Laura Galavis
Solar Installation Supervisor
The itinerant solar geek, Laura Galavis fell in love with photovoltaics (PV) at 16 when she saw her first Casio solar calculator. Finding out how to turn that love into a profession took her a lot longer. Born and raised in “oil-rich” Venezuela, Laura opted to pursue a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering that, as Jigar Shaw puts it, “is like the liberal arts of engineering.” After graduating in 2008, she applied to the five solar companies that existed in her country at the time. Though none of those attempts were successful, she sought out internships, continuing education classes and read a lot of PV magazines. During this time, her jobs ranged from engineering consultant to nanny to medical interpreter. She relocated to the United States in 2009.
At the beginning of 2014, she used vacation time from her job at Cintas to volunteer with GRID Alternatives. Being on the roof installing solar panels inspired her to immediately transition to a career in PV construction. Laura took the plunge and promptly gave her 2 months notice. She was hired as a SolarCorp fellow by GRID Alternatives San Diego before continuing her journey working with Third Sun Solar, Enphase and Sunrun. Earlier this year, she returned to GRID to continue training the next generation of installers, and we’re thrilled to have her!
At the beginning of 2014, she used vacation time from her job at Cintas to volunteer with GRID Alternatives. Being on the roof installing solar panels inspired her to immediately transition to a career in PV construction. Laura took the plunge and promptly gave her 2 months notice. She was hired as a SolarCorp fellow by GRID Alternatives San Diego before continuing her journey working with Third Sun Solar, Enphase and Sunrun. Earlier this year, she returned to GRID to continue training the next generation of installers, and we’re thrilled to have her!
