Spotlight: Operations Interns Sam and Jenny

Spotlight on a Solar Pro: Operations Interns Sam and Jenny

This spotlight on a Solar Pro are our operations interns, Sam and Jenny. Meet Sam Robbins and Jenny Nguyen. Sam and Jenny started internships at Renu Energy Solutions around the same time in early summer 2018. In the time they’ve spent in the office each has had an opportunity to sink their teeth into the important work of coordinating solar installation projects to serve our customers.

Sam Robbins went to Virginia Tech for undergrad and is pursuing his Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at NC State University. He hopes to become a professional in the solar industry in the coming year.

Through his internship at Renu Energy Sam’s been developing the skills he needs to be a true agent of change helping America become more energy independent while mitigating the threat of climate change through mainstream implementation of solar PV. His team members point to his hard work helping handle customers’ applications for the Duke Energy solar rebate as a time when he’s already shown what he’s made of! He says he takes pride in the fact that his work helped families take control of their energy needs, aided in solar PV project development, and that he was just one cog in the well-oiled-machine that is Renu Energy Solutions.

He’s excited to be joining the solar industry at a time when panels are increasing in efficiency and solar installations are becoming more affordable. He sees combo installations that integrate solar energy with battery storage and electric vehicle charging as a frontier – and he sees attention to the client as an area where Renu is outdoing the competition.

In his spare time, Sam takes care of his many puppies (he admits he’s obsessed) and enjoys exploring the beautiful City of Charlotte.

Jenny Nguyen hails from Atlanta, speaks English and Vietnamese, and draws energy from her role working every day to familiarize people with the benefits of going solar. She currently attends UNC Charlotte and has served as a teaching assistant, and she found her passion in helping the environment after a trip to Colorado through the University of Montana where she spent 3 weeks camping the Rockies doing research and field work learning about the ecology and geology of the area.

Jenny Nguyen hails from Atlanta, speaks English and Vietnamese, and draws energy from her role working every day to familiarize people with the benefits of going solar. She currently attends UNC Charlotte and has served as a teaching assistant, and she found her passion in helping the environment after a trip to Colorado through the University of Montana where she spent 3 weeks camping the Rockies doing research and field work learning about the ecology and geology of the area.

Her internship has provided a real jumpstart careerwise in a fast-paced and environmentally responsible field. She quickly learned  how the entire solar process works, like installation, products, and the paperwork involved. She has a vantage point to see projects start as a signed contract, progress through local permitting and utility applications, and to get an installation scheduled and inspections passed. Jenny is proud anytime she can make an installation happen quicker and easier by verifying documents and securing the necessary approvals.

In her spare time she loves working out and being active, reading and cooking. In the future she plans to continue her education to pursue environmental engineering as a career, as well as become a certified geologist in training, which relates to why she wanted to explore the solar industry with this internship.

She remarks that within her first month at Renu she could tell the company is in the midst of growing and is destined to continue in that direction as the solar field explodes in the Carolinas. Renu Energy Solutions is grateful to have had Sam and Jenny as operations interns this year and thanks them for their work.

Read about another solar professional: Jeff Stewart, Director of Alternative Finance

Read our solar professional spotlight about Christina McClain: Junior Project Coordinator

Read our feature on another solar professional: Frazier Spann, Solar Team Lead

Read another feature on a solar professional: Hannah Elliott, Operations Supervisor

Read about the experience of Austin Winecoff, Summer 2018 Solar Installation Intern

Read about Logan Peterson, our summer/fall 2018 Operations Department Intern

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Solar for Your Home:

How exactly does going solar and a solar system itself work?
Solar energy begins with sunlight that hits the panels to produce energy that flows into your inverter, which converts the DC energy into Alternating Current (AC) electricity that can be used to power your home. This same energy is then consumed when powering your home’s light, appliances, gizmos, and gadgets. If you feel your home isn’t producing the energy that it needs, the utility will fill in the gaps. If you system produces more energy than needed, that energy will go to the grid and your utility will credit you for the unused power.
How many solar panels do I need for my home?
At Renu Energy Solutions we design our solar panel systems size based on three main factors.

Roof-size/available space: When we look at the size of your roof and the space available, we gather data that tell us the maximum number of solar panels your home or site can hold and we even consider shading. We use a software “Suneye” which takes a 360 picture of your roof and we use this photo to determine if your home is a good candidate for solar.

Energy Usage: When we determine energy usage we look at your past electrical bills from over the course of a year to make sure your system isn’t too big or too small.

Your Budget: We take your budget seriously and most importantly, we want you to be satisfied with our services. We take your feedback on how much you want to spend so that we can size your system appropriately.

What is solar net-metering?
Net-metering is a type of utility policy that controls how your system is connected to the grid and how you are credited for the solar energy you produce.
Does Duke Energy offer net-metering?
Yes! Both Duke Energy Carolinas and Duke Energy Progress territories in NC offer net-metering when your homes goes solar. If you are interested in net-metering, no worries. Our team will guide you through the process as certain utilities have a different application procedure.
Curious about the cost of a home solar system?
When our clients ask this question, we immediately tell Tham about the federal tax credit that comes with going solar. The Federal tax credit for going solar is 26% in 2020. For example, if the total cost of you system was $22,000, when you subtract 26% you are then left with a %16,280 solar system. There is not set price for a home going solar as there are many factors that contribute to the total cost. The price of a solar home can range from $10k to $100k based on the size of your roof, energy usage, aesthetic preferences, and of course, budget.

 

 

Ready to Own Your Own Energy?

Speak to Us Today!

  • Hidden

    MM slash DD slash YYYY