The Sunnyside Podcast

Ep 12: Chat with Stephanie Gossman

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Stephanie Gossman takes us through her journey through solar, working with small businesses to offer solutions, meet them where they are, and how her team has been instrumental in achieving these goals. She also talks about mentorship and why it is important to have mentors.
 
Sharon Lee
Sharon Lee taps over a decade of solar sales experience, having led the creation of a solar division for a leading manufacturing/construction firm, resulting in over 17 MW of solar in its portfolio, as well as solar ultimately becoming its highest-grossing revenue vertical. Lee has been involved in the GA Solar Energy Association, serving on the board of directors as the marketing chair, organizing the annual conference, as well as vice-chair, and ultimately the first female chair of the organization in 2015. She is also a charter member of the Professional Women in Building chapter of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and Women in Solar Energy (WISE). Lee earned her B.S. degree in communications with double minors in marketing and psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, after spending three years at the University of Tennessee in the pre-health curriculum. Lee is the mom of two boys, ages 14 and 11, and a rabid college football fan. She and her husband, John, spend most of their free time at the baseball or football fields unless they can steal away for a quick round of golf.
 
Stephanie Gossman
Stephanie Gossman is the Electric Transportation Manager at Georgia Power Company, where she leads the department responsible for customer offerings to support the buildout of EV charging infrastructure. Prior to this role, she spent 11 years working in the Power Delivery organization, including real-time operations in the control center, transmission planning, field maintenance, and storm restoration.
 
Prior to her current role, she served as the assistant to the SVP for Power Delivery with Southern Company Services to support and promote goals throughout Southern 
 
Company’s electric operating companies and within the industry. She holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from The University of Alabama, an MS from Georgia Tech, an MBA from Southern Polytechnic State University. She is a licensed PE in the state of Georgia.
 
Insights from this Episode
How Stephanie got into solar
What she is offering to small businesses
Insights into her team
Details on electric vehicles
Working with customers to reduce barriers 
Stephanie’s thoughts on mentorship
 
Quotes from the Show: 
“I’m an EV driver for almost 10 years, so it is a passion, personally, and then seeing that mix with a professional opportunity has been a lot of fun” —Stephanie Gossman in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“In the area fleet electrification, and especially for municipalities, or small businesses, that are not the big ones like Amazon or UPS, we have a variety of offerings, and the goal here is to meet them where they are” —Stephanie Gossman in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“Having a team that is willing to go wherever that path takes us together and brainstorm together is critical to success” —Stephanie Gossman in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“It’s good to invest in infrastructure just as we always do, and to invest in infrastructure on the customers’ side” —Stephanie Gossman in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“If you’ve had a good mentor in your life, you are probably going to be a good mentor to other folks ” —Sharon Lee in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
 
Stay Connected:
 
Sharon Lee
LinkedIn: Sharon Lee 
Facebook: Sharon Lee
 
Stephanie Gossman
LinkedIn: Stephanie Gossman 
Website: Stephanie Gossman
 
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.

Ep 11: Chat with Lily Valdez

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Lily Valdez takes us through her journey into solar and founding Women United By Solar to help reduce gender inequalities in the solar industry. She also talks about starting her company, Solar Lily, and the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on her business and details about her mentorship program.
 
Sharon Lee
Sharon Lee taps over a decade of solar sales experience, having led the creation of a solar division for a leading manufacturing/construction firm, resulting in over 17 MW of solar in its portfolio, as well as solar ultimately becoming its highest-grossing revenue vertical. Lee has been involved in the GA Solar Energy Association, serving on the board of directors as the marketing chair, organizing the annual conference, as well as vice-chair, and ultimately the first female chair of the organization in 2015. She is also a charter member of the Professional Women in Building chapter of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and Women in Solar Energy (WISE). Lee earned her B.S. degree in communications with double minors in marketing and psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, after spending three years at the University of Tennessee in the pre-health curriculum. Lee is the mom of two boys, ages 14 and 11, and a rabid college football fan. She and her husband, John, spend most of their free time at the baseball or football fields unless they can steal away for a quick round of golf.
 
Lily Valdez
Lily Valdez has been in the solar and energy efficiency industry for 5 years. It’s her passion to help homeowners transition to clean, renewable energy. With solar, homeowners enjoy a fixed, lower power bill, increase the value of their home and take control back by owning, not renting, their power while contributing to saving our planet.
 
She co-founded Women United By Solar to promote gender equality and diversity in the solar industry. Being in a predominantly male industry, they want to create a safe space for women to have access to training, development, support, and women empowering women. They have a sisterhood and place for women to grow and learn together.
 
WUBS hosts weekly Clubhouses and Zooms and has a Facebook Group, “Women United By Solar,” to catch up, provide value and promote inclusivity by having their clubhouses and zooms open to all genders.
 
Insights from this Episode
How Lily got into solar
Details on founding Women United By Solar
Inclusivity of women in solar
Starting Solar Lily
Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on her business
Details about her mentorship program
What to expect from Lily
 
Quotes from the Show: 
“You know, once you get that entrepreneurial spirit and that bug, like it's very hard to go back to working for someone” —Lily Valdez in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“But when I found solar, I was like, this isn't even a sale, like people are already paying for this and I get to help them save a bunch of money, add value to their home and literally own it now instead of renting at ever increasing prices” —Lily Valdez in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“I love collaborating and helping because I think that we’re the trailblazers and the pioneers of the industry, especially being of a very few women that started the movements” —Lily Valdez in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“I started it because I didn't find what I was looking for and what I think people needed in the industry” —Lily Valdez in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“I believe that people follow people that lead by example and don't expect them to do something they wouldn't do” —Lily Valdez in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“You know, let's be real about what really happens in solar, not just the pretty side, don't sell dreams, tell people the reality, tell them why we're doing this, you know” —Lily Valdez in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
Stay Connected:
 
Sharon Lee
LinkedIn: Sharon Lee 
Facebook: Sharon Lee
 
Lily Valdez
LinkedIn: Lily Valdez
Instagram: Women United By Solar
 
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.

Ep 10: Chat with Katie Southworth

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Sharon Lee talks with Katie Southworth about how she got into solar and landed her first job in solar. She also gives details about Southface, her role as an advocacy director, how they help design systems through consulting, and why it is important to invest in solutions on energy since the costs will continue skyrocketing. 
 
Sharon Lee
Sharon Lee taps over a decade of solar sales experience, having led the creation of a solar division for a leading manufacturing/construction firm, resulting in over 17 MW of solar in its portfolio, as well as solar ultimately becoming its highest-grossing revenue vertical. Lee has been involved in the GA Solar Energy Association, serving on the board of directors as the marketing chair, organizing the annual conference, as well as vice-chair, and ultimately the first female chair of the organization in 2015. She is also a charter member of the Professional Women in Building chapter of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and Women in Solar Energy (WISE). Lee earned her B.S. degree in communications with double minors in marketing and psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, after spending three years at the University of Tennessee in the pre-health curriculum. Lee is the mom of two boys, ages 14 and 11, and a rabid college football fan. She and her husband, John, spend most of their free time at the baseball or football fields unless they can steal away for a quick round of golf.
 
Katie Southworth
Katie Southworth is the Advocacy Program Director at Southface Institute. She is an innovative, results-driven professional with fifteen years of experience in planning, coordinating, and implementing clean energy and environmental policies, programs, and projects.
 
Insights from this Episode
How Katie got into solar
How she got her first job in solar
Details on Southface
How Southface helps in designing systems and its advocacy efforts
How Southface intervened specifically on Georgia Power’s Rate Case
Takeaways from the Rate Case and outlook for solar
How the renewables scene will look like in the next few years
 
Quotes from the Show: 
“Many people had lawyers in their family, and they sort of knew what they wanted to do, in terms of practicing law, and I didn’t really, other than I knew I wanted to help people, maybe do something with environmental” —Katie Southworth in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“I wasn’t interested in working in a law firm, but I knew I wanted to work in the public interest” —Katie Southworth in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“In terms of how we (Southface) work with clients on their sustainable plans for sustainability, of course we work with cities to help them design their 100% clean energy plans. We also work with private sector clients like Chick-fil-A” —Katie Southworth in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“If you are living in a building for a long time, now is the time to invest in solutions that can help you control your costs, coz they are going up up up!” —Katie Southworth in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
 
Stay Connected:
 
Sharon Lee
LinkedIn: Sharon Lee 
Facebook: Sharon Lee
 
Katie Southworth
LinkedIn: Katie Southworth 
 
Southface
Website: Southface
Membership: Southface Membership
 
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.

EP 9: Chat with Kelly Pickerel

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Sharon Lee talks with Kelly Pickerel, the editor-in-chief of Solar Power World, about Kelly’s perspective on how the solar industry has become a more inclusive and diverse place for women and young people. Kelly tells us about how by being editor-in-chief she has always tried to combine her 11-year knowledge of the solar industry and journalism to make the industry a place where everyone can thrive. Kelly also emphasizes how and why the solar industry has become a kind of magnet for women and how she is willing to reinforce that trend.
 
Sharon Lee
Sharon Lee taps over a decade of solar sales experience, having led the creation of a solar division for a leading manufacturing/construction firm, resulting in over 17 MW of solar in its portfolio as well as solar ultimately becoming its highest-grossing revenue vertical. Lee has been involved in the GA Solar Energy Association, serving on the board of directors as the marketing chair, organizing the annual conference, as well as vice-chair, and ultimately the first female chair of the organization in 2015. She is also a charter member of the Professional Women in Building chapter of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and Women in Solar Energy (WISE). Lee earned her B.S. degree in communications with double minors in marketing and psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, after spending three years at the University of Tennessee in the pre-health curriculum. Lee is the mom of two boys, ages 14 and 11, and a rabid college football fan. She and her husband, John, spend most of their free time at the baseball or football fields unless they can steal away for a quick round of golf.
 
Kelly Pickerel
Kelly Pickerel is the editorial director of renewables at WTWH Media and editor-in-chief of Solar Power World, a WTWH Media solar industry publication. Kelly has been involved with publishing in the solar industry since 2011 when she started as the founding editor of Solar Builder, a trade magazine. She joined the Solar Power World staff in 2014, and her areas of focus include solar panel manufacturing, energy storage, and the development of Solar Power World’s annual Top Solar Contractors list. During Kelly's tenure as editor-in-chief of Solar Power World, the publication has been honored as one of six finalists in the American Society of Business Publication Editors' National Magazine of the Year award. She also is a Trade Association Business Publications International award winner for her reporting on the U.S. solar polysilicon market. Kelly graduated from Kent State University with a degree in magazine journalism and lives in Cleveland, Ohio.
 
Insights from this Episode
Kelly’s life and childhood
How Kelly landed the solar industry
Kelly’s trajectory in the solar industry
How Kelly has balanced giving mentorship to new hires and her own formation
Why women are attracted to the Solar Industry
Mentorship outside the solar power walls
The Solar Power World magazine and its purpose
The different matters that are treated on the Webinar
What is the Top Contractors List
What can be expected from the Top Contractors Gala after virtuality
 
Quotes from the Show: 
“I've been in the industry for over eleven years now and solar has been my real main focus so it’s kind of exciting to have this magazine journalism background”- Kelly Pickerel in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“We try to include more women in our stock images on our site so if we got generic news going out about solar being installed in Georgia…we try to have women being in the picture installing the panels because we know they’re out there doing that ”- Kelly Pickerel in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“[About the Solar Power World magazine] Our main mission is to provide those readers with information that will help them do their jobs better today…to be able to give them tips on how to grow the industry, how to grow themselves”- Kelly Pickerel in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“[About the Solar Industry] We really promote each other, we want to make sure we’re growing the industry as a whole, we’re not trying to backstab people, we just want to make sure we’re getting more solar on the ground and on roofs”- Kelly Pickerel in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
 
Stay Connected:
 
Sharon Lee
LinkedIn: Sharon Lee 
Facebook: Sharon Lee
 
Kelly Pickerel
LinkedIn: Kelly Pickerel
Twitter: Kelly Pickerel  
Instagram: Kelly Pickerel 
 
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Spotify.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.

EP 8: Chat with Alex Snedeker

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Sharon Lee talks with Alex Snedeker about her recent trip around the world, her background, and what she brought from this trip. Alex talks about her path to renewables and her experience in this field. They delve into solar monitoring and the current trends in solar energy, such as financial monitoring and integration, attending the RE+ Show Event, and how Alex mentors young people in the renewable field. 
 
Sharon Lee
Sharon Lee taps over a decade of solar sales experience, having led the creation of a solar division for a leading manufacturing/construction firm, resulting in over 17 MW of solar in its portfolio, as well as solar ultimately becoming its highest-grossing revenue vertical. Lee has been involved in the GA Solar Energy Association, serving on the board of directors as the marketing chair, organizing the annual conference, as well as vice-chair, and ultimately the first female chair of the organization in 2015. She is also a charter member of the Professional Women in Building chapter of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and Women in Solar Energy (WISE). Lee earned her B.S. degree in communications with double minors in marketing and psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, after spending three years at the University of Tennessee in the pre-health curriculum. Lee is the mom of two boys, ages 14 and 11, and a rabid college football fan. She and her husband, John, spend most of their free time at the baseball or football fields unless they can steal away for a quick round of golf.
 
Alex Snedeker
Alex Snedeker is the Principal of Wattch and she uses big data, behavioral economics, and process optimization to help growth organizations deliver the largest impact for the smallest price.
 
Insights from this Episode
Alex’s trip around the world
Alex’s background and how it influenced her path toward renewables
Her experience in renewables
Monitoring solar arrays
Trends in monitoring 
Attending the RE+ Show Event
Sharon Lee meeting Abby Hooper at the RE+ Show Event
Alex’s insights into mentorship
Sharon Lee’s next guest on the podcast (Kelly Pickerel)
Alex signing up for improv classes
Quotes from the Show: 
“That’s what this podcast is about: strong women with passion and determination. I love lifting up these incredible stories” —Sharon Lee in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“My path has had a lot of twists and turns, even though I knew I wanted to be in the environmental field, it’s very vast and there is a lot of different areas that you can play in (…) but I think connecting with people in the industry is really how it goes” —Alex Snedeker in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“That’s a testament to solar marketing: that it’s almost too effective because now everyone sees solar as so easy to maintain that you don’t have to monitor it” —Alex Snedeker in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“It (the RE+ Show Event) was definitely great to see people from outside the kind of companies and events that you would normally go to, and see really a broader spectrum and cross-section of renewables industry” —Alex Snedeker in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“Some of the hardest things to figure out when you are on the outside and you don’t have a lot of work experience, there is a lot of breadth and depth to the energy industry” —Alex Snedeker in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
Guests Mentioned
Abby Hopper
Kelly Pickerel
 
Stay Connected:
 
Sharon Lee
LinkedIn: Sharon Lee 
Facebook: Sharon Lee
 
Alex Snedeker
LinkedIn: Alex Snedeker
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Spotify.
 
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.

Ep 7: Chat with Chandra Farley

Episode Summary:
Since the recording of this interview, Chandra Farley has accepted the position of Chief Sustainability Officer within the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Resilience, where her team has been tasked with assessing Atlanta’s sustainability plans, goals, and programs including updating the city’s comprehensive climate and energy plan in alignment with the UN’s Sustainable development goals (SDG’s), creating the first comprehensive food systems plan, creating a sustainable procurement strategy, as well as supporting the city to capture, utilize, and leverage federal resources from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and especially the historic climate legislation – the Inflation Reduction Act.
 
In this episode, Sharon Lee talks with Chandra Farley about how climate change has impacted the energy industry and how she has managed it through initiatives such as ReSolve and the Good Energy Project, which additionally involves “equity-centered delivery infrastructure”. Chandra gives us an insight into her life as a full-time cheerleader, as an architect, and then as a clean energy business woman focused on environmental justice. She also shares how being raised by her grandparents taught her to be committed to her community and how she used that as her principal purpose on her projects. 
 
Sharon Lee
Sharon Lee taps over a decade of solar sales experience, having led the creation of a solar division for a leading manufacturing/construction firm, resulting in over 17 MW of solar in its portfolio as well as solar ultimately becoming its highest-grossing revenue vertical. Lee has been involved in the GA Solar Energy Association, serving on the board of directors as the marketing chair, organizing the annual conference, as well as vice-chair, and ultimately the first female chair of the organization in 2015. She is also a charter member of the Professional Women in Building chapter of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and Women in Solar Energy (WISE). Lee earned her B.S. degree in communications with double minors in marketing and psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, after spending three years at the University of Tennessee in the pre-health curriculum. Lee is the mom of two boys, ages 14 and 11, and a rabid college football fan. She and her husband, John, spend most of their free time at the baseball or football fields unless they can steal away for a quick round of golf.
 
Chandra Farley
Chandra Farley serves as the CEO of ReSolve, a consulting practice with a mission to increase the impact of climate justice initiatives by creating an equity-centered delivery infrastructure. Farley also founded the “Good Energy Project '' with a vision to connect the transformational power of Black Women to the movement for just and equitable clean energy. With a career history at Southface Energy Institute and Partnership for Southern Equity, Farley is well-known in energy, utility, and climate justice circles. She has formed national partnerships to improve the environmental and financial sustainability of nonprofit facilities and developed equity-centered strategies to advance energy and climate justice at local, regional, and national scales. Farley is the Co-Chair of the Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice Advisory Board, chair of the Georgia NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Committee, a graduate of the EPA’s Environmental Justice Academy, President Emeritus of the Environmental Justice Academy Alumni Association, and serves on the Board of Directors for Community Movement Builders, Georgia Conservation Voters Education Fund, the People’s Justice Council/Alabama Interfaith Power & Light and Greenlink Analytics.
 
Insights from this Episode
Chandra’s youth and experience at Kentucky’s University
How did Chandra go from cheerleading full time to being involved with solar
The projects she developed while being at the Environmental Justice Academy
How the pandemic influenced the creation of ReSolve
The relation between the Good Energy Project and ReSolve
The importance of exposure for Chandra
Chandra’s thoughts on mentorship
What the Public Service Commission is
Chandra’s candidacy for the Public Service Commission
The insights of the Inflation Reduction Act
Chandra’s experience as a black woman in the clean energy business field
 
Quotes from the Show:
“Community-based organizations and grassroots organizations are so used to being under-resourced that they’re always operating in a level of scarcity, not enough resources but do incredibly amazing things with what they got”- Chandra Farley in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“We were talking yesterday just about how difficult it is to connect people to issues of energy and environment…its like infrastructure, nobody is thinking about it until it breaks”- Chandra Farley in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“When you have decision makers who don’t want to look past what a utility is telling them, who is only set up to make money, they’re delivered a very important resource and they are granted their monopoly because of that”- Chandra Farley in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“I never, in a million years, would’ve thought, even five years ago, that I would be able to be in conversations or spaces where I can talk about white supremacy, where I can talk about racism, where I can talk about the impact of the patriarchy and how those play out on this clean energy economy that’s been emerging”- Chandra Farley in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
 
Stay Connected:
 
Sharon Lee
LinkedIn: Sharon Lee 
Facebook: Sharon Lee
 
Chandra Farley
LinkedIn: Chandra Farley 
Twitter: Chandra Farley 
 
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Spotify.
 
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.

EP 6: Chat with Karla Loeb

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Sharon Lee talks with Karla Koeb about the latest advances in the Clean Energy Industry to accomplish two purposes: take what we have so we continue to have it and make energy not a privilege but a right. Karla talks about how she was exposed to the energy industry from a very young age, how she got involved in the clean technology industry, and the projects she currently takes part in. She emphasizes SEIA and The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) which have helped business owners and ordinary people access energy in a more reliable and clean way.
 
Sharon Lee
Sharon Lee taps over a decade of solar sales experience, having led the creation of a solar division for a leading manufacturing/construction firm, resulting in over 17 MW of solar in its portfolio as well as solar ultimately becoming its highest-grossing revenue vertical. Lee has been involved in the GA Solar Energy Association, serving on the board of directors as the marketing chair, organizing the annual conference, as well as vice-chair, and ultimately the first female chair of the organization in 2015. She is also a charter member of the Professional Women in Building chapter of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and Women in Solar Energy (WISE). Lee earned her B.S. degree in communications with double minors in marketing and psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, after spending three years at the University of Tennessee in the pre-health curriculum. Lee is the mom of two boys, ages 14 and 11, and a rabid college football fan. She and her husband, John, spend most of their free time at the baseball or football fields unless they can steal away for a quick round of golf.
 
Karla Loeb
Karla is a veteran of clean energy policy and business development. As the Chief Policy & Development Officer at Sigora Arcadia, Karla oversees legislative, administrative, and regulatory efforts at the local, state, and national levels, as well as coordinates and manages strategic development partnerships. Karla's clean energy expertise is extensive and diverse. Karla is an industry expert on issues relating to low to moderate (change to hyphens) income (LMI) access to clean energy and has resulted in the creation of LMI solar and energy efficiency policies in Virginia, Louisiana, New York, Mississippi, and Connecticut. Additionally, on a federal level, Karla has worked to extend the federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and on a state level has worked with coalitions to establish and preserve net metering and expand third-party financing and ownership policies in more than a dozen states. Karla served as a collaborator and contributor in the publication of the CESA & DOE Sun Shot's study "Bringing the benefits of Solar to Low Income Customers- A guide for States & Municipalities”, as well as the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab's "Energy Efficiency Financing for Low- and Moderate-Income Households" in which she presented the case for leveraging solar to increase deployment of energy efficiency specifically for low-to-moderate income households. Karla is a member of the Vote Solar Low-Income Solar Policy group and a former adviser to the Department of Energy's Clean Energy for Low Income Communities Accelerator (CELICA) group and the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan. She has presented on low-income solar access at NARUC, Innovations in Clean Energy Finance IV: Market Successes and Lessons for Lower Income, as well as ACORE and SEIA-affiliated conferences. Karla’s clean energy experience also includes substantial utility-scale wind and solar energy development including the development and construction of 1400+ MW of wind energy projects. During that time, Karla served as co-chair of the Central Texas WOWE chapter, now WRISE, from 2007-2012. Additionally, Karla helped to find both the New Orleans and Charlottesville WRISE chapters. Karla previously served on the board of the Gulf States Renewable Energy Industries Association (GSREIA) at which time she was a member of the planning committee and presenter at the 2017 Gulf Coast Power Association's MISO South meeting and the 2016 and 2017 SEIA Southeast conferences. Karla currently serves as an elected alternate on the SEIA Board of Directors advocating for expansive clean energy and distributed generation policies and a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive industry.
 
Insights from this Episode
Karla’s background
How Karla got introduced into the solar industry
Karla’s professional journey
How Karla’s contribution to helping people live in a better world has become personal to her
Karla’s work and projects with SEIA
How business owners can benefit from The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
The principal purpose of IRA and how it seeks to give equal access to energy
Karla’s thoughts on mentorship
 
Quotes from the Show: 
“Community Solar should be a right, not a privilege because it actually creates equitable access for everyone to clean energy, and so that was kind of the impetus for me getting involved”- Karla Loeb in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“[About the benefits of IRA] I think for the Solar Industry, I mean the biggest things I would point to are the tax provisions as it relates to the investment tax credit, production tax credit, the manufacturing tax credit”- Karla Loeb in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“[About the transition to clean technology with the help of SEIA] There are very few companies that are gonna be sophisticated enough and have the time, energy or resources, either financially or figuratively, to be able to do this on their own”- Karla Loeb in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“Mentorship for me is about empowering people in the community who take an interest to care and ask questions”- Karla Loeb in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
Stay Connected:
 
Sharon Lee
LinkedIn: Sharon Lee 
Facebook: Sharon Lee
 
Karla Loeb
LinkedIn: Karla Loeb
Instagram: Karla Loeb
Facebook: Karla Loeb
 
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Spotify.
 
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.

EP 5: Chat with Brooke Starr Haman

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Sharon Lee talks with Brooke Haman about the latest innovations in renewable energy and how Georgia Power has incorporated them. Brooke tells us how the solar industry has gone through a multidimensional change that has affected not only the ways in which energy is produced but also the consumers' desires and needs. Additionally, she deepens on her work values and the importance of mentorship and inclusion for her, and how she has incorporated them into programs at Georgia Power.
 
Sharon Lee
Sharon Lee taps over a decade of solar sales experience, having led the creation of a solar division for a leading manufacturing/construction firm, resulting in over 17 MW of solar in its portfolio as well as solar ultimately becoming its highest-grossing revenue vertical. Lee has been involved in the GA Solar Energy Association, serving on the board of directors as the marketing chair, organizing the annual conference, as well as vice-chair, and ultimately the first female chair of the organization in 2015. She is also a charter member of the Professional Women in Building chapter of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and Women in Solar Energy (WISE). Lee earned her B.S. degree in communications with double minors in marketing and psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, after spending three years at the University of Tennessee in the pre-health curriculum. Lee is the mom of two boys, ages 14 and 11, and a rabid college football fan. She and her husband, John, spend most of their free time at the baseball or football fields unless they can steal away for a quick round of golf.
 
Brooke Haman
Brooke is in charge of the managing strategy, design, and implementation of renewable energy procurement and self-build programs in Georgia Power. Throughout her trajectory, she has worked with companies like the Southern Company system teams and industry stakeholders like an External Affairs Project Manager to investigate and include emerging technologies as part of Georgia Power's generation fleet and/or customer offerings. Brooke has worked on Georgia Power for over 10 years as  Renewable Energy Principal, Renewable Development Lead, Green and Renewable Energy Project Manager, Metro Sales, and Energy Efficiency Project Manager. She is currently the Renewable Customer Projects Supervisor.
 
Insights from this Episode
What has happened in Sharon's life lately
How did a communication major end up in the solar industry
What changes has Brooke Haman noticed in the solar industry
How the definition of utility-scale has changed over the years
How does Brooke manage mentorship with her co-workers
The reason why Brooke's group in Georgia Power attracts women in the solar industry
The importance of accessibility for the renewables programs
The relationship between Georgia Power and the Public Service Commission
The purpose of the rate case
 
Quotes from the Show: 
“We as consumers look at every single day businesses that we choose to patronize or places we choose to purchase something… and you’ll see that they all have these little stamp that they are carbon neutral or you know, they’re doing their part”- Brooke Haman in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“To me is sort of the spirit of mentorship [the one] you have to build, you know, you have to build horizontally and vertically because I can’t do it all on my own right? Um, chicks that know what they are doing”- Brooke Haman in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“We got [Georgia Power] a lot of customers with a lot of renewable goals and needs and we want to be part of the solution, but we just really want to work to find that solution on the front end instead of the back end”- Brooke Haman in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“[About Georgia Power] really trying to be more carbon-free with our generation resources and at the same time provide more renewable programs for customers to participate in as they have those goals”- Brooke Haman in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
 
Stay Connected:
 
Sharon Lee
LinkedIn: Sharon Lee 
Facebook: Sharon Lee
 
Brooke Haman
LinkedIn: Brooke Haman
Georgia Power: https://www.georgiapower.com/
 
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Spotify.
 
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.

EP 4: Chat with Amanda Bybee

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Sharon Lee talks with Amanda Bybee about how her profound desire to generate an impact in the world in her early 20s led her to work with solar energy. Amanda tells us a little bit about her background and her professional trajectory that landed in the solar industry. In this way, she talks about O&M, what is the focus of the company, the business strategies, and in general how she has developed herself as a professional with ONM before and after the pandemic as a woman.
 
Sharon Lee
Sharon Lee taps over a decade of solar sales experience, having led the creation of a solar division for a leading manufacturing/construction firm, resulting in over 17 MW of solar in its portfolio as well as solar ultimately becoming its highest-grossing revenue vertical. Lee has been involved in the GA Solar Energy Association, serving on the board of directors as the marketing chair, organizing the annual conference, as well as vice-chair, and ultimately the first female chair of the organization in 2015. She is also a charter member of the Professional Women in Building chapter of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and Women in Solar Energy (WISE). Lee earned her B.S. degree in communications with double minors in marketing and psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, after spending three years at the University of Tennessee in the pre-health curriculum. Lee is the mom of two boys, ages 14 and 11, and a rabid college football fan. She and her husband, John, spend most of their free time at the baseball or football fields unless they can steal away for a quick round of golf.
 
Amanda Bybee
Ms. Bybee has worked in the solar industry since 2003. Her entrée was promoting renewable energy policy in Austin, TX at Public Citizen, where she served as the coordinator of the Solar Austin Campaign. The campaign worked closely with Austin Energy to establish the first solar rebate program in Texas in 2004. Ms. Bybee then went on to work at Meridian Energy Systems, a solar EPC company. Ms. Bybee joined Namasté Solar in January 2006 as an early member of the team. She held numerous roles over her 11 years there, from technical sales & design to business development. While there, she worked to obtain a federal charter for a unique financial institution that funds clean energy products and services: Clean Energy Credit Union (www.cleanenergycu.org). This was only the 17th federal charter issued since 2010 and the first in the state of Colorado for over 30 years. She continues to serve as a volunteer on the Supervisory Committee of the credit union. In 2016, she helped earn an award from the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative to found the Amicus O&M Cooperative (www.AmicusOM.com). The O&M Cooperative brings together a network of providers across the country to provide coordinated services for geographically distributed portfolios. She now serves as its CEO, and is committed to the mission "to ensure that solar PV fulfills its promise as a responsible and reliable energy source, for generations to come." She obtained a BA in English and French from the University of Texas at Austin, and through solar, has found her "inner engineer."
 
Insights from this Episode
Amanda's professional trajectory
How Amanda landed the solar energy field
Amanda's personal background
What is a cooperative approach in terms of the energy business
What is Amanda looking for in the members of O&M
The importance of the geographic scope for the members of O&M
The environment that O&M seeks to create on a corporative level
What a female style of leadership means to Amanda
What advantages has Amanda found in this style of leadership
How the pandemic changed the working style in general
The importance of mentorship
The importance of technology for climate change friendly practices in the solar industry
Projects in which Amanda is working on
 
Quotes from the Show: 
“When I graduated college I knew that I wanted to do impactful work and I thought if I was gonna line up all the problems in the world as dominos, what are the dominos that are in front of the line that is affecting everything else”- Amanda Bybee in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“[About O&M] We’ve been also working within the membership to ensure that our technicians are trained to a certain standard, to ensure that all carry the safety credentials, to ensure that we are approaching the work in a way that is safe, efficient and profitable”- Amanda Bybee in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“[About feminine leadership] When you are responsible for running a business that is situated in a historical context of these life-altering events, I really feel it's like…a call for a new kind of leadership ”- Amanda Bybee in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“All these quarantine periods and … making space for your employees to deal with  both mental trauma associated with all these stuff and as well as the physical aspects of it, these all add up to to a lot of new business challenges”- Amanda Bybee in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“Studies also show that managers tend to perceive greater productivity from workers that come into the office and when you’re working from home you do not tend to establish the same type of sticky emotional bonds with your coworkers, you don’t have the opportunities to facetime with your manager as much”- Amanda Bybee in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
 
Stay Connected:
 
Sharon Lee
LinkedIn: Sharon Lee 
Facebook: Sharon Lee
 
Amanda Bybee
LinkedIn: Amanda Bybee 
 
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This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.

EP 3: Chat with Mary Britton

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Sharon Lee talks with Mary-Hayden Britton, a very talented woman who landed in the solar industry by accident but has remained strong and influential 8 years later. Here we talk about a little bit of who Mary-Hayden Britton is, not only as a worker in the solar industry, but as a mom and woman, what role she has in Velo Solar and how she is constantly trying to evolve by helping other women maximize their positions and careers in the solar industry, which is traditionally dominated by males.
 
Sharon Lee:
Sharon Lee taps over a decade of solar sales experience, having led the creation of a solar division for a leading manufacturing/construction firm, resulting in over 17 MW of solar in its portfolio as well as solar ultimately becoming its highest grossing revenue vertical. Lee has been involved in the GA Solar Energy Association, serving on the board of directors as the marketing chair, organizing the annual conference, as well as vice chair, and ultimately the first female chair of the organization in 2015. She is also a charter member of the Professional Women in Building chapter of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association, a member of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), and Women in Solar Energy (WISE). Lee earned her B.S. degree in communications with double minors in marketing and psychology from Middle Tennessee State University, after spending three years at the University of Tennessee in the pre-health curriculum. Lee is the mom of two boys, ages 14 and 11 and a rabid college football fan. She and her husband, John, spend most of their free time at the baseball or football fields, unless they can steal away for a quick round of golf.
 
Mary-Hayden Britton:
Mary-Hayden Britton has a Bachelor in Science from Elon University and a Masters in Human Resources from Cornell University. She is currently the Director of Operations of Velo Solar, but in past years she has worked as the Director of Service of Hannah Solar LLC, and the Sales Administrator of SolarMax. She participates in different important groups of the solar energy field such as TenneSEIA (Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association) and the Solar Energy Group. She is a great believer in mentoring and networking, which is why she always tries to give more light to women and help them rise in the solar industry.
 
Insights from this Episode:
How long has Mary been with Velo?
How Sharon and Mary landed for accident in the solar industry?
The mentors that have influenced Mary during her career
How Mary got involved in mentoring other women
The challenges in the solar industry
What makes Velo Solar unique
Mary’s relationship with her son
 
Quotes from the Show: 
“[About inclusivity in Velo Solar] These are not traditional support admin roles and I think that it's great that we’re showcasing diverse roles as women at Velo”- Mary-Hayden Britton in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“I did learn along the way that I should be mentoring other women so I did make it a priority to do that from each company that I’ve been involved with and I encourage women to get also involved in network and continue to grow and learn as they build their way up”- Mary-Hayden Britton in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
“[About challenges of the solar industry] Given the state of the world we’re seeing a lot of shortages in supplies so we have had to constantly look at new technology and come up with other solutions”- Mary-Hayden Britton in “The Sunnyside Podcast”
 
Stay Connected:
 
Sharon Lee
LinkedIn: Sharon Lee 
Facebook: Sharon Lee
 
Mary-Hayden Britton
LinkedIn: Mary-Hayden Britton 
 
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Spotify.
 
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry.