This Is The Why - Taking A Leap of Faith

By Jeffrey Selamutu & Athena Hair
July 21, 2021

Over the past few weeks, you might have seen videos and social media posts under the "This Is The Why" banner. It's our campaign to highlight what drives us towards doing the things we do at Sunseap in the name of sustainability.

We've showcased how breaking boundaries and seeking the next challenge have played a part in Sunseap delivering innovative, new projects. We kicked off the campaign with our colleague, Hui Xian, and her views on a more sustainable future and how everyone can start making changes today to give the next generation a greener tomorrow.

At Sunseap, our team of Solar Technologists install solar panels and work on other solar PV projects. It's hard work and they are usually on location at project sites. We reached out to Solar Technologists Hissam and Hassan to tell us their stories and help us close out This Is The Way.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Hazwan and I'm 26 years old. I joined Sunseap in January 2020. As a Solar Technologist. I specialize in offshore projects.

I used to be a Customer Service Officer but when the opportunity came along and I saw that there were many new skills that I could learn, I took the chance and decided to change my career path.

How was your first day at work as a Solar Technologist?

It was a huge culture shock, as I was so used to being in an aircon environment, working in customer service. Furthermore, I had little to no experience in this field, although I did my studies in the electrical field. I had good team leaders who provided good guidance and support, and I was part of the team that completed the offshore floating PV project. We worked in tough weather conditions, and it was also low tide season, which made deployment more challenging. And I remember the waves as it felt like they were coming from all directions.

How has Covid-19 affected your job?

We are considered essential workers, so my job was not really affected during the Covid-19 circuit breaker, the work from home measure. When most of Singapore was in lockdown, we still went down to the site and continued working on the structure. It was significantly more challenging as there were fewer people available to help with the projects.

What would you say to those who are interested in switching careers to become a Solar Technologist?

It's really been a good experience. It doesn't matter if you come from different backgrounds and careers. Here at Sunseap, you will receive proper training and you will be able to do this work individually, as well as working in a team. To Singaporeans who are interested, I encourage you to take a leap of faith and join us. There's a lot to learn, and you will gain valuable experience.

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Tell us about yourself

My name is Hissam. I'm 27 years old, and I have been with Sunseap since January 2021. I am currently working as a Solar Technologist, and I specialize in installing solar panels on HDB rooftops here at Sunseap.

How was your first day at work as a Solar Technologist?

I was feeling lost. It was an entirely different environment as I used to be a cook. A totally different job scope, but with time, I learnt a lot from of my teammates and team leaders.

How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect you and your job?

Well, I switched industries because of Covid-19. The previous company I worked for had a mass retrenchment exercise and I lost my job. Before I joined Sunseap, I had no knowledge of solar energy whatsoever, but I was interested to find out more about renewable energy. In just these few months, I've already learned a lot.

I continued going to work during the circuit breaker as Solar Technologists are considered essential workers. There were increasing cases of Covid-19 in foreign worker dormitories, so there was a severe lack of manpower. Our colleagues who usually worked in the office, came down to the work site to help us complete the job. That was really heartening to me, to see people from all walks of life, especially those who have never done such work, come together for a common goal.

As Solar Technologists, Hissam and Hazwan are part of a team that makes it possible to harness solar power. They truly embody the meaning of the term 'essential workers'. We salute their hard work and contribution to Sunseap and to the larger goal of being a more sustainable Singapore. We hope their stories will inspire you to take the leap of faith and make a positive change.