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Publish Date: December 2nd, 2024
Matt Griffiths celebrated 10 years with Namaste Solar this year. And in that time, he has learned the ins and outs of the commercial solar industry. Coming from a large national solar company, his transition to Namaste Solar was an opportunity for even further values alignment. Beyond just providing a great product, he was a huge fan of the transparency and our mission of spreading holistic wealth that is the backbone of Namaste Solar. Read his full story here.
What’s your role at Namaste Solar?
I’m a project manager for commercial operations. So, I’m tasked with being knowledgeable on and involved to whatever extent necessary with all commercial projects in the portfolio. I’ve manage my own projects, and I also manage the project managers who oversee the rest of the projects.
Have you been in that role the whole time you’ve been at Namaste Solar?
I have not. I came here in 2014. I was an operations & maintenance (O&M) technician to start. I moved here from the East Coast but got in on the building of the O&M department. I did that for a few years, and then I was the commercial service manager for a few years until we did some shuffling of the organization. At that point, the best move was for me to transition into the commercial project manager role.
Why were you first interested in working at Namaste Solar?
I was moving here regardless. I met my wife out east, but she’s from here originally. So, we had decided to make the move here. I had an old colleague who had worked with Namaste Solar and was really impressed by it. So, I took the chance to find someone at Namaste Solar to meet with, and the rest is history. It turned out to be a perfect fit. Other solar companies are often venture capital backed and super top down corporate. So, lucking into a democratic cooperative just really fit.
So, you feel a value alignment with how we do things. Do you want to expand on that?
Yeah, I mean, everything about it is a good fit. When I came here, it was a stark contrast [to previous companies], which was really empowering for me. The extreme transparency like understanding what everyone makes and understanding the goals of the higher ups – where we’re taking the company – and that we have a say in all this was really important. To be a part of that discussion, or at least know when things are coming, was really important. But then on top of that, the mission of giving back to the community that helps support you. The recognition that you don’t do things in a vacuum by yourself, that success is dependent on the community around you, really hit home.
Are you a co-owner or candidate?
Yes, I’m a co-owner. Back when I started, it was automatic that I was a candidate. So, things have changed a lot since then, and for the better. I think for someone to make a specific choice to pursue co-ownership is a good way to go about it. But regardless, it was good for me to automatically be in it and be going to big picture meetings and everything. It just speaks to what I was saying about the transparency we have here and how you can use your voice. One person, one vote.
What motivates you to get up and go to work?
My kids and doing something positive for the environment and their future.
What is something about your job that most people don’t know?
Even though each project has the same goal at the end, each project is unique. And it’s managing people and managing contracts, which are all different. When I’m in the weeds it can be so different from job to job, and I think that people don’t realize it’s not as cookie cutter as it might seem.
What’s been one of your proudest moments working here?
Right now, my proudest moment is a job that’s not complete yet but should be completed by the end of the year. It’s a 5 MW ground mount for Pivot Solar. And the thing about it that’s unique is that it’s our first, as a company, commercial job under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
So, there are a lot of rules that come with doing jobs under the IRA that are over a MW that come down to prevailing wage, apprenticeship requirements, US based steel, and a whole lot of intricate detail that didn’t used to be. It’s taken a major team effort to identify new processes and make sure we’re covering ourselves and being the best that we can be in this area where we’re one of the first companies to actually be diving into this.
As we do with everything at Namaste Solar, we’re diving in full force and working to be the best at it. There are plenty of people that aren’t doing it because it’s too hard. And we’re just jumping in and getting our feet wet so that we can be the best at it and keep going with other projects like it. I’m just really excited about how that’s giving us a new knowledge base as a team on the commercial side so that we can go get those bigger projects that other people might not be equipped to handle.
Beyond Namaste Solar, I’ve done a lot of charity solar work, including a couple trips to Haiti after the earthquake. I helped install a 29 kW solar system with batteries to run a health clinic in Carcasse, outside Port-Au-Prince. And I did site visits to the Usa River region of Tanzania to consult on possible systems for health clinics there. Many of which did get built by others a couple years later. I’ve just always been proud of what doors solar has opened for me to do good in the world and to help others. Plus, I love to travel!
How has Namaste Solar helped you develop your skills and career?
I’ve been able to receive project management certifications along the way. And I’ve had development in terms of working with customers. It’s just helped a lot in my communication skills and organizational skills coming from my beginnings as a field tech who does things individually and just fills out reports to being a part of a whole team where I need good communication skills across departments and with big customers who expect and demand a lot from you.
What advice would you give recent new hires?
To participate in the democracy as much as possible. Get in with candidacy and explore the potential for co-ownership because, as I’ve said, this company is not like others. Embrace it. Do what you can to get involved, not just in your own role, but in the democracy as a whole. Your voice could matter. If there are changes you want to see, you have the opportunity to make change and petition things, instead of just complaining. So, take advantage.
One of our core values is “Come as you are” and part of that is working to build a culture where people feel able to be their full selves at work. How have you experienced come as you are at Namaste Solar?
So, I’m a cisgender male, right? I think most people would think I can come as I am to most situations, but I want to make sure that there’s an openness for everyone to come as they are. I think that Namaste Solar does the best they can to really try to embrace that and allow for that in the company.
I think one of my favorite things about Namaste Solar has always been retreat check-ins. (We start our off-site retreats with check-ins. Candidates and co-owners each have a few minutes to share with the group how they are doing. People share the highs and lows in their life, both personally and professional.) It’s a space to be able to share more about myself and to learn more about folks I work with so they become more than just business partners. It builds empathy and trust with folks. And allows for people to show more sides of themselves beyond what you see at work, and I think that’s really exceptional. It’s fun to be a part of.
What parts of our mission do you most connect with?
Well, I mentioned creating holistic wealth. The responsible use of solar is certainly a big one for me. As I came up in the industry, I would see companies put solar on north facing roofs of residences just to make the bigger sale when they knew, for the cost of efficiency, it wasn’t responsible at the time. So, it’s always been important to me that wherever I work has integrity and a sense of responsibility to implement solar in the right ways. But again, the holistic wealth for the community and giving back to unseen forces that could be helping in your success and trying to bring others along and support others when you can is important.
What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
Well, I have two kids, nine and almost 12, so I spend a lot of time with them coaching youth sports. We do a lot of biking, playing basketball, and other outside activities. Also, recently I’ve been learning guitar, and my son is learning bass. So, we’re having a lot of fun together.
Speaking of music, do you have a favorite song/album/artist right now?
I’m not up on current events and artists, but I love listening to the tried and true things like blues. G Love and Special Sauce is one of my favorite bands. They’re still around, but they’re definitely an older band. I’m not sure how many people know of them, but they’re definitely my favorite.
If you could pick one superpower, what would it be?
I can’t say I really meditate on that one very much. So, I don’t know if I’d make the correct decision off the top of my head but flying would be awesome. I would love to be able to fly just for fun.
