Green culture is so important at Sun Light & Power

Recently I spoke with Eric Nyman, Sales Manager with Sun Light & Power, of Berkeley, CA

Eric Nyman of Solar Light & Power

The solar industry has continued to grow, though it’s certainly been turbulent for the last 12 months. What we have seen however, with the downturn in the economy is that a lot of good, talented people have come over to the solar industry. We’ve been able to broaden our team and bring in some quality folks with some very important skills.

The competition for solar jobs depends on what part of the industry we’re talking about. It is hard to find qualified installation folks. Sun Light & Power is very thorough; we bring an engineering and robust construction philosophy to the systems that we build. Most of the training programs that we pull people out of are rudimentary at best, therefore we provide new employees with a lot of in-house training. We’re very selective in who we hire. We’re looking for a certain candidate that fits within our culture. We really try to hire people who are committed to renewable energy and to environmental issues. It’s one thing to go to work and do your job everyday; It is important for you to live what you are talking about and ‘Walk the talk.’

We’re looking for people with a construction and/or electrical background and they do not necessarily have to be NABCEP certified. We also do solar thermal (not many others are currently active here) so we’re looking for people with plumbing experience. For other positions we’re looking for people who live the lifestyle, which meshes with what we’re trying to present. We even go beyond that as well. We really want people who have a bit of a ‘what’s next’ attitude, not just come in for 8 hours, do your job and go home but come in with creative ideas. What can they add to the organization, make things more efficient and run a little smoother?

We are also a B-Corporation. There are only two B-Corporation solar companies in the country. The bottom line is that we take a percentage of our profits and put that money back into our community, which is very important to us. So for new hires, we’re really looking for that holistic package in an individual, who brings not only the skills that we require, but also brings commitment and passion for sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint on our planet. We believe what we are working in! Ours is a great group of people because that commitment gets translated into the projects that we’re working on.

My advice to those seeking a career in solar is that training is very important, but you should diversify your skill set. If you want to be a PV installer, learn a little about the solar thermal side as well, because ultimately it is also renewable energy. Try to diversify your skill set while learning about the industry and global energy issues.

It’s all about preparation. When you go to a job interview, know about the company, know about the industry and make a good presentation on yourself.

A lot of our job postings are on our website and we advertise positions in various locations. We also hire through workforce development programs, both in Richmond, San Francisco and Oakland, as a part of our B-Corporation philosophy. A lot of our people come from a program called Solar Richmond. We also sometimes have training programs of our own. A lot of these folks from the workforce development programs are coming from disadvantaged communities, so we give them any training that they lack. To be able to bring them into an organization where they can really develop and shine is extraordinary and it makes us happy.

Your sunny, transitioning to solar gal,
Linda Siegel, Linda.siegel85@gmail.com

PS: My blog pick this week is gold for those looking for Green Jobs in California: Occupational Outlook Study for Green Jobs.

Bonus interview points for good communication skills

Phil Tracol of SOLGEN

Phil Tracol is Chairman and CEO of Solgen, a San Jose, CA solar installation company. Phil has over 10 years of electrical engineering and program management experience with a main focus on quality and reliability. Phil holds a Master of Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Montpellier (France). Phil was kind enough to suffer my questions and was very forthcoming with excellent tips for job seekers.

Phil started as an engineer in the manufacturing sector of photovoltaics. He says,

“My background in electrical engineering helps with the design aspects. I also have some project and business creation experience. My partner, Tyler Hummel, brings site construction experience and additional project management skills.

Many solar companies started two to four years ago, so most people are inexperienced. We try to look in parallel industries like construction, electrical and installation.”

Experienced photovoltaic installers are hard to find:

“I find that well-trained is different than experienced.  There are institutes where you can get good, in-depth training. You can also take a one-week training course and get some very good exposure on how to do an installation.

We find that there is a huge difference between people with only one week of training and those with more in-depth training and/or experience, when it comes to climbing on the roof, or using ground mounts. Well-trained goes with experience.

Like training in any other discipline, you need to learn best practices and all about the industry through school, before you can start hands-on training. On the job training is the best. We are more interested in recruiting beginners, who have received very good training, from schools like Solar Energy International.

I would only qualify someone with two to three years experience as an experienced installer. ”

I asked Phil about the timing, given the rough economic climate.

Solar is going to grow, in residential and commercial. This only the beginning, though we have done a lot already.  If we follow the expectations of legislators we have a long way to go to become solar equipped as a country, as a state and even locally.  The city of San Jose wants more commercial and residential installations. There will definitely be a lot of work and need for a lot of installers.  The best time to invest in education and training is during rough times, rather than placing your money on other investments. For us this was a good time to start a solar company as well.  Starting a new venture is a good thing to do during difficult economic times.

Phil spoke about ways to stand apart while interviewing.

An installer that has experience in job management would also be useful. Definitely good communication skills are helpful.  An installer is always with the customer and really needs to have good communication.  An installer must not shut off when the customer comes to him/her, sending the customer back to a sales person to handle their needs.  The installer needs to have a good relationship with the customer. It is part of the job.” For office jobs, multi-tasking is very much needed.”

Phil and I ended our conversation there, leaving me to reflect on his perspective.  Clearly experience is not necessarily a prerequisite for Phil, as long as prospective employees have thorough training and a much needed, exceptional “something” that sets them apart from others.  Like most solar professionals that I have spoken to recently, he advises aspiring solar enthusiasts to invest in thorough training now, rather than later, in order to reap the benefits of the impending solar industry explosion!

Your sunny, transitioning to solar gal,
Linda Siegel, Linda.siegel85@gmail.com

PS: My blog pick this week is 100 Exciting Lectures on All Things Green. Hardly any are about solar PV, but so many are interesting nonetheless. Please tell me what you think.