GlassPoint is the leading provider of solar steam generators to the oil and gas industry. When used for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR), GlassPoint solar steam generators reduce natural gas consumption by up to 80%, redirecting gas resources to higher value applications such as electricity generation and export. GlassPoint’s solar EOR solution delivers steam at costs competitive with gas-fired steam generation, enabling producers to boost well productivity by up to 300 percent. GlassPoint drives lower costs by enclosing lightweight components within a glasshouse to seal the system from sand, dust, dirt and high humidity typical of oilfield environments throughout the world.
Solar Power World recently caught up with Pete von Behrens, CTO and co-founder at GlassPoint, to learn his take on the burgeoning solar job market and hiring process. The California-based company designs, manufactures and installs solar steam generators for the oil and gas industry.
SPW: With the ITC extension in place, the U.S. solar industry will grow and look to fill, by some estimates, 180,000 new positions over the next five years. Where will these workers come from?
Behrens: There is huge opportunity within the solar industry for both new graduates and experienced workers looking to apply their skills to a new industry. We see that the demand for engineers and other technologists is particularly strong, but there’s also room for experienced financial professionals. The industry is maturing and innovative financial solutions are needed to meet rising demand.
As the leader in the huge, and largely untapped market for solar in the oil and gas industry, GlassPoint is rapidly growing and hiring in all six of our global locations. Most of the key positions we’re looking to fill are in engineering, research and development and project development. On the technology team, we’re looking for people who offer expertise in developing technologies for low-cost, high-volume manufacturing or developing robust machines that can withstand harsh operating environments. This kind of experience is a natural fit for those in the automotive and similar industries.
A two-pronged question: First, what kind of solar companies will be looking to do a lot of hiring? And second, what kind of employees or skill sets will they be looking for?
As the industry continues to grow, solar companies doing the most hiring will naturally be the ones with the strongest growth potential. This especially applies to companies making headway in solar applications beyond the standard PV application. It’s the companies thinking outside of the box to develop a new kind of solar that will require lots of new talent.
We look to hire what we call “Very Smart People,” or VSPs for short. We don’t necessarily hire for current skills. It’s more about attitude. You can teach someone skills, but you can’t teach enthusiasm. We believe that a small group of VSPs who are comfortable with rapid change and have a global outlook can accomplish things that much larger organizations can’t.
With a job in solar, new hires are given the opportunity to make a difference in this world. Rather than throwing a bunch of money at a problem, our approach is to throw a bunch of inspired, smart people together who don’t think like everyone else.
How should someone with years of experience in a different industry present himself or herself as a viable candidate for employment in solar?
The key to success will be an ability to learn quickly, embrace new challenges and find creative solutions to solve them.
It doesn’t hurt if you share in the genuine passion of making this world a better place. Working for GlassPoint, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself collaborating with team members from completely different cultures. One thing we have in common? We enjoy what we do and who we’re doing it with.
The good news for non-traditional candidates is that we aren’t necessarily looking to hire from the solar industry, which surprises a lot of people. The reason lies in the unique design and engineering challenges we face. GlassPoint brought its solar thermal collectors inside a glasshouse structure, so anything that’s been developed by the solar industry to work in an outdoor, exposed environment won’t work for us. We’re tackling a completely new set of challenges, and believe smart people with crossover experience from the automotive and related industries bring tremendous value.
Let’s talk about pay. Obviously, there will be concerns about moving from one industry to another and how that might affect the pocketbook. What can someone who’s moving from another field to solar expect in terms of pay within this industry?
We offer competitive salaries to attract the top talent who have the ability to think like no one else and can make a significant impact on advancing our technology. Of course we can’t speak for other solar companies, but one of our core values is “happy.” Our overall hiring strategy is to find the world’s best talent and to pay them well. We believe that hiring a few very smart people to tackle a big problem makes a bigger difference than hiring a large group of people.
Increasingly, workers are also looking at the full benefits package before making a decision to jump on board. We understand this and offer six weeks of vacation time, for example. That’s designed to reflect our commitment to a happy work-life balance and help retain the best talent.
How would you suggest people find new jobs?
We recommend searching within personal and professional networks, including at their alma maters. We often visit college campuses to connect with newer grads. LinkedIn has a growing presence. One often-overlooked action for finding a job is simply taking a chance and applying – even if the background doesn’t match perfectly. A lot of times people don’t even try. Emerging companies in an emerging market may not have direct connections with you. Take a chance and throw your hat in the ring. It’s the most important step and you’ll often be surprised by who you may know or where that will take you.
To prepare yourself for the job hunt, be sure you can connect to the “why” – why do you want to work in this industry? Being clear and concise about why you want to work in the solar industry goes a long way.
Follow industry conversations where they are happening – in news articles or on social media. If you show interest and meaningfully interact with people in the comment sections, you may create important connections.
What reason would someone have to come to the solar over another promising industry?
Working in solar is an opportunity to make a significant difference for the environment and in local economies. We’re tackling one of the biggest challenges of our time, climate change.
At GlassPoint, we’ve developed a solar energy solution specifically for the oil and gas industry, one of the largest consumers of energy itself. By targeting this massive untapped market, we have the unique opportunity to deploy solar and reduce carbon emissions at an unprecedented scale. Our Miraah project alone will reduce carbon emissions by more than all the electric cars sold in the U.S. last year once it’s complete.
Finally, what about people just entering the workforce, such as recent college graduates? Where are the best opportunities for them in solar, and how should they position themselves?
Recent graduates entering the solar workforce need to be enthusiastic about solar and open to global opportunities. We’re looking for people who are eager to learn and passionate about what we’re doing – people who are excited about diving in and learning new skills. Of course we look for relevant coursework, but enthusiasm closes the deal.