This post originally appeared on SolarCity’s blog. It is cross-posted here with permission.
[SolarCity's] own Rocio Farias is one of a small but growing number of the nation’s female solar installers, a distinction that prompted the New York Times to publish this interview with her. Promoted four times since joining SolarCity in 2011, today Rocio supervises a crew of seven that install solar panel systems on homes across Los Angeles. We thought it would be fun to ask her some questions that the newspaper didn’t get around to.
Zan: Where were you born and where did you go to high school?
Rocio Farias: In LA. I’ve lived here all my life. I went to LA High.
Zan: Other than the beach, are there memorable LA landmarks you’ve seen while installing?
Farias: The Hollywood sign. Yeah, that was cool. It was one of the hottest days in LA, a couple of years ago, like 114 degrees. I’ll never forget it. But I was glad to be in LA, my hometown, not somewhere far away. You just have to stay hydrated.
Zan: You recently trained to become a certified electrician. Do you expect to complete more training through SolarCity?
Farias: Yes, whatever the company offers, I’ll take. I want to try to get my certification from NABCEP [the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners] which provides the solar installation industry’s best known certification of professional skills and knowledge.
Zan: What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned at SolarCity?
Farias: The importance of quality and aesthetics. How important something as simple as conduit bending [molding rigid metal tubes containing electrical wire around a home’s contours] is to the overall aesthetic. It’s an art. Your measurements have to be perfect, and you have to handle the bending tool perfectly to avoid kinks or folds. You can’t have any kinks or folds. Practice makes perfect.
Zan: We bet your conduit piping looks pretty good?
Farias: Yep, they look good.
Zan: What changes or improvements have you seen in SolarCity’s operations since you started installing?
Farias: Moving to Zep Solar [a panel mounting technology that has helped SolarCity’s installation crews double the number of residential systems they can install each day]. That was the biggest change for us and it’s a big improvement and looks a lot better on the home.
Zan: What do you like to do outside of work?
Farias: I like to swim. I used to work on my own cars, but now I don’t have time. Also lately I’ve been reading a few books on real estate. Maybe that’s something I could do on the side like a hobby, maybe buy a house and fix it up.
Zan: What’s your biggest challenge on the job?
Farias: The heat. But like I said, in L.A., you just have to stay hydrated.
Zan: What’s your greatest pride?
Farias: The position I’m in. I started from the bottom and now I’m a crew lead. I had to prove that I could do the job—four times.
Zan: Is your mom proud of you?
Farias: Oh sure. She’s happy that I have a good position in the company and that it’s not just any job. You’re doing something good for the environment and opening people’s minds.
Zan: If you could have any job at SolarCity, even CEO, what would it be?
Farias: Even CEO?
Zan: Even CEO.
Farias: Why not, right?