Brandon Leahy has been working for SkyFire for a few months now at our Penticton office as a Journeyman Electrician. Working in renewable energy has allowed him to learn new skills and to advance his career in an industry with a bright future. In this edition of the Faces of Renewable Energy, we learn more about Brandon, his journey with SkyFire and what bringing the magic of solar means to him.
How did you come to work for SkyFire?
I came to work for Skyfire by way of Terratek Energy out of Penticton. I had worked for another solar installer in the Okanagan and was aware of Terratek through being in the industry. Eventually, the time came where I wanted to expand my experience to string inverters and more large scale systems; I reached out to Landon and he told me about the merger and SkyFire’s history and I was on board.
What made you want to move from a career in the oil and gas industry to renewable energy?
I shifted from a career in the oil and gas industry to renewable energy for a few reasons. First, because I believe that renewable energy inevitably will become the future and I wanted to gain knowledge on how to most effectively utilize the sun’s power. Also, renewable energy presents new challenges and opportunities in a blossoming field which is exciting to be a part of.
What have you gained by working in the renewable energy industry?
I have gained an understanding of how attainable net zero would be if everyone was on board.
What difference do you believe the solar industry is making in British Columbia?
Slowly but surely municipalities and commercial customers are taking advantage of the benefits of solar power usually utilized by residential buyers. Solar is spreading from wineries to orchards to schools and has definitely changed the average perspective of solar from futuristic and expensive to common and a good investment.
Please share a customer story that was particularly meaningful to you.
I did an install for a man in Osoyoos and he was very excited about the new system and noted that he was in it to minimize his personal carbon footprint. He was incredibly happy with the results and gave me some unpasteurized organic honey that he made.
Branching off of our Vision Statement – “To bring the magic of solar to the world for a stronger, healthier, and more sustainable global community.” What does the magic of solar mean to you?
Solar provides a way to generate most of if not all of your power demands. The ability to generate power from the sun to fill your energy demand is attainable and economical.
Where do you think the renewable energy industry is going?
I think that renewable energy is on an upward curve as far as prevalence in the immediate future. I believe that we will see an increase in government credits and rebates and eventually laws put in place to implement mandatory utilization as we have seen in California.
Check out episode 4 of Faces of Renewable Energy – EV advocate and Suncor Renewable Energy Advisor Ed Ma.
If you are interested in going solar in British Columbia be sure to contact our team in Penticton at 778-476-8149 or fill out the contact form here to have us call you within 48 hours.