Emily Nungesser, Solar Service Coordinator

• Emily’s master’s research on food waste and anaerobic digestion was published in a scientific, peer-reviewed journal!
• She has been with Kokosing for two years!

Can you tell me about your role at Kokosing?

• “My official title is Solar Service Coordinator for Kokosing Solar, so the big picture is that I coordinate our solar technicians’ schedules to assist customers when they need service or maintenance on their solar systems, and then file for potential warranty claims, invoicing, and put together Operations and Maintenance contracts for larger clients.”

How did you get into the solar industry?

• “I completed my master’s degree in Athens, Ohio, at OU in Environmental Studies in 2021, and my area of research was renewable energy, specifically biofuels. I knew I wanted to stay in the region if possible because Appalachia is gorgeous and full of potential! I also had a little bit of previous sales experience in Columbus and saw that Third Sun Solar was hiring a sales Consultant for the central Ohio region. And things kind of fell into place from there. A position in Service opened, and I knew I wanted to flex more of my technical skills, so I moved into this more exciting role a little less than a year ago.”

What is interesting about your role?

• “I also have my drone license, which you need if you are going to fly a drone for commercial reasons. Kokosing Solar bought a couple of drones recently, and I get to fly them over rooftops to capture pictures and videos. Not just for marketing purposes, but to also create a 3D model of the rooftops so we can more efficiently design solar systems without needing to spend hours measuring rooftops. That has been a blast, getting me out of the office when I can.”

Why is your role important at Kokosing Solar?

• “One of our department’s goals is to stress the importance of service after customers sign contracts. While solar systems are designed to be virtually maintenance-free throughout its 30+ years of operation, there may be instances where the homeowner needs a new roof, which means uninstalling the solar system and reinstalling it after the roof has been replaced. Or the customer changed their internet provider or router, and they need assistance in getting their system to communicate with their monitoring platform again. Service after the fact is an extremely important consideration when choosing the right installer to begin with, and I’m happy to say our department is one of the best in Ohio in keeping customers happy long after they sign their contract. And happy customers drive the success of any company!”

What does a typical day look like for your position?

• “This is difficult as every day can be very different, I try to get out of the office when I can to either fly the drone or learn in the field alongside our more experienced technicians. But I do answer the phones and emails whenever a customer has a service question, and if we need to dispatch a technician, I coordinate those schedules and log them in our system. If there is a service we charge for, I also create those invoices and file for warranty claims.”

What’s the best thing about working at Kokosing? What stands out about the company?

• “The best thing would be the amazing people and the support—I wouldn’t be successful in my role without everyone’s generous help. I’m really just getting started in this industry and trying to soak up everything I can, but there’s a lot to learn and I’m glad I have a great team to guide me through it.”

How would you describe Kokosing’s culture?

• “Again, I’ll go back to the previous question and talk about one of Kokosing’s core values which is having concern for the wellbeing of every team member. The atmosphere of being able to voice my concerns when I have them and being heard is so important. Safety is also an important aspect of our culture as well, because you can’t have concern for everyone’s wellbeing if you’re not considering safety, and Kokosing is great about prioritizing the health of our teammates.”

How does Kokosing align with your personal values?

• “I am very passionate about being a steward of the Earth, meaning leaving it a better place than when I found it. It was a game changer to have such a large company like Kokosing get into the renewable energy industry—this shows society that environmental responsibility needs to be taken seriously If future generations are to enjoy all the benefits the earth has to offer just like us.”