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Faces of Energy: Ian Smith, Standard Solar

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The story of Ian Smith’s entry into the solar energy industry had an improbable start just over a year ago, back when the 2008 Penn State University grad was waiting tables and weighing his future in Washington, D.C.

“I waited on this friendly couple one night who asked where I went to school, what my interests were,” he recalls. Incredibly enough for Smith, who majored in geography with a focus in environmental science, one of the patrons was Tony Clifford, a fellow Penn State grad at the helm of Standard Solar, a Maryland-based developer, integrator, and installer of solar energy systems. Clifford invited Smith to submit his resume, a move that promptly landed him an interview. Smith, the son of a roofer, hoped he’d land a job installing solar roof panels as they have quickly become the go-to dream for homeowners, as Philidelphia, Florida, and minneapolis roofers (just to name a few) are all hopping on this new wave of installations. The company, however, had something better in mind for him.

“I accepted an inside sales position that had me working out of the D.C. office,” says Smith.

When Standard Solar expanded into Pennsylvania, Smith returned to his native Erie County to serve as the initial point of contact for those in Western PA interested in investing in solar energy for their home or business. He assesses their energy bills and needs, suggests the best solar projects for lowering both their costs and their environmental impact, and provides price estimates for projects.

MR. SMITH RETURNS FROM WASHINGTON: Smith grew up in Union City, a small town on the outskirts of Erie County. Though he enjoyed his work and life in D.C, he harbored reasons for wanting to return to northwestern Pennsylvania that went beyond being closer to family and friends.

“I feel strongly about going back to where you came from,” he says. “We always hear about the ‘brain drain,’ and I had a sense of guilt about leaving.”

It was a feeling he only had to live with for a short while because, just one year into his job in D.C., Standard Solar needed someone to drum up business in PA. What better candidate could there be than the bright young man who hails from Erie County?

Smith eagerly accepted the position of residential solar consultant, and moved backed to Erie this past August. His sales territory extends west from State College, a vast stretch of land that typically keeps him busy working from his home office in the morning and making site visits in the afternoon. It’s the second half of his days, Smith says, that he most enjoys.

“I love going out and talking with people about how they can reduce their energy costs and their impact on the environment,” he says. “And it’s always exciting to get up on a roof and think about how to orient panels to get the best production.”

The first person to say “yes” to Smith’s solar panel pitch was his dad, a guy with 15 years experience installing slate and metal roofs throughout Erie County. Watching solar panels being arranged on his childhood home remains his proudest project to date, and one on which he continues to build.

“I’m teaching my dad and his guys how to do installations for Standard Solar,” he enthuses. “It’s so exciting to link this large solar company with local contractors.”

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE: Smith says that solar technology has an excellent chance of gaining more traction in the region he covers. For starters, electricity caps at Penelec, the electric company for a large swath of Pennsylvania, expire this year. The imminent rate increase, along with federal and state tax incentives, has many people seriously considering alternative energy for the first time.

Other news that encourages Smith is the fact that the Keystone State is second only to California in solar energy job creation. Most of the jobs in the western half of the state are in the Pittsburgh area, but he believes the new technology could transform manufacturing in northwestern Pennsylvania.

“There’s no reason why we can’t do this type of work here,” he says, citing the region’s large population of skilled industrial workers as a natural asset. To promote green-collar jobs in the region, Smith is active in the Northwest Pennsylvania Green Economy Task Force, a collaborative partnership among private businesses and public organizations that promotes growth and awareness of the emerging green industry.

His brand of environmentalism, he says, has mass appeal: “Anyone–no matter what political party they belong to–can get behind job creation.”

As for his job, Smith said he couldn’t be happier at how a fortuitous string of events led him to a job that lets him both promote his passion for green initiatives and put a 21st century spin on the family business. And the fact that he does all this in his hometown is not a coincidence he takes lightly.

“I want to get as much momentum behind the green economy here as possible,” he says in reference to his goals. “That is the way forward.”

To talk to Smith about solar panel installation, email him here.


Amanda Prischak is an Erie-based freelance writer. You can read more of her work here, or send feedback here.

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Region: Northwest

Energy, Erie, Features, Manufacturing

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