Duncan Macgregor
#1 Duncan Macgregor: solar photovoltaic leader, Going Solar
About three times a week Duncan Macgregor can be found installing solar electrical systems on Melbourne’s rooftops.
Macgregor’s job with renewable energy specialist Going Solar involves selling, designing and installing solar electrical systems. The systems are mostly installed on suburban houses but can also be found on schools, universities, commercial sites and rural properties.
The main considerations for Macgregor when designing a system are the level of energy use at the property, the size of the property’s north-facing roof and the client’s budget.
“Installing a solar electrical system is quite a lengthy process,” he says. “At the design and planning stage I liaise with the client and do a load analysis, which determines the electrical energy requirements at the property.”
As well as designing a system that meets these requirements Macgregor also supervises the system’s installation, fixing the equipment onto the roof himself.
Macgregor had no specific qualifications when he started, just an interest in the environment.
“I had spent a number of years travelling and had been quite environmentally conscious for a long time,” he says. “I had an awareness and interest in sustainability and was looking to combine work and travel with my interest in the environment.”
This desire saw Macgregor join Going Solar in 2002. He started in retail sales, selling products such as non-toxic paint, insulation and watersaving devices.
“That gave me a good insight into the industry and what products were available. That’s how I developed a lot of my knowledge.”
Macgregor had a particular interest in solar installation and moved into that area of the business in 2004.
He has broadened his knowledge while on the job by studying for a Certificate IV in Renewable Energy. This has allowed Macgregor to gain accreditation as an Accredited Solar Photovoltaic Designer and Supervisor which qualifies him to sign off on applications made under the Australian Government’s Solar Homes and Communities Plan.
The plan provides cash rebates to people or groups who have had solar photovoltaic systems installed on their homes or community centres.
Macgregor’s work with Going Solar has also given him the skills and knowledge necessary to make a difference to communities overseas. He is a project team leader with the Alternative Technology Association’s international projects group, which has seen Macgregor design and install solar electrical systems for community projects in East Timor. The projects have included solar electrical systems for guest huts at an eco-resort on Atauro Island and solar powered refrigeration for an orphanage at Soibada.
Macgregor’s next volunteer project will take him to Papua New Guinea, where he will conduct a field study into the renewable energy options for the community centre run by environmental NGO Bismarck Ramu Group.
