About Us

Solar Design and Drafting (SD&D) takes care of the design portion of all solar designs and drafting. We tailor our designs based on the different city and county codes and regulations, allowing for a smooth submittal the first time. SD&D appreciates the time sensitive nature of a solar installation, so we work quickly and efficiently to get the designs done. SD&D has grown over 200% in the past 2 years and we are expanding to be a green design center, moving from solely solar designs to electrical and water preservation. We are honest, accurate and strive for outstanding customer service. We excel in quick and precise designs and building relationships with our clients as well as your installation jurisdiction. We are committed to minimizing total installed cost by offering inexpensive submittal sets that reduce material and labor expenses.

Our Mission

SD&D needs to stay ahead of the green movement curve! We are excited to share our sustainability expertise by providing quality solar, water and electrical designs. The laws have changed drastically for residential and commercial permitting, mainly to help save money and energy. These cost effective laws are exciting and SD&D is a one of a kind green design center. Our goal is to continue to have the work/life balance of working hard, making a difference while keeping the office light and FUN.

What Makes SD&D Unique:

SD&D is a very small and informal company. The 2 owners, husband and wife, are flexible and have only two concerns: efficiency and accuracy when it comes to our designs! We work hard and we play hard. We love our small town, Petaluma, in beautiful Sonoma County. The office is located right downtown on the charming Kentucky Street. Our designers can come and go as they please and we always offer a home office to avoid wasted time spent commuting. We train from the ground up BUT expect our employees to be eager to learn and hardworking. We are growing like crazy and our main (and only) qualifications are to be smart and hungry! The office environment is casual, fun and light, all while taking our work seriously by delivering quality designs and fantastic, positive energy! We are start-up, learning as we go and hoping to grow a team that sticks with us for the long haul! We are expanding from just solar design and drafting to a full-service, green energy design firm. We have started doing electrical designs as well, next on the list is plumbing/water preservation.

The SD&D Team

John Knueppel – Owner and founder

John Knueppel, owner and founder of Solar Design and Drafting, has years of experience in the Solar Industry. John has in-depth knowledge of the entire permitting process. He was drawn to solar four years ago when he was learning about its environmental and financial benefits. He has a mechanical engineering degree from UC Berkeley and graduated while playing on the National Champion Rugby team. John has 15 years of professional experience in the technical, sales and solar industries. Being a life-long native of Northern California, John has always taken advantage of the bay area through outdoors activities, leading him to be an environmental activist who is passionate about the entire green movement. John is honest, reliable and accurate, leading him to be the best in solar design. When John is not rooting for the Golden Bears, he is enjoying an active and healthy lifestyle with his wife and two children in Petaluma.

Michael – Lead Designer and Jack of all Trades!

SD&D hit the jack pot with Michael. Michael is a Kenwood, Sonoma County native, and one of the main reasons why SD&D has has such unbelievable and steady growth. Michael creates the residential and commercial designs all while managing our customers and interns. Michael is wise beyond his years, incredibly talented in all areas of his professional and personal life and SD&D is lucky to have him on our team. In Michaels free time, he enjoys spending time with family and friends, managing an unbelievable work/life balance and his annual Tahoe trip with good friends.

Katie and John Knueppel –

Katie and John have been married for 8 years, together for 10. Katie is from Petaluma with a background in Sales and Recruiting. Katie and John moved to Petaluma 7 years ago, after having their first child in San Francisco. Although they love Petaluma and enjoy all that Sonoma County has to offer, they still have a strong connection to San Francisco. Katie and John have 2 small children, Bodie and Harry, and 2 adorable dogs. In their free time, they enjoy travel, spending time with friends and family, enjoying the fantastic restaurants and touring around Sonoma County. Both love golf, tennis and anything outdoors. Katie is a lifelong yogi and passionate about inner peace and keeping things “light + fun”. SD&D was created because the Knueppel’s loved the small town feel of Petaluma and modeled their business with a similar mentality–if you keep the office environment fun, casual and innovative…the talented employees and loyal customers will come!