So far we’ve introduced you to Amanda in our Wisconsin office and Andrew in our Illinois office but our Midwest solar team isn’t fully rounded out until you meet our Minnesota Operations Manager, Armel. This trio covers thousands of miles in the Midwest and is responsible for the superior service people have come to know Sun Badger by.
Armel is no exception to the superior service quality you’ll get when you go solar in Minnesota with Sun Badger. In the fast-paced industry of renewables, things can change at the drop of a hat and he’s ready to help facilitate those changes with efficiency and in a timely manner to his team and solar clients. For this member of our solar team, it’s the thrill of the advancements that keeps him on his toes.
We’d love to hear a little about yourself.
Can you give us a little biographical background on yourself?
Born and raised in the Twin Cities metro area, I grew up learning to appreciate the unique attributes of Minnesota including all of the great natural parks. At the same time, I loved city living and keeping up with the latest and greatest of modern technology. Post university education, I worked for various smaller businesses with the goal of working in an environmentally-centered industry that also valued innovation. Around 4 years ago I met a friend involved in the solar industry, and the rest is history!
Any fun tidbits you’d like to share about yourself?
I’m a proud Northside Minneapolis resident and aspiring gardener. Outside of helping homeowners go solar I like to go to the gym and spend time with my girlfriend, friends, and family.
Which came first for you: the Solar or the Badger?
I started working in solar before Sun Badger. I initially worked in a B2B setting with Sun Badger for over a year in project management before joining Sun Badger directly. Working for Sun Badger has been a step up for my career in solar in more ways than one.
What’s your favorite thing about the solar industry?
While the rapid rate of industry growth dramatically increases the work required and is a lot to keep up for any company, it also is the most exciting aspect of working in solar. Working in the solar industry is a wild ride and the accelerated demand for solar has quickly outpaced the availability for skilled workers in the market. This has led to every solar company being in need for more electricians which creates more job security for those entering the electrical trade. The ever-changing technology is exciting because it allows us to improve the products and services that we can offer to our customers.
Ok, let’s hear all about you + Sun Badger Solar.
Which branch or state do you work in for Sun Badger?
I work for the Sun Badger’s Minnesota branch & our solar team covers all around the Twin Cities.
Tell us a little about your roles & responsibilities as Operations Manager? What is a “Day in the Life” like for you?
As Operations Manager my responsibilities greatly vary as our branch continues to grow and develop, and I have yet to experience a typical day. At the beginning of the year when our local branch first opened and our team was smaller, I spent my time directly responsible for executing a wide variety of responsibilities: customer project communication, site survey processing, project design finalization, material ordering, installation scheduling, recruiting and hiring, and training. The list goes on, but as our branch has grown this year we now have an amazing team that continues to develop and own various parts of these processes. My role is slowly becoming more consistent which means I am able to provide more assistance with challenges for my team as needed. However, as the demand for solar continues to grow my work never slows down; it only changes to grow with the scale of challenges at hand.
At what stage of the solar journey does your team start working with customers?
After a project is sold and Sun Badger’s Site Survey team has the final design processed with our central Design team, my solar team shares the design with customers and begins to coordinate the various approval requirements so we can schedule the installation. For a solar project to be approved for install, it must go through a utility and jurisdiction permitting process. We not only need to obtain necessary permits like with any other property renovation, but we must also receive utility approval which can take several months. This is because almost all solar will need to be “grid-tied” to send excess energy back to the utility, so the proposed system’s impact on the area infrastructure has to also be approved before we can proceed with the installation. At this point customers are asking for application updates and when their system is going to be installed.
What unique challenges do you get to help customers work through?
Sometimes there are unforeseen additional costs that a project must incur for the designed solar system to be installed on a property. Our Site Survey team has a thorough documentation and review process while the design is being finalized. However, the utility may have its own unforeseen required upgrades that we, unfortunately, cannot know until months after a project has begun. My responsibilities include coordinating and communicating these changes to our customers and providing guidance and support for the next steps in the project.
Name a project that has really stood out for you?
We really appreciate working with Anita Wong, one of our many homeowners. When her agreement was signed and her project kicked off with Sun Badger in April 2021, a key financial incentive with Xcel Energy had just run out for the year. At this point, she was offered the option to wait until 2022 to capture the new incentive once the new application period began. She patiently waited until her new project kick-off in 2022 and despite running into unforeseen utility review delays have been very positive throughout the experience. Now that her system is installed she is enjoying the benefits of going solar.
Let’s dig into helping people going solar.
What would you say to others who want to go solar?
Be very patient and flexible with expectations. Education on the solar project pathway is crucial. While going solar may sound simple in theory, due to the various changes and rapid growth of the industry there can be many unforeseen complications and challenges that companies like Sun Badger must go through to make it a reality. Solar is not nearly as easy to execute as other renovation projects. Utilities and jurisdictions frequently change their approval requirements, material suppliers are working hard to meet the market demand, skilled electricians are highly sought after, and solar companies are constantly hiring to meet the demand. Solar is well worth the wait. More patient and understanding customers allow operation teams to install systems faster, so the more educated customers are the better the overall outcome for everyone involved.
If someone didn’t know where to start, where would you recommend?
Please do as much online research as possible before going solar, be flexible with expectations, and steer clear of any over-hyped advertisements that seem too good to be true. There are a lot of companies looking to capitalize on the industry growth and details are key. Solar is a definitely worthwhile investment, but there are also many challenges that companies are working hard to overcome to make solar a reality for customers.
Last, but not least.
On a perfect bluebird, sunny day off, what are you doing?
A perfect day off for me involves taking care of house chores and going to the gym while getting a break from work stress. Everyone in operations is working their hardest, and in an industry that grows so fast like solar, it can at times be difficult to not feel we are doing enough! We appreciate our patient customers very much and strive to provide the best service for them.
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