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What can we tell you about George Hershman that you haven't heard before? Actually, quite a lot. George is a solar industry icon and one of my heroes in the industry. His leadership & industry accomplishments have set the bar for so many who see him as a mentor, boss and colleague (others have also used the words “one of my heroes” about George).
George has unparalleled insights into the clean energy revolution from his vantage point as the CEO of SOLV Energy and board chair of the Solar Energy Association (SEIA). Today, we're bringing you a preview of the doubleheader mega interview we recently conducted with George, which you can listen to in its entirety in SunCast Episodes 478 and 479.
It was a fun interview. But it was also a meaty, beefy — long — interview, and maybe you're short on time. So think of this as the SparkNotes or CliffsNotes version of those two back-to-back podcasts.
It's an abbreviated way to learn about George's personal and professional accomplishments, from his extensive construction background through his solar career's inception to how he and his team have advanced solar over the past 13 years. It's a fascinating journey.
SOLV Energy is a solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and services provider for the utility, high-voltage substation and storage markets across North America. It provides turnkey utility solar solutions across the entire project lifespan.
It was formed in November 2021 when private equity firm American Securities acquired Swinerton Renewable Energy (SRE) and SOLV Inc., two renewable energy units of Swinerton Inc. George, who joined Swinerton in 1997, was president of both companies.
SRE, the No. 1 solar contractor in the U.S., provided EPC services for Swinerton's commercial clients before refocusing on the utility market. SOLV was created in 2012 to provide operations and maintenance (O&M) services to in-house and third-party plants.
The acquisition combined Swinerton's EPC and O&M service groups under one company, SOLV Energy, with George at the helm. SOLVE Energy benefits from the solid foundations George established at SRE and SOLVE and is now widely regarded as the premium brand among EPC firms, both in perception and price. With nearly 1,000 employees, it's also notable for employee growth and retention.
Great leaders are natural risk-takers, and a fear of failure often prevents greatness. George shares some interesting thoughts about how his parents encouraged him to take challenges by giving him a soft landing spot.
"It allowed me to understand that it was okay to take business risks and to try things and know that at the end of the day, you're going to have the two people that know you the most and care about you the most support you in that endeavor, whether you succeeded it or failed," he said.
Dabbling in construction from age 15, George said he learned to embrace failure as a lever for growth. He said mistakes helped him challenge boundaries, develop an entrepreneurial spirit and persevere in the face of headwinds he encountered along the way.
It was an essential skill for the guy Swinerton selected to build its presence in the growing solar sector in 2008. George was employee No. 1 at SRE. "Businesses were changing, and we saw that we could also change and support them. And it happened that the utilities sector was better for us. We had the size and scale, and we had people that understood how to build projects at those types of scale. We understood the logistics aspect of the business, and ultimately, we continued to focus on that," George said.
He said engagement in the upfront construction planning process and the after-construction asset management process provides a unique perspective. "We're not only trying to target the lowest build costs, right? It's not just about capital expenditures (CapEx); it's also about operational expenditures (OpEx)," he said.
George gives good advice on how he's managed to grow and retain talent — a feat in today's tight labor market, adding, "You have to make it very appealing for people to stay here. And you have to give opportunity here."
"Unless we're doing more business or more lines of business, or offering new services, where people can step up and be leaders within our organization, they will go be leaders in somebody else's organization. Growth to me is about giving opportunities and retaining talent. Because at some point, everybody wants to be a leader of something," he said.
George said he's proud of SOLVE Energy's track record. "We haven't retained everybody. But most people here see this as the place to grow in the industry because we will absolutely give people opportunities. I love when a team member says, 'George, I have this great idea for a service or an offering or something we can try. And I'd like to take the lead.'
"I want entrepreneurship to be infectious in this company, and I want to support it. And you know what? I'm also not afraid to fail in certain areas. We have not been successful in everything that we've tried. But you've got to fail along the way and figure out what will be successful. And that's an important part of retention," he said.
Tune into today's podcast for a good overview of George and how he's emerged as an industry thought leader. And then, when you've got more time, take a deep dive with SunCast Episodes 478 and 479. I promise they're worth your attention. They offer much more detail, including insights into his work with SEIA, the national trade association for the U.S. solar industry.
TIMESTAMPS:
(02:28) How George saw success in failures
(06:48) George's failing forward culture
(12:59) What Swinerton looked like when George joined
(19:19) George's transition from commercial to utility scale solar
(23:20) How the upfront and asset management process looks like to owners
(26:13) How George sees talent development
(30:52) Wrap up
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES:
“I also used to tell people, we don’t build schools, we open schools, right? Building a school doesn’t mean anything. Opening a school means everything right, the door, you know, the lights come on. The kids come to school, the teachers are there. It’s about the facility, building it for the service that it needs to provide.”
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ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 15-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.