The SREC (Solar Renewable Energy Credit) customer support team at Sol Systems provides in-house services and assistance to more than 18,000 customers and partners. Our Service Spotlight Series gives our clients the chance to learn more about the individuals that support their SREC payments. Today we chatted with our SREC Customer Support Manager, Aina Lusis.
Aina Lusis is a SREC Customer Support Manager on the customer support team.
1. What brought you to Sol Systems?
I came to Sol because I wanted a change of pace and environment. There is a nice balance between work environment and work ethics at Sol Systems. Sol’s great culture stems from open communication with a work hard, play hard mentality. This fosters an incredibly supportive environment with open dialogue and cross team collaboration at the forefront.
2. How have your previous roles prepared you to transition to your current role on the customer service team?
My psychology degree gave me a boarder understanding of how people think, emphasize, and communicate. After college, I put my focus into politics and campaign work, which required me to talk to different constituents about various subject matters, giving me a solid understanding of the person behind the screen as well as the information at hand. In my previous job, I used my background to create positive experiences for customers through communication practice, relationship building, and personability.
3. What motivated you to pursue a career in renewable energy?
I have always been passionate about environmental issues, and when I found Sol, I knew that this opportunity came at the right time. From there, everything fell into place.
4. What processes are you looking to build from at your current position as a customer service manager?
First and foremost, I want to focus on faster communication with customers. This includes testing new procedures and exploring a variety of communication options. At the current moment, my focus is maintaining positive communication and quality customer service in a meaningful way by giving customers accurate information quickly and effectively.
5. Outside of Sol Systems, what do you like to do for fun?
When I am not working, I like to sing and dance and am currently working on a novel. I am also a movie buff. When the weather permits, I enjoy hiking in the mountains or spending time at the beach.
Robots Roaming Around Solar Projects? Sol Systems’ Newest Tech Addition
Sustainability |
By Claire Siwulec
The robots are coming...to our solar sites! This spring, Sol Systems installed robotic mowers at its 1 MWac project in Rock Falls, Illinois to assist with vegetation management.
For Rock Falls, Sol Systems collaborated with the Langton Group, the Midwest arm of Automated Outdoor Solutions, to deploy robotic mowing solution at the site. Each of the five robotic mowers managing the site runs up to ten hours a day, mowing its section of the six-acre project. The mowers are self-sufficient and can dock in their stations to charge as needed. The mowers’ constant maintenance means that site vegetation is always under 6 inches in height.
As is common with solar projects, we must properly manage onsite vegetation (a fancy way of saying mow the grass) in compliance with the City. Sol regularly reviews different vegetation management options for our projects, which, in addition to traditional grass mowing, now include recent industry innovations such as native habitat, sheep grazing, and robotic mowers.
Ultimately the decision to proceed with robots came down to a combination of sustainability, economics, and a desire to better understand how robots would perform in the field. Although the robotic mowers are not 100% carbon neutral, they were the most effective and most sustainable solution to properly manage the project. We’re always excited to incorporate a new strategy to our vegetation management portfolio, which includes a growing number of pollinator habitats and now, robots.
About Rock Falls
Sol Systems installed the Rock Falls project in late 2020 with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA). Through a 20-year power purchase agreement, Sol Systems developed the project with zero upfront costs and helps IMEA place solar on the grid while diversifying its energy supply. This 1 MWac ground mount project spans over 6 acres on the city’s land and produces approximately 1,780,200 kilowatt hours each year, providing enough power to serve 170 Rock Falls residents. This project helps IMEA offset 850 tons of carbon each year.
About Sol Systems
Sol Systems is a leading national solar energy firm with an established reputation for integrity and reliability across its development, infrastructure, and environmental commodity businesses. To date, Sol has developed and/or financed over 1 GW of solar projects valued at more than $1 billion for Fortune 100 companies, municipalities, counties, utilities, universities, and schools. The company also actively shapes and trades in environmental commodity and electricity markets throughout the United States. The company was founded in 2008, is based in Washington, D.C., and is led by its founder. Sol Systems works with its team, partners, and clients to create a more sustainable future we can all believe in. For more information, visit https://www.solsystems.com/
To pay homage to our dedicated customer service team at Sol Systems, we launched our Service Spotlight Series! This interview series provides the opportunity for our customers and partners to get to know their customer service representatives and learn about what goes into serving our 16,000 customers each day. Our series continues with Chaz Moore, a SREC Customer Operations Analyst at Sol Systems.
Chaz Moore is a SREC Customer Operations Analyst on the SREC team.
1. What sparked your interest in solar energy?
My mom lives in California and has a small solar system on her house. When she bought it from the previous owner, this was my detailed introduction to solar energy. I learned about the ins and outs of residential solar energy and how it can save customers money. Through this, I decided to correlate my knowledge and interest with solar energy into finding different solutions for others to save money, which led to my current role at Sol Systems.
2. How have your previous roles prepared you to transition to your current role on the SREC team?
My previous roles within bank operations helped me focus on the quality of work and ability to use external and internal resources to provide great service to customers. That position gave me the ability to multitask and work on a multitude of projects to be successful and efficient in my everyday work.
3. Why do you like working with SRECs specifically?
I’ve always enjoyed dealing with finance and monetary funds. I enjoy the relationship between the trading aspects of SRECS and the issuance of payments to customers. That’s what makes the job feel fulfilling.
4. What’s your favorite part of working on a customer service team?
I enjoy learning about different variables at one time and learning more about the diversity of customer service in relation to a different type of question or project. This allows me to discover more about the discipline and overall scope of my work at Sol Systems.
5. Outside of Sol, what do you like to do for fun?
When I’m not at work, I thoroughly enjoy exercising at the gym, hanging with my friends, or discovering the latest Sci-Fi TV show.
Isla Kennedy is a SREC Customer Operations Analyst on the SREC team.
To pay homage to our dedicated customer service team at Sol Systems, we are launching our Service Spotlight Series! This interview series will provide the opportunity for our customers and partners to get to know their customer service representatives and learn about what goes into serving our 16,000 customers each day. Our series continues with Isla Kennedy, an SREC Customer Operations Analyst at Sol Systems.
1.What brought you to Sol Systems?
I completed my Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) in Energy, Technology, and Climate Policy from University College London (UCL), which focused on the intersection of engineering and technical policy solutions around clean energy. This deepened my interest in energy and decarbonization and technical solutions related to climate policy.
My passion for clean energy policy inspired me to become a member of the Clean Energy Leadership Institute (CELI). I learned about Sol Systems through CELI’s emPOWER20 conference and immediately gravitated towards the comprehensive work that was being done in renewables and the inspiring people who are a part of it who seemed to identify so strongly with their work and concrete impact it has for the future of the planet.
2. What sparked your interest in renewable energy?
Through my degrees and previous experience, I knew that I wanted to do work that intersects with my personal convictions around the environment and find the best solutions to decarbonize and electrify everything as much as possible to dramatically lower emissions.
3. Why do you like working in SRECs specifically?
I am super passionate about clean energy policy and the potential it has to shape meaningful change around mitigating the climate crisis. Because SRECs are directly affected by policy and renewable portfolio standards (RPS) in each state market, figuring out how the emphasis of tangible action creates progress makes my job feel very fulfilling.
4. What’s your favorite part of working on a customer service team?
I enjoy being able to work directly with customers and evaluate different situations across the team’s platforms to find the right answer. It gives me a sense pride and initiative knowing that I’m helping someone through the work I am doing by actively supporting incentives to expand solar adoption. I also work with a great and supportive team that is always looking to collaborate.
5. Outside of Sol Systems, what do you like to do for fun?
I love traveling and exploring new places through culture and food. I also love hiking and finding scenic views at great elevations, biking along trails, rock climbing, gardening, and photography. I have figure skated ever since I was 4 years old, and surf whenever I get a chance to visit the ocean.
Breaking the (Photovoltaic) Glass Ceiling – Celebrating Women’s History Month at Sol Systems
Company Culture |
By Claire Siwulec
March of every year is dedicated to Women’s History Month, where women are celebrated for their contributions to society and how their actions have changed the world. The observance of the month was established after a weeklong celebration established by Congress in 1986. And now as we honor Women’s History Month, it is important to note the incredible contributions of so many different women that come from a multitude of backgrounds, each shaping the world as we know it today.
Sol Systems is committed to creating pathways for more women and diverse leaders and working to drive inclusion on an industry-wide level. Although women only make up about 26% of the solar industry, those 26% are breaking the mold for what it means to be a leader in the renewables space and opening doors for younger generations to pursue even bigger dreams. At Sol, our commitment does not stop after our monthlong celebration of Women’s History Month. We are committed to supporting courageous and leading women both internal and external, brake even more glass ceilings, and open new and rewarding renewable energy opportunities to every woman.
Through our Empowering Women series on LinkedIn, we interviewed the women working within Sol Systems about what makes them feel empowered and solicited advice that they would give to someone looking to pursue a similar career path. It was particularly insightful to learn different facts about each person that drove their dedication and commitment to renewable energy and life in general. To see some of our features, check out our LinkedIn page.
Our celebration even included a women’s history trivia night that incorporated groundbreaking facts about women leaders. We played against one another on smaller teams and included questions about women in science and technology, sports, politics, and music. Did you know that in 1988, Patricia Bath became the first African-American woman to receive a medical patent for laser cataract surgery? We discussed the importance of these groundbreaking moments in each of the categories and how much of an impact these figures have made on their industry and many times individually.
Finally, the women working at Sol came together for virtual happy hour, a tradition where the women of our organization get together to learn more about one another and to discuss life and career. Although our happy hours are usually in person, the same special moments were felt with gratitude.
The Women of Sol Systems during our virtual happy hour.
Women’s History Month may only be one month a year, but we’re making it a priority to celebrate the women of Sol and the female leaders in the solar industry 365 days a year. We hope to continuously inspire all women to purse their dream career, whether that be in solar or any other industry.
A Community of Communities: The Employee Resource Groups and Clubs at Sol Systems
Company Culture |
By Claire Siwulec
Sol Systems’ company culture feels special. It’s a warm, inviting environment filled with passionate, intelligent individuals that share a common goal: to protect the environment and reinvest within the communities we serve while deploying renewable energy across the United States. That’s why, in 2020, we prioritized Sol’s employee resource groups, clubs, and resource centers to ensure that Sol’s spirit and culture flourishes during these unprecedented times. Highlighted below are some of our employee- driven groups and initiatives that keep Sol’s unique culture alive.
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI)
The JEDI committee is an employee-driven initiative that works to establish a diverse, inclusive, and authentic culture here at Sol Systems. Their overall goals include identifying and restructuring internal processes of bias, educating and training employees, directing investments into communities to increase D&I (internal and external). They host speaking events, support teams on new inclusion processes, establish employee training programs, create community engagement strategies, and assisted with the launch of Renewables Forward. Through their goals and initiatives, JEDI works to achieve their key accomplishments among finding new and creative ways to foster diversity and inclusion not only in the workplace, but also in the communities and markets we engage in.
Sustainability Task Force(STF)
The employee-led Sustainability Task Force (STF) focuses on company-wide sustainability efforts inside and outside of the office. STF’s mission: aiming to understand the comprehensive environmental footprint of Sol Systems’ work, mitigate all its possible negative impacts, and educate employees and community about the most sustainable practices available.
STF works to empower employees to practice sustainable initiatives and has created sustainability surveys, held speaking and socially distanced clean-up events, assessed our project’s carbon footprint, and engaged with the communities in which we serve to promote sustainable practices that make projects even greener. The group continues to find unique ways to encourage tangible, sustainable actions for our employees and solar developments.
Clubs at Sol
Personal Finance Club – Sol's Personal Finance Club creates a space to discuss best practices for navigating personal finance with topics including expenses, bank accounts, investing and many more. This club is open to anyone interested in learning about personal finance experiences firsthand and serves as a resource for best practices and ongoing discussion.
Power BI Rangers – Power BI Rangers is an employee initiative that addresses all things related to Power BI. The club intends to create a mini community to help troubleshoot issues and post videos and ideas within the inner workings of the program.
Women of Sol – Woman of Sol is a women-led resource group that empowers Sol’s female employees by hosting events, happy hours, dinners, workshops, and information sharing. It also acts as a networking tool to help women navigate opportunities within the solar industry.
Business Book Club - The Business Book Club focuses on exploring organizational concepts, business organization, and management best practices to identify ways that apply to Sol Systems’ work. Each month, the club chooses a leadership, management, or business-related book and meets to discuss concepts and integration practices.
JEDI Book Club - The quarterly JEDI book club, created by the JEDI team, is dedicated to D&I educational efforts, reading and thoughtful discussion. The book club covers a variety of topics and readings that is open and transparent to all Sol employees.
Employee Resource Centers
Mental Health and Well-being - The mental health and well-being resource center acts as a place where employees can discuss mental health and wellness tips to navigate work-from-home. This channel shares resources, hosts meditation and yoga classes, and gives employees the space to focus on selfcare and awareness.
Cooking Channel + Cooking Series - The cooking channel and cooking series hosted by the JEDI committee shares recipes, kitchen tips, and traditions for employees. Once every few months, an employee or an outside resource shares a favorite or tradition recipe and hosts a virtual “cooking class” for employees to participate.
Daily Dose of Dogs Channel - This channel allows employees to share photos and videos of their furry friend to bring a little joy to everyone’s day. Because we can’t participate in the typical “bring your dog to work” during creative Friday in the office, this resource allows employees to take part in the fun by sharing memories and activities of their dogs and other pets.
Working Parent Group – This channel allows parents to give tips, ideas, and resources to one another while navigating the balance of working from home while parenting. It also serves as an excuse to share cute photos of employees’ kids.
Sol Systems continues to foster an environment that empowers employees to pursue their passions and interests and find others that share common practices, all while making the world a better, and greener place (PS, we’re hiring).
