Never before have I realized the true significance of what it means to have a “steep learning curve.”  The amount of knowledge one can acquire in a summer is quite spectacular—prior to this May, all I knew about solar energy was the little I had learned from general overviews in my environmental science and policy classes.  The everyday bustles and excitement that fuel this small but rapidly growing Mom-and-Pop-run company have allowed me to fully immerse myself in experiencing what it means to be a part of a green business in an increasingly competitive market.

My internship at Second Generation Energy has certainly given me hope for the energy crisis we are all facing, not just because they install clean energy projects, but because of the various little sustainable practices that add up within the business.  For instance, every site visit is planned strategically in order to minimize carbon dioxide emissions from transportation, not to mention that the company car is a hybrid Prius.  They print as little as they can on recycled paper.  Additionally, although they service throughout Massachusetts, Second Generation tries to stay as local as possible.

One huge advantage of working at such a small company with about ten other colleagues is that I was able to help out in every department.  Whether it was operations, sales, marketing, or customer care, the variety of projects I have worked on this summer were all successful in furthering my understanding of Massachusetts’ solar policy. In particular, my knowledge about the intricacies involved with SRECs, federal, and state incentives has grown tremendously.  A few mini-projects involved putting together pictures required by the MassCEC in order finalize rebate paperwork.  For one interesting project, I used Google Earth to identify buildings in local industrial parks with potentially good roofs for commercial solar installations.  Yet another assignment involved assessing our clients’ PV energy production through the online monitoring system and comparing it to the estimated generation.

Summing up my experience into just a few words has proven difficult, as expressing the impact it has made in developing my career goals and life path seems to be inexplicable in terms of describing the evolution of myself as a person.  What I can say, however, is that before this summer, I never knew it was actually possible to look forward to going to work 9-to-5 in the “real-not-college-world.”  My internship has taught me the importance of prioritizing and juggling a plethora of tasks, from completing Annual Performance Reports required for commercial jobs that receive funding from the 1603 Treasury Grant to making Home Depot runs.  The experiences I have gained in the solar industry have been enlightening (no pun intended…) and positive in every aspect, and have made me optimistic that individuals and communities will collectively realize the power that we have to end our addiction to fossil fuels.