Emily, a current SEI student, has been working for a utility company in her home state of Michigan since the summer of 2019. When COVID-19 struck in March of 2020, her company transitioned to full-time remote work. After remaining in quarantine for the first four months of the pandemic, waiting for the infection numbers to decrease in her state, Emily was finally able to realize her dream – traveling while working full-time, working with SEI, and continuing her solar education through SEI’s online courses.
During the summer of 2020, after working and hiking her way through the Badlands, the Black Hills, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Arches, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Emily eventually landed at the SEI headquarters in Paonia, Colorado. Once there, she was able to finally meet her mentor Johnny Weiss in person, as well as numerous other SEI representatives and employees (socially-distanced of course). After mentioning her interest in continuing to travel and volunteer on low-income solar installations in a Spanish-speaking location, the SEI staff arranged some opportunities for Emily to serve with the Footprint Project and Barrio Eléctrico in Puerto Rico.
Wasting no time, Emily landed in Puerto Rico in October, and has had a very rich solar and cultural experience ever since! Serving with the Footprint Project, Emily assisted in the data collection and monitoring of an island-wide agricultural solar distribution project that launched last year, as well as an installation on a rural nursing home. In 2021, she will be assisting 15 farmers in applying for funding to install Footprint Project donated panels, and later assisting in the installations themselves.
With Barrio Eléctrico, Emily has become a part of an economically sustainable, long-term solution for reliable, clean power for low income residents on the island. These installations, and the accompanying funding model, provide battery-based solar power as a primary source for 75-90% of consumption, all while retaining a grid connection as a backup for higher energy use and/or cloudy days. Applying her PVOL101 and PVOL203 knowledge, Emily has been assisting in the creation of feasibility analyses and equipment documentation. She has also been able to witness lessons from SEI’s PVOL304 and RDOL101 courses in real-time by participating in several residential solar installations and attending funding meetings, all while working with native Spanish speakers who have been patient in helping her reach fluency. One aspect that Emily has particularly enjoyed is Barrio Electric’s partnership with Bosque Modelo’s women solar training program, saying: “Having worked on predominantly all male solar/energy teams for the last three years, it was really refreshing to problem solve with other women who shared my passion for solar development work.”
As of this writing, Emily is not only working-remotely for the utility company in her home state, but she is also volunteering with Johnny Weiss as his Executive Assistant, helping to build the capacity for ongoing solar energy projects with the Tanzania-based NGO, Rural Community Support Organization (RUCOSUO). Emily assists in grant research and writing for RUCOSUO, updating their website, and once installations resume in a post-COVID world, she hopes to assist with the technical design and equipment selection. Emily said, “The most enriching part about working for RUCOSUO has been watching and benefiting from Lukas’ leadership. Lukas is clearly passionate about solar and all the good it can do for his community. Combine that passion with Lukas’ kind spirit, and he is an absolute joy to work for.”
Emily intends to continue her education at SEI and hopes to eventually work in a project management role with international solar organizations that seek to increase energy access to those who need it the most. In the meantime, she can be found hiking the El Yunque Rainforest, practicing yoga on the Ocean Park beach, and eating as many rellenos con carne and quesitos as humanly possible.
SEI’s online training effectively provided Emily with the flexibility to adventure and learn solar at the same time. No matter where you live or how adventurous your life may be, SEI’s Online Campus provides you with valuable training anytime, anywhere.
