What I do

I install renewable energy solar panels by fitting them on the roof or on the ground and running their power cables into the property. Inverters then turn the solar energy captured by the panels into usable power.

How I became a technician

I didn’t really enjoy school much because I struggled with doing the work because I’m dyslexic. I prefer to do hands-on stuff, like PE and cooking classes. I lived in England until I was 16, and then moved to Scotland where I stayed at school for another two years. As well as English and Maths, I studied Engineering Science and PE, as well as completing a leadership course and also doing a bit of photography.

When I left school, I was looking for an apprenticeship role, but I live in quite a rural area in Scotland and there weren’t many opportunities available. I began working at AES Solar in their workshop, manufacturing the solar thermal panels and then moved onto working with the sub-contractors to fit the solar panels.

After a while, AES Solar looked to form their own in-house team to keep up with the demand of the growing industry and it made perfect sense that I would join this team. We now have a team of five in-house installers and electricians fitting the panels, who I supervise. Since then, I have also completed three apprenticeships with AES Solar – 1. Warehouse, Storage and Distribution 2. Business Management, and 3. Management.

A typical day in my
working life

In the morning, we pick up the required kit from the office and then drive to the site which might be any distance up to a couple of hours away from where we are based, which is about 40 minutes from Inverness, Scotland. When we get to the site, we discuss the job with the customer and then fit the panels and run the cables to wherever the convertor is going – it might be the garage or the loft, for example.

We also fit solar panels on a lot of new builds. As the properties are still being worked on, and the wiring can’t always be competed, we need to do it safely, so the next workers on site aren’t exposed to any live wiring, and we work with the electrician to put the cables into isolators. Then, once the property has power, the electrician will come in and finish off the work.

We also maintain solar panels too, with smaller jobs fixing a panel or, for example, recently I was removing panels from a roof because the owners are having their roof renovated. Then, once the renovation is complete, I will refit the solar panels back to the new roof. Residential work usually takes about a day, but jobs on commercial premises can take up to a week.

Try your best. If you don’t like school, then don’t worry! It will work out.

Don’t allow yourself to become stressed and feel like you have to follow a certain pathway.

A little more about
my everyday role

What I love most about my job

I love not doing the same thing every day. I get to work all over Scotland, which means I travel a lot and sometimes even work on the islands like Harris. Some of the work is on the ground and some of it is on roofs. It’s very varied.

The best bits about working in a team

There’s always company when working in a team and we motivate each other in our work and enjoy having a laugh together. My team consists of me and two others; one is 18 and the other is 25 years old. We are a young team and work well together and I enjoy teaching them everything I’ve learnt in the role.

The skills I use in my job

You need to be hands-on and not afraid of heights! You should also be good at maths as you have to calculate dimensions and cable lengths.

Find out more about this role

Discover what qualifications you’ll need, how much you can earn, and what the next steps are.

Nine apprentices sitting on sofas socialising

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