Talking Solar with @greenhouse_solar_electric: Go-To Tools for Smarter Solar Work
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The electrical trade is changing fast, and solar is leading the charge. We sat down with Marvin (@greenhouse_solar_electric), an electrician who found his path in solar work, to talk about how he got started, the challenges he’s faced, and the tools that help him get the job done right. From long days on the roof to smart gear that makes work easier, Marvin’s story shows how solar can open doors for anyone ready to put in the effort.
How Solar Opens Doors in the Electrical Industry
Rack-A-Tiers: Let’s start with a little about yourself and why you chose to get into the electrical industry.
Marvin: I entered trade school to be an electrician and started solar the moment I finished my apprenticeship. My father had given me the idea because it was something that I saw took care of him in his time.
So, I took it upon myself to do it, and afterwards I was able to reap the rewards of learning how to work with my hands and learning a craft, which was very important to me because before that I was doing a lot of odd jobs.
Ultimately, I got into electrical because I wanted to learn how to build shelter, and I wanted to learn how a system inside of a house works, but I took a completely different route by going into solar. A lot of electricians didn’t want to hire a greenhorn with no experience, fortunately, solar opened a lot of doors for me.
Building a Career in Solar
Rack-A-Tiers: Solar is such a fast-growing industry, and it seems like a lot of electricians want to get in and establish themselves early because they believe it will become the new standard for power generation. How do you start and grow in solar?
Marvin: The solar game is really cutthroat. It requires you to have a lot of mental toughness. It requires you to have good endurance and overall you just need to know how to work with other people while being in a really hot temperature, whether it’s the elements itself, whether it’s hot, cold, windy, you need to know how to depend on your teammates to make sure that everybody is safe so everybody can get home and get paid.
I try to build good virtues and good morals, like being a team player, knowing how to lead, and knowing how to own up to your mistakes. I tried to better myself by learning the trade day by day and then I became roof lead, and I ran a couple of projects on the roof to the point where I was confident enough with doing the electrical portion of it.
Now that’s not to say that this industry is easy because as we all know, getting into this type of work requires you to take on 12-14 hour days, but at the end of it you’re just trying to get experience so one day you can say, “Hey, I put in the hours, I did my apprenticeship and now I’m capable of doing much more.”
The Solar Serpent: A Must-Have Tool for Every Installer
Rack-A-Tiers: We believe the right tools can grow your business and help you work smarter as an electrician. We also just enjoy talking about tools. Give us one that you think is useful for solar electricians and technicians.
Marvin: When I started getting into Rack-A-Tiers tools, I saw how they’re trying to progress and evolve within the trade. They come up with a lot of different stuff for us to utilize to make our jobs easier and to make it more convenient. I found the Solar Serpent, which I thought was really cool.
We’ve used plastic tools for our MC4 connectors, but we always lose them, and they never compared to what the Solar Serpent provides, which is a higher quality tool with more features. It’s able to disconnect the MC4 connectors. It’s able to tighten the sides of the MC4 connectors and it has a flat head. You’re even able to pop off a cap on a soda bottle if you need to.
There weren’t any multipurpose solar tools like this one. I actually told my buddies about it. It’s not that pricey and it’s super convenient, and people can actually use my code “greenhouse10” for 10% off. It’s definitely one of the things that I’ll always keep inside of my bags or inside of my backpack. I wouldn’t use plastic disconnect tools ever again.
Smart Tools for Smarter Electricians
Rack-A-Tiers: Are there any other tools you think improve your ability to get the job done in a clean, efficient, and smart way that you think deserve a shoutout?
Marvin: For sure. If there’s any other tool, it’s the Rack-A-Tiers Exploding Garbage Can. It comes in handy so much. You just put the dang thing inside of the van, fill it with your trash, throw out the trash, and put it right back in the van. It’s all about convenience.
There’s also the Croc’s Needle Nose Wire Strippers because those things are just really convenient when you’re stripping NM cable. I think that’s a very special tool and it’s one of the first tools that I ever noticed from Rack-A-Tiers because I saw it at a Walters. So, it really spoke to me when I saw it, and it was the tool that made me interested in Rack-A-Tiers.
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Why Solar Is the Future of Electrical Work
Rack-A-Tiers: A lot of people are just starting their apprenticeships or getting towards the end and are trying to figure out what direction they want to take their electrical career. Why should they get into solar?
Marvin: I think solar is a beautiful trade because it’s creating a greener environment. Plus, it’s a service that’s become mandatory, especially in the Los Angeles area where I am. They’ve begun to make it mandatory for all new residencies to have solar according to Title 24.
Solar is definitely not something for the faint-hearted, so know that when you go in. You’re going to deal with some very tough situations with the elements and heights. But solar can provide you with a career. I started in solar, but now I’m doing electrical because I was able to do not just the roof work but also the electrical portion of it. So it can open a lot of avenues for you like doing EV charging or battery backup systems.
If you learn how to do those things, then you’re making the world a better place. We’ve always talked about needing more electricians and more solar guys out in the field, so it’s finally happening now that we’ve brought more awareness to it, and I couldn’t be happier.
The Mindset of a Great Solar Electrician
Rack-A-Tiers: For those electricians that want to move into the solar industry, what is the most important bit of advice you can give them?
Marvin: I think the most important thing is having faith that there’s always the light at the end of the tunnel. Once you look at an installation and it’s a three-story house and you have 50 pounds that you have to install, everyone’s like, “dang, well, we have to get started before the heat starts.” By the end of the day, they won’t even care because they got the job done, and now you have a resident or a customer who’s happy with their solar installation, which is a grand feeling.
I think if there’s anything that I would like to say for the people that are starting off is to have faith and to apply themselves as much as they can, and to try to learn from others and to teach themselves so that way they can improve in all areas and become the technician that they want to be.
Bridging the Gap Between Solar and Electrical Trades
Rack-A-Tiers: Sometimes when we post tools or videos related to solar work, it can seem like there’s beef between solar electricians and other electricians. Some people throw a lot of shade at the solar industry (pun not intended). Where do you think that comes from?
Marvin: Absolutely. Part of it is that solar has to collaborate with electrical and typically a solar guy can’t really call himself an electrician unless he does the electrical work. So, when they start doing the electrical portion of things, it can cause a couple of mistakes because they’re not licensed, or they don’t have the experience for it. And what I would have to say about that is you have got to give these guys a chance because not everybody works the same.
People like myself who take a lot of passion into this industry and love what they do, I’d say you should give them a chance because some people are just starting to build themselves. I have run into great solar electricians who also love what they do and do an immaculate job. They work at a very high standard and ultimately they’re able to provide a service that electricians can’t do, which is install an actual solar system. But otherwise, it’s really important to know the difference between an electrician and a solar technician. So, when everybody starts to work together, magic happens and that’s the most important part, I would say.
Rack-A-Tiers: That was really well said and very true.
Trusted Tool Shops and Brands for Electricians
Rack-A-Tiers: Well, thanks for taking the time to chat with us and give the people some solar tips! Are there any other people or businesses in the industry that you want to give some of the spotlight to?
Marvin: Oh, absolutely. Yeah, shout out to OC Tool House for holding it down in Brea. They’re a great tool shop that just seems to have all the things in-store that you would want to get online. They have lots of quality tools from brands like Occidental, Wera, Vessel, Wiha, Knippex, and most importantly, they have the Rack-A-Tiers section with the top tools like Jet Level, Nut Blaster, and the Electrician’s Edge Pro Tool Belt. That belt actually has a lot of back comfort, and they’re just overall very nice bags to have with the suspenders and everything. I think that if anybody were to go and buy that bag, they’d definitely love it.
Gratitude and Good Tools
Big thanks to Marvin (@greenhouse_solar_electric) for sharing his story and giving us a look into life in the solar field. His passion for the trade and drive to keep learning is exactly what keeps this industry moving forward. Be sure to follow @greenhouse_solar_electric on social media to keep up with his latest projects and insights from the job site. And if you’re ready to work smarter, check out Rack-A-Tiers tools to see how the right gear can make all the difference.
