable energy storage market,” said Brent Willson, outgoing CEO of NeoVolta. “We are confident that his visionary leadership and deep industry knowledge will continue to enhance our product offerings and expand market presence, ensuring reliable, safe, and efficient energy storage solutions for homes across America.”

“I am immensely excited to join NeoVolta at this pivotal moment and contribute to its mission with a focus on three key objectives: expanding revenue through strategic sales channel development, broadening financing options through partnerships with major industry players, and initiating the development of the next generation of NeoVolta batteries,” said incoming NeoVolta CEO Ardes Johnson. “Each of these areas is crucial for accelerating our growth and enhancing our competitive edge in the market. I have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to apply my expertise to a product with as much potential as NeoVolta’s offerings, and I am confident that together, we will shape the future of energy storage.”

Johnson joins NeoVolta from Meyer Burger Americas, where, as President and General Manager, he spearheaded the company’s successful transition to module sales in the U.S. Under his leadership, Meyer Burger’s expansion in the Americas has achieved a multi-gigawatt backlog of over $1 billion dollars and is scaling to 2 gigawatts per year of manufacturing in just 18 months.

Prior to Meyer Burger, Johnson held various leadership roles in the energy space. However, his tenure at Tesla stands out as particularly noteworthy. As Director of Americas Sales and Marketing for Tesla’s Energy Products division, Johnson was instrumental in the development and success of Tesla’s energy storage solutions, where he and his team launched the partner channel program for the PowerWall and PowerPack products in the Utility, Residential and Commercial Markets. His leadership helped secure a landmark 80 MWh storage contract with Southern California Edison. This achievement was part of a broader strategy that significantly expanded Tesla's energy storage footprint across North America.

Johnson's background also includes strategic roles at SolarWorld Americas and General Electric, where he demonstrated his ability to drive profitability and innovation in highly competitive markets. His extensive experience is supported by a strong academic foundation, including a Master of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University, a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University and serving as a Naval Nuclear Officer aboard the USS Harry S Truman.

About NeoVolta - NeoVolta designs, develops, and manufactures advanced energy storage systems that offer efficient and reliable solutions for residential and industrial applications. The company’s flagship product, the NV14, is designed with a focus on safety using non-toxic, non-flammable LiFe(PO4) battery chemistry. The NV14 features a high-capacity 14.4 kWh storage system, a robust 7,680-watt inverter, and a cutting-edge web-based management system, making it one of the leading choices for sustainable energy storage nationwide.
For more information, please visit www.NeoVolta.com

For more information visit: http://www.NeoVolta.com email us: IR@NeoVolta.com or call us: 858-239-2029

Forward-Looking Statements: Some of the statements in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, without limitation, the future performance, reliability and safety of NeoVolta’s NV14 storage system and the ability of the NV14 to be successfully integrated with residential backup generators. Although NeoVolta believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, expectations may prove to have been materially different from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. NeoVolta has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including ''believes,'' ''estimates,'' ''anticipates,'' ''expects,'' ''plans,'' ''projects,'' ''intends,'' ''potential,'' ''may,'' ''could,'' ''might,'' ''will,'' ''should,'' ''approximately'' or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including those discussed under the "Risk Factors" section of NeoVolta’s Form 1-A filing filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and updated from time to time in its other public filings with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of its date. NeoVolta undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.