Building meaningful careers, in a time of transition

We don’t just build solar projects at Lightsource bp, we also want to build careers.?

To do that, we want to encourage all team members to not just understand what we do, but why we do it.?

For many of our team members, their roles are office based, far away from the projects we put in the ground. This creates a disconnect from what they do day-to-day and what we put in the ground.?

We’ve fixed that with our new starter onboarding site visit scheme.?Our new starters now get the opportunity to see first-hand why our sites are so special and to understand how their hard work helps us create solar power for our world.?

In September, some of our UK team members visited our Manor Farm project in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. As the team arrived, they were greeted by our Operations & Maintenance (O&M) team and their remote-controlled, solar-panel-cleaning robot, showing one of the methods they use to keep the panels clean and functioning efficiently throughout the year.

Simon Swain, having only joined a few weeks prior to the trip, was able to get his teeth into the finer details of how solar works: “There were thorough explanations and demonstrations from the site team, who were more than happy to answer any questions, and thankfully they clarified that no questions were silly! It’s great to know how my work will be contributing to such meaningful projects.”

Ting Hoo, our APAC and New Markets Communications Manager was overwhelmed by the experience: “I always believe that a career can be a reflection of one’s values and love for the world. I feel honoured to work in a mission-driven company that dedicates its work to generate clean energy while boosting biodiversity across its sites. I’m thankful for this visit and kudos to the O&M team who take care of this site tirelessly!”

It’s obvious to our new starters that solar sites are inherently multi-purpose when one of the first things they're greeted by is sheep bouncing around wondering who all these people are. Solar farms can provide the energy security we need while also offering a refuge for wildlife and a grazing patch for livestock. Solar farms are unique — a large-scale power plant with almost no moving parts that’s virtually silent, this means they can be biodiverse-rich refuges.?

?The team’s site tour was interrupted several times by hares hopping among the panels, birds of prey swooping overhead looking for a snack, and small birds perching on the panels — all of these are signs of a healthy ecosystem that’s also generating renewable electricity.??

As this cohort were buzzing around the site, they were joined by a journalist from The Guardian, trying to gain a greater insight into how solar can provide a solution to the UK’s and the wider worlds’ current energy woes. ?

Do you want to be on our next onboarding trip to a solar farm? Are you interested in building a career by helping to power the energy transition? We’re always on the lookout for passionate people wanting to help us drive solar forward, so take a look at our career’s website here.