As a solar developer at Inovateus, there’s a certain level of nerdiness that comes from geeking out on a new technology. There’s also an inherent cool associated with pioneering the future of energy for our planet that reminds me of that Star Wars fictional far-away galaxy’s most notorious smuggler, Han Solo.
Resourceful, bold and talented, I’ve admired Han as an imaginary mentor since I was just a boy. The odds were stacked against him in countless situations, yet he always found a way to achieve his goal and still look pretty good while doing it. That’s how you make an impact! And that’s why I chose the Millennium Falcon for my “Han Solar” company poster.
Han and I have other similarities. I’ve always considered myself a bit of a loner. Even now, I spend much of my time in the air literally flying solo from location to location looking for opportunities to bring a new form of energy to our planet. Like the Empire, the utility industry seems like a behemoth organization made up of individual territories, where certain factions are beginning to warm to the idea of solar energy. A growing number of us have rebelled against the idea that the main power source for this planet will come from fossil fuels–the energy of the past. I’ve got my eyes to the sky, so I’m thinking about the future.
In a way the solar industry has been an underdog for many years after being pioneered by our own national space agency and some early off-grid rebels. Naysayers continue to concoct reasons why solar energy won’t work and have complained for as long as I’ve paid attention that our nearby star should not be the primary source for energy on the planet. Me? I’m doing my best to secure a world of clean, abundant energy for the future of our species.
At times it seems like our solar energy rebellion has had the game stacked against us and the odds don’t favor the likelihood of our success. Some might even say that our chances of success are worse than those of successfully navigating an asteroid field (3,720 to 1).
I have only one thing to say to those haters as I fist bump my best friend/furry copilot and kick it into hyperdrive: Never tell me the odds!
By Austin Williams, senior account executive, project development, Inovateus Solar
