PV Solar Service Technician

Do you want to become an employee-owner for a mission-driven, growth focused company? Do you approach your work with passion and dedication?

About the Company
Sun Light & Power drives the total adoption of clean energy by designing, building, maintaining, and advocating for clean energy solutions so future generations inherit a healthy planet. We are committed to delivering an exceptional customer experience by always innovating and acting with dedication and passion.

We are proud to be certified B-Corporation and this influences our way of working. We make intentional decisions considering sustainability, positive impact on our community and growing profit for the prosperity of our employee-owners. We are a company that strives for a healthy life-work balance and a dog friendly environment.

Position Description:

The Photovoltaic Service Technician utilizes their thorough understanding of electricity and photovoltaic systems to troubleshoot, diagnose and repair systems in a proficient and timely manner. They work with minimal support from our administrative staff, who typically make first contact with prospective or return customers and then bill them once work is complete.

The perfect person for this position is someone who has an in-depth understanding of photovoltaic systems and who enjoys customer service work. Ideally, you will have received the NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) Photovoltaic Installer Certification, live in the East Bay, understand the value of working for a “green” company, and embrace new technology and products.  

Responsibilities:

• Respond to service calls for residential, commercial and government customers

• Track customer interactions and job progress in Salesforce.com

• Troubleshoot and diagnose system issues, any property damage and safety risks

• Coordinate with admin staff to design and estimate repairs for PV systems

• Interact with customers in a professional manner

• Accurately track billable hours

• Contribute to production quality control and cost-reduction efforts

• Install mounting system for solar modules including roof attachments, weatherproof penetrations, rack components, structural members, manage rooftop wires, etc.

• Install conduit, pull & terminate wire, etc.

• Install and/or disconnect, inverters, small and large

• Operate general carpentry and hand-tools

• Set up, upgrade and troubleshoot monitoring systems

• Complete work in a timely and accurate manner

• Participate in safety meeting and other meetings

• Implement a Site Specific Safety Plan including; perform job site hazard analysis, implement vehicle safety, install site safety barriers, etc.

• Ensure the work site is clean and clear site of clutter and other hazards

• Occasionally travel overnight to out-of-town installations <1%

• Troubleshoot battery based systems (both grid tied battery backup and grid-independent)

• Perform engineering relating to specification of replacement equipment including (but not limited to): grid tied inverters, battery based inverters, combiner boxes, disconnect switches, batteries, charge controllers.

• Propose and lead structural redesigns for module and BOS equipment racking and support.

• Lead crew and manage timeline in complicated projects included removal and replacement of equipment to accommodate customer initiated re-roof or building modifications.

Qualifications:

• Must have at least 8 years of experience building Photovoltaic systems
• Must have at least 5 years of leading electrical portion of PV installation and/or repair work including:
  • Installing electrical equipment (inverter, disconnects)
  • Sizing, specifying, ordering proper conduit and wire sizes (per NEC code)
  • Safe circuit disconnection prior to servicing electrical equipment
  • Safe use of a meter to measure AC and DC voltage and current
  • Ability to interpret meter readings to determine system health
• Must have at least 1 year of leading battery based installation and/or repair work.
• Ability to read a schematic drawing
• Ability to identify sources of potential faults and troubleshoot system problems on DC and AC sides.
• Ability to assess job: recognize potential problems, bottle-neck tasks, (length of) task times, materials and tools needed, engineering (both future and pre-existing problems i.e. space constraints, PRV runs, potential code violations etc.)
• Have a professional demeanor on the job at all time and have the ability to effectively communicate with customers
• Ability to interface with all departments in order to prepare and build a job.  Have the necessary skills to solve and report any problems concerning the job (with an eye towards preventing the repeat of problem in the future)
• Possess basic carpentry and electrical tools
• Basic knowledge of construction safety standards
• Knowledge of basic arithmetic, fractions, algebra, and basic high school geometry
• Required to have a current CA driver license with an acceptable driving record
• Familiar with the warehouse environment and truck inventory practices
• Have the ability to follow instructions and asks questions when not clear on what is expected
• Strong work ethic, attentive, and ready to learn
• Adaptability and versatility.  These two qualities should apply to any task—whether dealing with people or pipe racks
• Commitment to excellence and an eye for detail
• Must be able to climb ladders and be comfortable working at various heights; work in extreme environments (in the rain, hot sun, crawl spaces and attics)
• Able to lift at least 75 pounds

Compensation:

$40-$45/hour, DOE

Benefits:
Sun Light & Power offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to:

• Health- Sun Light & Power offers 8 different medical plans through Blue Shield and Kaiser.
• Dental- Sun Light & Power covers 100% of Delta Dental Gold PPO.
• Vision- Sun Light & Power covers 100% of the VSP Gold plan.
• Long-term disability insurance: Sun Light & Power covers 100%.
• FSA, HSA and Commuter program
• 13 PTO days, 9 paid holidays
• 2 paid days for volunteering
• 401(k) retirement plan
• $500 annual stipend for tuition
• Company Stock - Sun Light & Power annually allocates 8% of our 1,000,000 issued shares of the company to ESOP Participants based on a formula considering the number of employees, employee’s years of service and employee’s total compensation. Shares are vested over a 6-year period.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally expose to moving mechanical parts and vehicles. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

It is the policy of Sun Light & Power to provide equal employment opportunity to all persons without regard to sex, race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, religion, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, military or veteran status, marital status, registered domestic partner status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal or state law.  This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to: recruitment, selection, training, promotion, transfer, compensation, demotion, termination, etc.