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Marquis Matthews participated in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) — a federal program sponsored by the U.S. Armed Forces in high schools — as a pathway to a college education. In retrospect, he said the experience gave him a focused path to success spanning military service, work in the oil and gas industry, underwater welding and diving, and a passion for solar technologies.
Marquis understands the challenges of dramatic career transitions and shares his experiences in today's podcast.
In 2014, the U.S. Navy veteran refocused from the depths of the sea to the center of the solar system. After years of diving and underwater welding, he left marine life to follow the sun. He indulged an entrepreneurial itch in 2017, then reinvented himself three years later for another chance to work as an employee for Energy Support Services.
Annapolis, Maryland-based Energy Support Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of New Energy Equity, handles operations and maintenance (O&M) and asset management for commercial and industrial (C&I) projects across the U.S. Founded in 2014, ESS currently has more than 170 megawatts under contract for 30 entities in 15 states.
Marquis credits his experience in the military and oil and gas industry for igniting his interest in solar, ultimately leading him to leverage his aquanaut skills to address the energy crisis.
How it unfolded is fascinating. In 2008, Marquis worked for a subsea engineering and applied technology company in Morgan City, Louisiana. Morgan City is home to the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival, held to honor the impact of the oil and seafood businesses on this area in the Atchafalaya River's massive delta.
"Everyone is aware of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and the damages they caused in the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding cities and states," he said. "I was out there for that. The hurricanes created a lot of work for us, putting oil rigs back together."
Everything went well for nearly five years. Then the oil drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, operating in the Macondo Prospect in the Gulf of Mexico, exploded and sank. It resulted in the death of 11 workers and the largest oil spill in the history of marine oil drilling operations.
He said it was a terrifying incident that forced him to acknowledge the vast potential environmental risks of undersea drilling. It's what led me to the industry I am in now, renewable energy," he said.
Marquis returned to his hometown of Baltimore, working as an inland diver in lakes and rivers rather than in the ocean while he charted his next course. By 2014, he worked as an installer for Vivint Solar, which Sunrun acquired in 2020.
Marquis continued diving while nurturing his solar interests, working at several companies, including Sunrun, before launching his own business, PV-Perfect, in 2018. The company offers solar panel cleaning and solar installations. It's still operating, but Marquis stepped away to focus on Energy Support Services.
"We're expanding to so many more markets. We're in New York, and New York is about to explode. We're in Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan and trying to get into other markets," he said.
It's all been an exciting journey for a man who had childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut, and you'll hear all about it in today's podcast.
NOTEWORTHY QUOTEs:
“I became a tradesman. That’s what I’m telling people they should do, work with your hands, work with your brain, use your heart. Don’t let statistics tell you that this is it for you. You write your destiny every single day, it’s not something that’s set in stone. If you believe in fate, then that’s what you’re going to be left with. And to me fate is nothing but a closed gate.”
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SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow
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.
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.