This is what I do for a living

"Speedmonkey" (Speedmonkey)
10/08/2013 at 19:32 • Filed to: Solar

Develop solar farms. It gets me on the road quite often, which is nice. Spent today in South West England visiting site we've built and meeting local organisations for another site we are developing. This one is 5 MW, which provides electricity for 2000 homes

I write about cars in my spare time

What do other Oppos do?

DISCUSSION (18)

hollanddjw 1 > Speedmonkey
10/08/2013 at 19:35

Solar farms? In England? Humbug.

Speedmonkey > hollanddjw 1
10/08/2013 at 19:36

Oh yes! We get some sun. This one gets 998 hours of sun a year. In Spain they get about 1200, so it still makes sense to do it in the UK

Ferrero1911 > Speedmonkey
10/08/2013 at 19:38

Cool job! I'm an Online Editor in the film industry. This means that I put together the color graded footage with any effects or titles and deliver the piece. Sometimes there are many versions to keep track of or weird delivery specs. I like it because the details and workflows are very important. I'm kind of a digital workflow geek.

Speedmonkey > Ferrero1911
10/08/2013 at 19:39

Sounds like a vocation rather than a job. Cool

hollanddjw 1 > Speedmonkey
10/08/2013 at 19:40

Oh, that was a joke! :P

StoneCold > Speedmonkey
10/08/2013 at 19:41

This is what I want to do in the States pretty much. What level of education do you have, if I might ask?

Speedmonkey > StoneCold
10/08/2013 at 19:43

Degree, BSc (Hons) Estate Management - graduated '94. Been a surveyor my working life. I'm a director of the solar company now. Run a team of 6 surveyors

StoneCold > Speedmonkey
10/08/2013 at 19:45

Aha, so then who actually sets up the panels?

Ferrero1911 > Speedmonkey
10/08/2013 at 19:48

At first I read that as vacation, and I was like, but he gets drive the countryside! How is a vocation different than a job?

thebigbossyboss > Speedmonkey
10/08/2013 at 19:48

I can has edits.

Speedmonkey > Ferrero1911
10/08/2013 at 19:51

A vocation is what you want to do whereas a job is what you have to do to earn a living.

Speedmonkey > StoneCold
10/08/2013 at 19:53

Mainly Hungarians and Poles who work hard and don't complain, unlike their Brit equivalents. It's a well paid job but you're away from home for months

Ferrero1911 > Speedmonkey
10/08/2013 at 19:54

Ahh yes. I've been lucky enough to find a way to make a living doing something I really enjoy. My mom even helped to convince me to stay in film school when I got nervous and decided that engineering might be safer career choice.

desertdog5051 > Speedmonkey
10/08/2013 at 20:30

My first reaction was "sunshine in the UK, you must be kidding". I have a 3.3 KW system on my garage roof. I get 330+ days of sunshine each year. Do not pay electric bills and get a check for $35-$75 a month from the power company. Plus, they double that in a "bank account" that I cannot access until I move. Sweet deal. Installed it at the housing bust, so got the best rates for the wiring work. Very happy.

f86sabre > Speedmonkey
10/08/2013 at 21:27

Very cool. What are your thoughts on home systems? I'm thinking about doing something when we remodel our house.

I'm an engineering manager at a major US airline. I have 36 engineers on my team and we help figure out how to fix broken things. The technicians actually do the work though. I have a BS in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering.

f86sabre > f86sabre
10/08/2013 at 21:29

2738 hours of sun here in Atlanta, by the way.

f86sabre > f86sabre
10/08/2013 at 21:30

2738 hours of sun here in Atlanta, by the way.

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > Speedmonkey
10/08/2013 at 21:49

My first career was as a 3d animator and video editor. Now I'm a manager of environmental compliance for a coal company.
Two degrees. CIS and geology.