Joli’s Article
She remembers being on the roof of HP in Palo Alto, talking to the project lead engineer, who was on the roof of a building in Shkodra. “solar cable cannot be laid onto the roof tile; Can we do this, but with a cable tray instead of the conduit” – she would write on WhatsApp while attaching images taken onsite to illustrate her messages. She was there along with her well-experienced engineering colleague, who was explaining what were some typical errors, how to check for them and how they could be avoided. It was April of this year.
Meet Joli, one of the winners of AADF’s MIP. She worked as an intern for 6 months at SunPower in California. She learnt about the company and their unique technology years ago, while she was getting ready to launch Solaron shpk, the first firm dedicated solely to providing technical solutions using solar photovoltaics. Her wish to work there, which was made possible by AADF, was related to her goal of professional development and, improvement of her technical and managerial skills in solar PV projects. Joli tells us how her hands-on experience, which she was lacking due to the fact that similar installations in Albania were non-existent, or poorly done, helped her transfer her knowledge on best practices gained at SunPower to her staff, assuring technical work of high quality, beneficial to clients hiring the company she runs, and indirectly, benefiting renewable energy projects in Albania.
Three months later, a net-power-meter would be installed by authorities in a photovoltaic plant installed by Solaron in Shkodra, – It would be the first net-meter in Albania to be installed in a “behind the meter” solar PV project. “I’m very proud – says Joli, – that we were able to complete quality installations, meet all technical and legal requirements in order to achieve the ultimate goal of having a PV system fully accepted by authorities with a net power meter installed.” She explains: – “As an engineer and an expert of this technology, I understand the essential importance of installing a meter that allows the exchange of energy with the distribution network; Otherwise, PV systems are not feasible.”
Joli was part of the team in charge of designing PV systems ranging in sizes from 300 kW, 500 kW, 2000 kW to be installed on rooftops of Home Depot, Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, etc. throughout US, and in hospitals or school parking lots. “The design work at SunPower helped me appreciate the depth of technical studies we were already conducting at Solaron and find ways to improve what we were doing.”
The quality of the study and design, some key indicators of the profitability of a PV system, and the first step towards any solar project, is essential; – because solar panels cannot be installed in every location, and not every panel type is suitable for every application. “I am happy,” – she says, “that such quality of engineering services, investors in Albania are receiving today through Solaron at a very modest cost.”
At SunPower Joli also gained some experience managing photovoltaic projects; among others, she remembers being part of the team working on a project in Google Campus, which started a couple of months before her internship ended. “I am very grateful to my supervisors who did their best to provide me with the experience I needed; I was involved in solar projects, at various stages of their development, from design, to construction, to quality inspections, testing, commissioning, etc. Through AADF’s MIP program I was able to work and gain experience at a company I would have only dreamed of.”
Joli Delimeta, is an electrical engineer, energy auditor, engineering project manager. She is the founder and CEO of Solaron shpk. On top of her job at SunPower, Joli was a volunteer of GridAlternatives, installing PV system at homes of underprivileged families and, couched high school students to build a solar tracker.
Joli Delimeta
