My name is Cam, and I am Head of Design here at SunnyMac. Something that really sets us apart from other solar companies is that we have an in-house solar design team of five, including myself, working out of our Wilmington, Delaware headquarters. Every day, the Design Team focuses on delivering the best customized solar installation design plan possible for each customer, based on their unique energy needs and home layout (if roof mount) or landscape (if ground mount).
I first discovered my deep interest in renewable energy in college while working towards my bachelor’s degree in biological engineering. I got the wonderful opportunity to study alternative energy sources, such as geothermal heating, offshore wind generation and hydroelectric power production, while studying abroad in countries like Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden — countries that specialize in alternative energy. From there, I knew my career would be focused on this, so I decided to get a Master’s in Energy Systems with a focus on Sustainable Design and Solar Energy. Since starting with SunnyMac, I have seen the Design Department grow from just 2 designers in a room to a full-fledged team of highly intelligent and creative people. All of which have drastically different backgrounds — from solar installers, to experienced managers from multiple industries. Each Designer brings their own unique skillsets, opinions and experiences that collectively make for a better team.
What’s your day to day look like?
The best way to summarize our role in the company is that we create the design planset, or blueprint, for each customer’s solar installation. The planset goes through various quality assurance steps to ensure the customer’s vision is brought to life while staying true to national and local codes and standards. The goal is to design the most efficient system and maximize its lifetime production and visual curb appeal, all while minimizing safety concerns.
During the design process, we conduct safety checks and make various decisions to optimize the system’s performance. We primarily sell in the Northeast, so our customers experience more cloudy days, variable weather and increased potential shading from trees than you would find in the Southwest. Additionally, baseline irradiance in the area is just slightly lower. We use these assumptions and understandings into how we design a homeowner’s system. One method, for example, is how we size inverters. By using slightly smaller inverters, and staying within manufacturer’s limits of a DC to AC ratio, we maximize morning and afternoon production; however, we ensure we minimize peak performance loss, if any, by minimizing clipping.
When it comes to the arrays, we know this is a 20+ year commitment for our customers, so we take the time to balance aesthetics with performance to ensure each homeowner is proud of the system they invested in. We take pride in our site assessment teams that deliver within-the-inch accurate roof measurements through the use of drone image capturing and 3D Modeling software. We also utilize industry-leading production simulation software that utilizes LiDAR mapping, satellite imagery, and solar irradiance data. We use these tools to ensure each design meets the industry-leading SunnyMac standards of accuracy. We also pay close attention to electrical equipment mounting aesthetics and visible conduit along the side of the home. It’s part of what sets the company apart from other solar companies — my team is trained to focus on production optimization and visual aesthetics in all facets of the design. We are limited by strict building codes, but my team has designed thousands of systems and we always ensure
the customer’s expectations are taken into account.
Outside of design, my day involves meetings to collaborate, teach and learn. Whether that’s interdepartmental to determine the best solution for trickier projects, design-specific to ensure my team continues to grow, or with external partners so that I am always up to date with industry changes — meetings are an important part of the job.
Tell us about something you’re proud of, either a personal or professional accomplishment.
I’m very proud of the team. There are many things happening behind the scenes, but my self-reliant, go-getting team never ceases to go above and beyond. They are fully trained to understand most nuances of the solar installation process and working within the constraints of township and utility company requirements. We have fine-tuned many processes over the years, yet continue to adapt and improve. It is critical for us in design to be able to keep up with industry and company changes, and my team quite simply succeeds. We won’t keep what we learned to ourselves either. Interdepartmental collaboration is key in the solar world and can make or break a company.
We pride ourselves in our running knowledge and databases of township or utility requirements and amendments. All information we share and collect together as a company — allowing us to quickly identify changes that would impact a customer’s design. It also helps ensure the project moves as smoothly and quickly as possible for customers, so they can begin to enjoy their solar sooner. There is a reason SunnyMac consistently maintains a high pass rate for inspections — accurate designs and quality personnel communicating on and off site. Another source of pride comes from my family.
My parents have been incredible influences in my life. It is because of them that I am passionate and dedicated to always growing and living a sustainable lifestyle.
I am fortunate to have a job that combines my interests with a career. Every day at SunnyMac, I am learning something new and feeling proud that we continue to make strides in being sustainable in more than just renewable energy. I am also excited to continue being part of a team where the customer experience is one of its core business values. As solar continues to grow with new policies and technology advancements, putting the customer first is what will make SunnyMac stand out.
