Highly qualified and diverse

Solar Connect Was Born at Oxford University 

Written by the Founder, Jennifer Johnson

I researched greenhouse gases at Oxford University. After understanding that climate change is a major environmental and social challenge of our time, I decided to do something about it. 

While living in England for 10 years, I saw an incredible renewable energy transformation. I was working as the Business Development Director for a solar energy company in Cambridge and was part of this progressive change, where people were saving money and the planet. The UK is now a global leader with 10% of their power coming from solar energy systems. In fact, 1 out of 8 homes have solar in the UK.

Five years ago, I moved back to my hometown of Vancouver to complete a Masters of Clean Energy Engineering. It enabled me to vastly improve my engineering and design skills. During my Masters, I worked with EcoSmart on the Tŝilhqot’in National Government 1.25 MW Solar Farm. This is the largest solar energy system in BC and is in construction right now. 

After the Engineering Program, I spent time working with BC clean energy experts. For comparison, there is 1 solar energy system for every 30 people in the UK, and there is 1 for every 8,000 people in BC! Even though BC has 30% more sunlight than the UK! Our solar industry is in its infancy and it has a lot of room to grow. This growth has occurred in other countries around the world with similar political, economic, and climate environments. With that said, I believe solar can become a regular source of energy and we can transition to a cleaner and more sustainable future.