PHOTO DIARY

I'm a solar electrician. I install all parts, pieces and wiring for solar electric or photovoltaic systems. Solar electricity is often called "PV," short for photovoltaic, which really just means light electricity, or solar energy!

I start my day in the office, where I keep all of my supplies and my work truck. Usually I take off immediately for an installation, so I can get started before it gets too hot on roofs. I'm in the office about 50 percent of the time and 50 percent of the time I'm out doing installations. When I'm in the office, I'm doing other aspects of my job like designing PV systems using basic math and algebra calculations and references such as the National Electrical Code (NEC). Once a system is designed, I place orders for equipment and work with other general contractors, homeowners and inspectors to schedule the hands-on part of the installation. I have meetings at the office some days to organize what jobs we have coming up. I also do site surveys, which entail going to a possible customer's site and analyzing their home or business to see if it is a good match for a solar-power system. Much of my office time involves computer work, emails and phone calls. If I'm in the office, I have a greater ability to take off and meet friends for lunch, but if I'm out on an install, I typically bring my lunch.

I received a bachelor's degree from Ohio University in 2001 in Conservation and Ecology, and then moved out to Oregon. In 2003, at the age of 22, I decided that I wanted to learn more about solar power because it had interested me for years. I landed a three-month internship with Solar Energy International, located in Colorado, in 2003, which is where I began to take classes in the field of solar energy. When I finished and returned to Oregon I immediately got a job with a local solar company. My passion for solar grew as did my knowledge of the renewable energy industry. Within a year of reutrning, I started my apprenticeship with the State of Oregon for a Limited Renewable Technician license (LRT). This is the license that allows me to legally install solar electric systems. After 4,000 hours of paid on-the-job training, I received my license. The program took me around three years, which is a long time, but I was able to travel quite a bit for the program which made up for it.

I love the work. I get to be outside and I can truly feel good about my work at the end of the day. Every day, I'm doing my part to better the environment and am educating and influencing others along the way! Typically, this industry also enables me to meet very liberal, outdoorsy and environmentally minded folks, which is a major plus. I work with wonderful people and my boss is very welcoming to travel, vacations and the occasional mountain bike ride during work! I'm extremely proud to be one of the only women in the State who does the work that I do, and I continue to educate myself on this ever-changing industry.

So what's next? Good question! There's still much more to learn and I hope to begin teaching some of the knowledge that I have. I would like to continue to train other electricians who may be interested in learning about solar energy, and educate everyone about this up-and-coming industry.