In late May, Solar Washington interviewed Markus Virta, the Managing Partner at Cascadia Renewables and a longtime supporter of Solar Washington.

Solar Washington: How did you become interested in solar? 
Markus Virta: My journey into solar energy began with a concern for climate change and a recognition of the role that distributed energy solutions can play in creating a more equitable and resilient power grid. 

In late April, Solar Washington interviewed Dever Haffner-Ratliffe, a Solar Washington member who is vice-president of the association.  Dever, who now works for a public utility district, shared her insights and experiences as a long-time leader and participant in the clean energy scene in Washington.  

In late January, Solar Washington interviewed Charlee Thompson, a member and board member of the organization. Charlee, who works as a Policy Associate with the Northwest Energy Coalition, shared her insights and experiences.

Solar Washington: When and how did you become interested in solar? 
Charlee Thompson: I first heard about climate change in elementary school, learning that humans were unintentionally harming many of the things that 12-year-old me loved and was fascinated by-- coral reefs, rainforests, and their inhabitants. Because I knew early on that I wanted to do something that would mitigate climate change and its impacts, I had a straightforward trajectory toward my career in clean energy policy.  My interest in solar specifically stems from our need for not only a clean energy transition, but a just transition. Solar is one of the clean resources that has additional value because it can more directly benefit historically underserved communities. And that's why I can't shake my interest in it.

In early November, Solar Washington conducted an interview with Craig Olson, a member and volunteer of the organization. Olson, who retired in 2016 from his job as a microbiologist and salmon pathologist for the tribes of western Washington, shared his insights and experiences.

Solar Washington: How did you become interested in solar?  
Craig Olson: Retirement poses the question, What am I motivated to spend my time on? Helping to transition the world off of fossil fuels for both human health and the health of the habitat we live in is one of those top motives for me. The recent, but very brief in human history, petroleum age has been VERY beneficial by providing inexpensive, portable, and useful energy.

In late July 2024, Solar Washington interviewed Anders Alexander, a member and a board member of Solar Washington. Anders (pictured here with his father in 2022) described how his educational background paved the way for a job in the solar industry, which evolved into a lifelong career and a fervent passion for renewable energy.  

Solar Washington: How did you become interested in solar?  
Anders Alexander: My first job out of college was for SolarCity, now Tesla. I graduated with an environmental policy and economics degree from Western Washington University and was open to any kind of environmental job, and when it ended up being for a solar company I decided to stick with it and dedicated my career to solar energy.

In July 2024, Solar Washington interviewed Joelle Hammerstad, a member of Solar Washington who helped plan the 2023 Solar Summit.

Solar Washington: How did you become interested in solar?  

Joelle Hammerstad: In 2016 I was the Sustainable Operations Manager at Seattle Parks & Recreation (SPR) working to reduce electric utility consumption and carbon usage in Parks Department buildings. Seattle City Light approached us with a partnership opportunity to build an innovative new project. City Light had a Clean Energy Fund grant to build a solar microgrid, which pairs a large solar array with industrial-sized batteries. A microgrid “islands” itself from the electric grid in the event of a power outage and operates independently to power a building or facility. Together with the community, City Light and SPR chose Miller Community Center to site the microgrid. We opened the Miller Microgrid in April 2022. During this same period, I also worked with the City of Seattle Office of Sustainability & Environment to receive a GreenUp Grant from Seattle City Light, which SPR used to put a large solar array on a community center in Magnuson Park. These two experiences really opened my eyes to the possibilities that exist to build out many more solar arrays in the region to help reduce carbon use and power a sustainable future.

In June 2024, Solar Washington interviewed Daniel Marshall, a member and a board member of Solar Washington.

Solar Washington: How did you become interested in solar? 
Daniel Marshall: I remember being intrigued by solar as a kid during the 80’s and 90’s. Growing up with actual calculators that had a little strip of solar cells. I know I wasn’t the only one in class who was amused by the magic of the making the numbers on screen fade in and out through variations of a blocking the cells with my hand or an eraser. It felt like a magical power as a kid, and solar continued to pique my curiosity since. Fast forward to 2016, when I started working for PSE. I had the opportunity to be part of the team handling the Net metering interconnection applications! I spent the next 7 years doing what I loved, working with a great community of the solar installers, touring manufacturing facilities, getting on a few roofs, and watching the industry advance from mainly solar into more complex system designs with solar + battery storage. I continue to be excited for the industry, as microgrids, EVs, and an entire ecosystem starts to take shape that incorporates “Solar + X”.

In May 2024, Solar Washington interviewed Nora Hawkins who is a member and a board member of Solar Washington.  

Solar Washington: How did you become interested in solar? 
Nora Hawkins: In the fall of 2017, I joined the Washington, DC Department of Energy & Environment to work on their Solar for All program which aims to reduce the electric bills of 100,000 income qualified district residents in half through the deployment of solar throughout the city. Prior to joining DC government, I worked on energy and environmental programs in the federal government. While that work was fascinating and had far reaching impacts, I found a new sense of fulfillment working on clean energy projects and energy burden reduction in my local community. It was rewarding to visit project sites but even more so to meet the residents who would benefiting from the solar that was being installed. I also had the privilege to work with brilliant and dedicated colleagues at DOEE and to learn from our grantees who were piloting innovative ways to get the benefits of solar to residents in various housing types throughout the city. Through my experience working for the city of DC, I recognized the ability of distributed solar to make the clean energy transition tangible at the local level.

In April 2024, Solar Washington interviewed Lindsey Virdeh, a long-time member who has attended several Solar Summit and is now volunteering on the 2024 Solar Summit Planning Committee.

Solar Washington: When and why did you become interested in solar? Any specific experience(s) with solar.

Lindsey Virdeh: My dad was a professor of architecture and taught passive solar design concepts, so I was introduced to solar and sustainability at a young age, which influenced my career path. I worked as a project designer in architecture and GreenPoint Rater in California, and projects I worked on incorporated solar into the design. Subsequently, my career path led to the education sector where I worked at Skyline College and now Shoreline Community College, both in programs with a solar design focus.

In March 2024, Solar Washington interviewed Shane Frye, a current Solar Washington member and board member. Shane tells us how his professional experience has shaped his understanding of solar.

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

Shane Frye: I have always had an interest in solar and fortunately was given the opportunity to learn more as when I began working in Customer Service at Snohomish County PUD. From there I became more involved through our Energy Services department and was given the opportunity to take over PUD's Solar program with my initial focus being to streamline our Interconnection Application and review process to make it easier for our customers to go solar. I have also done extensive work on building out our website to be more informative and educational so that customers can get the information they need before making their final decision.