Solar Washington: How or why did you become interested in solar? Tell us about any specific experience with solar:

Alex Nephew: I was accidentally introduced to a few solar projects about 2 years ago and I found them fascinating! I am in my 6th year as an insurance broker and, for the past 3 years, I have been insuring construction companies. I began to read more about the solar project modules themselves and the differences in risks that solar contractors face vs. specialty trade contractors. In insurance when you look at a business you look at its operations and its exposures. Solar contractors, depending on what they do, may each have a unique exposure to be considered and it requires intimate knowledge of the business, reading contracts and understanding operations to understands the nuances and offer the best policy.

This got me even more interested in the subject! I reached out to a few teammates in my company and realized that we have a team of people who have been working with renewable energy companies for over 10 years. I now insure renewable energy projects around the country as well as solar contractors, system owners (from rooftop to utility scale) and developers of those projects.

Solar Washington: Chandra, why and how did you become a supporter of solar power?

Chandra Romel: I became interested in solar energy when I moved to Indiana many years ago and learned that the majority of the state’s electricity was produced by coal-fired power plants. I felt compelled to take action. While “going solar” was something I read about, I did not realize how feasible it was for me as a home owner until I spotted an array of roof-top photovoltaic (PV) panels on a neighbor’s house. She shared her experience and led me to a local nonprofit educational group advocating for solar energy as an effective way to offset carbon emissions as a source of clean energy, in an effort to mitigate human-caused climate change and to preserve the natural environment. Solar power has benefits beyond clean energy; it gives home owners energy independence, allows power companies to diversify their portfolio, and creates jobs. Solar PV systems are easy to maintain and will operate for decades.

Committed to the idea humans need to do their part, Karen May hired a solar systems engineering firm to evaluate the feasibility of a solar system with backup storage on her home.  She is looking for solar roof tops and cheap renewable power to be more easily and economically distributed.

In May 2022 Solar Washington asked Chris Muench about his interest in solar that led to installing solar on his home