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. 

I got started in the industry back in 2010, as installing solar was a summer job for me while I completed a degree in ecology and psychology. Early on in my career, I worked on projects that highlighted the vulnerabilities of our aging electric grid, particularly for underserved, rural, and island communities. I saw firsthand how clean, local energy solutions like solar and storage could not only cut emissions but also improve public safety, economic resilience, and energy sovereignty. I helped to install a solar and storage project at the Little Brown Church on Maxwelton Road back in 2012 that has since served as a rallying point and mass care facility for southern Whidbey Island in the event of an emergency. That insight has guided my path ever since.

SW: Why did you join Solar Washington and what do you expect from Solar Washington? 
MV: In the early 2010's I started attending Solar Washington monthly meetings as I was trying to learn where I would fit in the solar industry. SolarWA and the annual Solar Summit played an important role in giving me the big picture of the industry while introducing me to the changemakers here in WA. Supporting Solar Washington is a priority for me because it provides a platform for connection and collaboration across the solar industry in our state. The organization brings together practitioners, utilities, policymakers, advocates, and educators who are all essential to advancing solar energy deployment and climate resilience. I value Solar Washington’s commitment to education and transparency, and I hope it continues to foster strong technical networks and shared learning, especially as the state pivots to deeper grid integration and resilience-focused investments.

SW: What is next for you regarding solar? 
MV: At Cascadia Renewables, we’re doubling down on the importance of collaboration with diverse stakeholders to meet the rapidly evolving energy demands of the Pacific Northwest. We have done a deep dive into the world of emergency management over the last several years, and our eyes are now wide open to the significant hazards we face today and how those hazards will intensify with a changing climate. With increased regional electrical demand from the electrification of buildings, transportation, and data center growth, we see an urgent need to plan and build capacity while simultaneously preparing for intensifying climate hazards and shifting population dynamics.

We believe public-private partnerships are key to delivering resilient energy systems. In particular, we’re focused on the next generation of community-anchored microgrids, single-node and multi-node systems that integrate solar, battery storage, and load management with advanced controls. These systems are not only essential for decarbonization but are increasingly critical as distributed resilience infrastructure. The DOE’s Liftoff reports on Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) and Innovative Grid Deployment highlight this shift: we must accelerate deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs) and leverage them for capacity relief, peak shaving, and backup power, especially for vulnerable populations.

From a planning perspective, we’re inspired by the NREL’s resilience frameworks, which emphasize spatial diversification, redundancy, and microgrids as central to climate adaptation strategies. We’ve adopted these principles in our project development process, ensuring that the systems we design support local critical services during grid disruptions while aligning with utility and regional planning goals.

Embedding intelligence at the grid edge will be pivotal. We’re working with partner organizations who are exploring how AI-powered controls and edge data can enhance the responsiveness and efficiency of the microgrids we develop. 

In sum, our next phase is about scaling community resilience through integrated systems and DERs as infrastructure, aligning distributed solar and storage with utility planning, market participation, and climate resilience objectives. We want to ensure that investments in clean energy today yield durable economic, environmental, and social benefits well into the future.

SW: Do you have any advice for anyone considering a career in solar energy in Washington? 
MV: Absolutely, this is a defining moment. The solar sector in Washington is evolving rapidly, catalyzed by transformative policy shifts, day-ahead wholesale energy markets, climate adaptation funding, and new utility-led programs. If you’re thinking about joining this field, my strongest advice is: lean in. Your best tool in being a part of the solution is your ability to work hard, stay curious, and be humble. 

We're redesigning the largest and most complex machine humans have ever built (the US electrical grid) while the climate crisis is unfolding around us. That redesign demands a new kind of workforce: people who can bridge technical expertise with equity, community resilience, and systems thinking. It’s a space where communication, creativity, and collaboration aren’t just valued—they’re necessary. We’re not just adding solar, we’re reinventing how we generate, distribute, and rely on electricity in the face of rising demand and accelerating climate threats. Whether you're interested in hands-on installation, systems design, distribution planning, policy development, or community organizing, there’s a vital role for you. Jigar Shah likes to call this transition the greatest wealth generation opportunity of our generation - I believe him. 

So, whether you’re a student, a career-changer, or someone looking to contribute to your community’s sustainability, know this: there is room for you. There is urgency, and there is meaning. This is hard work, but it’s also hopeful work. And it’s work that future generations will be thankful we chose to do. We can do hard things together.