Pay Attention To Your Industry
When I was in telecommunications, there was nothing more fascinating than being part of cutting edge technology. Part of the enjoyment while in the industry is being able to watch your industry to not only evolve, but to also be a major influence in Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. But that psychological theory was never a prominent thought in my own mind as I watched the progression of technology in the wireless industry slowly choke out the workforce that supported it.
While working in a switching office between late '98 and early 2000, I recall the size of the switch rooms and the many rows of equipment required to provide communications to mobile subscribers. Jump ahead 10 years and you'll find that technology has either eliminated that switching office or reduced the equipment down to a single box. Less equipment, less headcount.
I recently sat down with a very good friend of mine who was with me in the industry from the beginning of our careers in telecommunications. He made a great point that will apply to the green industry as well. If you are not part of today's technology, any technology learned in the past is no longer applicable and you will be left behind. To a certain degree, there is some truth in that comment.
Similar to the fate of telecom, solar is taking on the all too familiar transformation and will experience changes that only technology and efficiency can create.
Honeywell (and I'm sure other companies as well) has introduced a system called the Solar SmartGrid PV AC Module that integrates the microinverter right into the back of the panels. While this is a concept that is becoming common, the key point to take away from this is that regardless of any legislative and regulatory hurdles that solar may run into, the industry keeps moving forward. If you’re only installing microinverters separate from the panels, it may be time to start understanding the interworking of the integrated systems. Therefore, ensure that your path down your renewable industry takes in to account the evolution of technology.
Now let's look at it from another angle. In the recent article, "Big push" could be over for California solar" from Reuters (interestingly enough, the Africa edition), the claim is that California's aggressive push for solar in 2010 will not produce the same results in 2011. Again, if you're just now getting in to solar, ensure you remain aware of the direction your industry may be headed. Even having a small hint of what's to come can help you determine your next move.
In another angle (and definitely not the final), look at what other countries are doing.
An article from the Chinese People Daily alters the perception that all jobs in America are being shipped overseas. Extracted from the article: "Now Chinese companies increasingly are setting up shop in the US to escape trade barriers, capitalize on the US government's alternative-energy push, and learn lessons that could help them in their home market."
Pay attention to your industry. Take in as many pieces to build the bigger picture and try to stay ahead of (or at least keep up with) the changes in technology and then position yourself appropriately with the education and internship that supports tomorrow.
~Michael
While working in a switching office between late '98 and early 2000, I recall the size of the switch rooms and the many rows of equipment required to provide communications to mobile subscribers. Jump ahead 10 years and you'll find that technology has either eliminated that switching office or reduced the equipment down to a single box. Less equipment, less headcount.
I recently sat down with a very good friend of mine who was with me in the industry from the beginning of our careers in telecommunications. He made a great point that will apply to the green industry as well. If you are not part of today's technology, any technology learned in the past is no longer applicable and you will be left behind. To a certain degree, there is some truth in that comment.
Similar to the fate of telecom, solar is taking on the all too familiar transformation and will experience changes that only technology and efficiency can create.
Honeywell (and I'm sure other companies as well) has introduced a system called the Solar SmartGrid PV AC Module that integrates the microinverter right into the back of the panels. While this is a concept that is becoming common, the key point to take away from this is that regardless of any legislative and regulatory hurdles that solar may run into, the industry keeps moving forward. If you’re only installing microinverters separate from the panels, it may be time to start understanding the interworking of the integrated systems. Therefore, ensure that your path down your renewable industry takes in to account the evolution of technology.
Now let's look at it from another angle. In the recent article, "Big push" could be over for California solar" from Reuters (interestingly enough, the Africa edition), the claim is that California's aggressive push for solar in 2010 will not produce the same results in 2011. Again, if you're just now getting in to solar, ensure you remain aware of the direction your industry may be headed. Even having a small hint of what's to come can help you determine your next move.
In another angle (and definitely not the final), look at what other countries are doing.
An article from the Chinese People Daily alters the perception that all jobs in America are being shipped overseas. Extracted from the article: "Now Chinese companies increasingly are setting up shop in the US to escape trade barriers, capitalize on the US government's alternative-energy push, and learn lessons that could help them in their home market."
Pay attention to your industry. Take in as many pieces to build the bigger picture and try to stay ahead of (or at least keep up with) the changes in technology and then position yourself appropriately with the education and internship that supports tomorrow.
~Michael
[...] closures) made me think about the natural progression of any industry. You may recall an earlier post about how the telecommunications industry went through its own house-cleaning and the advice to [...]
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