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Growing up in California shaped Nobel Chang's "want and need to jump into cool ventures." But there were other forces at play, too, like the influence of his Taiwanese grandmother, who believed anything was possible, and the evolution of new and exciting technologies.
So it's not surprising Nobel made his way into the solar industry — or that after discovering how much he could help improve people's lives, he opted to immerse himself deeper into the possibilities of renewable energies.
"My passion has only grown with the worsening state of the world," he said.
Nobel Chang is a co-founder and managing partner at Jacksonville, Florida-based Palladium Energy, a utility-scale solar investor and developer. Since its founding in 2019, the company has built upon the track records of its principals to develop, finance, construct, and operate solar, wind, gas and biomass projects in the US and internationally.
Palladium's core team collectively has more than 50 years of experience in power generation, including renewable and conventional resources. Nobel began his solar career in 2009 at Topco Scientific, a Taiwanese semiconductor company. He spent more than five years at Topco, first building off-grid systems for rural applications in Africa and Asia and then expanding to project management in the United States.
Nobel left his role as vice president of development at US Topco to start a greenfield development company, Radiant Sky Energy. He joined Pine Gate Renewables in 2018 as the vice president of new markets and capital strategy before leaving to start Palladium.
Today's podcast follows Nobel's journey from real estate development to solar entrepreneur. He shares how he capitalized on his learnings at Topco to start a development shop of his own in 2014 and, five years later, co-found Palladium. He also shares some deeply personal stories that have shaped not only his career but the way he views the world.
As an entrepreneur, he understands the need to hustle, put in the effort and work hard to succeed. But he learned a hard lesson along the way: you can't let work define you and get in the way of your life.
Nobel and his fiancee delayed their wedding so he could launch Palladium in 2019 and close its first significant deal. "We saved our money, lowered our spending, and sacrificed the present for a rosy future. I had pushed through things before by focusing on work and getting things done. That defined me for a while.
"So, on May 4, 2020, we closed our first big deal. On May 5, I said, 'Hey, we did it. Now we can get married, and it's time to have children,'" he recalled.
On May 6, he woke to discover the woman he planned to marry had died in her sleep. "I gave my wife's eulogy before I gave her my vows. And that was a very, very difficult thing," he said.
"My entire world was flipped upside down. I had lost more than I'd ever lost. And I was trained by this hustle culture that I had to sacrifice today for enjoyment and fulfillment would come at a later date."
While Nobel continues to find meaning in his work, he suggests it would be better for our society "to shed the idea that our work defines us."
Citing "Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl, he said we find meaning in our deeds or work, the experiences or love we share, and our attitude toward suffering.
"I focused much of my meaning on number one, creating work and doing deeds while bypassing the other two. And so I was thrown into the worst grief most people will ever go through. The business was doing well, but I had no one with which to share it."
Work is essential, he stressed, and effort is a virtue. "But many other things in life are also important," he said. "I hope this is a wake-up call for some people trying to do something, but forgetting today is the most important thing — not tomorrow."
BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
NOTEWORTHY QUOTE:
“The meaning of life always changes, but it can be discovered through multiple ways. One is through creating work and doing a deed. Second is by experiencing something or loving someone. Three is by the attitude we take towards suffering, which is ultimately unavoidable.”
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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 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
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