We interviewed Christopher Brown, partner at Holland & Knight LLP and Board Member of Solar Washington.

Solar Washington: How did you become interested in solar? 
Chris Brown: I grew up in Los Angeles and always loved the sun. My family had a small sailboat, and I remember as a kid, on that boat, we had one of those Sun Showers, which was basically a plastic bag that held a few gallons of water. We’d tie it to the deck during the trip out in the ocean, and then anchor, and then we’d go swimming or fishing off the boat, and later we’d have warm water from the Sun Shower to hose off. On those long sail boat trips, it struck me then that the sun was like the wind, because it was always present, and you could use it for different things that are useful. 

Later in life, I studied the science of solar, and the pricing curves. I learned to appreciate how an installation works. People have different reactions when they see large solar arrays along a highway, for example. For me, I see progress and the intelligent use of a resource that is always there.

SW: Why did you join Solar Washington and what do you expect from Solar Washington? 
CB: I joined the Board of Solar Washington because I really wanted to learn how solar energy works here in Washington. And to do that, you have to meet people. In fact, you have to meet people from all walks of life in the solar world – homeowners with solar, utility workers, installers, environmentalists, policy experts and government representatives.  I hope to make contacts and friends in this endeavor. And I hope we can manage the Solar Washington project in a smart way, to help educate others. 

SW: What is next for you regarding solar? 
CB: In my day job, I’m a tax attorney, and I work on different kinds of business deals and projects. One category of this work is to help with large energy projects involving big installations with lots of smart people figuring out how to get an energy facilities built. What is interesting about this work is seeing how science and engineering move the ball, year-to-year, and also seeing how the project finance world reacts and brings these ideas to market.

For example, solar power has always been hamstrung by the problem of intermittency. But, as solar panels came down in price, and battery technology improved, the industry was able to reduce this problem by storing excess solar on the hottest days, and managing peak load in a smart way. To make this happen, there have been some amazing advances in the battery space over the last 3-5 years. Those improvements are now showing up in larger battery projects. I think that is exciting work. I’m fortunate to be involved in it.