Third Sun Solar’s third hire was Cathy Gielty.   

In 2004 Cathy was living in an off-grid cabin in eastern Ohio. She had a background in environmental sciences, education, and an ethos to use less.  

When she applied to Third Sun Solar, so much of her background, education, mission, and values were in sync with the way Third Sun wanted to operate and grow. At that time, we knew that hiring mission-aligned allies would serve us well over time.    

And we weren’t wrong. Sixteen years later, Cathy remains the longest-standing employee at Third Sun Solar.    

She’s a dedicated Compliance & Accounting Manager and knows the company’s systems’ ins and outs better than most.     

Like Cathy, folks employed by Third Sun Solar share our core values of service, drive, reliability, and growth. Cathy is just one of many women at Third Sun Solar.  

March is Women’s history month, and this month we have been celebrating the Women in Solar here at Third Sun Solar, who are creating history in their roles in the solar revolution.   

And we aren’t just going to call out Cathy (even though Cathy is fantastic).   

Cheers to Women in Solar!  

Believe it or not – in the solar space, women are vastly underrepresented! According to a 2018 Solar Energy Industries Association report, women in solar makeup 26% of the workforce, compared to the US workforce overall, where they represent 47%    

And when you look closely, women often make up even less of the engineering, design, and installation teams in solar companies.   

We want to highlight our women in solar. Maybe they can serve as role models for young women interested in entering solar STEM or a technical career!   

Michelle Greenfield – Co-Founder and Owner/Operator   

For the past 20 years, Third Sun Solar founder and CEO Michelle Greenfield contributed tirelessly to solar advancement. These contributions include the increased participation & contributions of women in the solar field. Her leadership can be seen in many areas, as a contractor, policy advocate, and educator. Over the years, Michelle’s leadership has had a ripple effect. Her work has opened doors and driven female participation across the industry.     

This year Michelle was recognized as a top 100 Women Leaders – Real Women in Impact.   

As Michelle reflects on “building the architecture of the solar coaster,” – check out this video that covers a lot of that history – milestones, lessons learned, and how the solar field has developed in Ohio.   

Kathryn – Solar Assistant Designer   

Assistant Solar Designer, Kathryn Biggler. She’s a whiz at designing residential solar systems & is a Tesla Powerwall Pro.   

When Third Sun Solar become a Tesla Powerwall Certified Installer in 2019 – Kathryn made it her mission to understand the ins and outs of this exciting, complicated, brand new technology. She knew this was important for the service of our customers and the service of other team members.  

Now anyone with a question about Tesla Powerwall (or solar batteries anything) comes straight to Kathryn.   

Jamey –  Solar Consultant 

Jamey’s 13 years of experience with Third Sun Solar qualifies her to answer any solar question you may have. She has had the pleasure of helping over 350 homeowners install solar while continuing to assist individuals daily in their solar journey.  

What motivates Jamey: knowing that her job is positively contributing to our green energy future.  

“I love EARTH. Green, deciduous forest, cave, flora and fauna, waterfall, pond, bug, and animal earth. This is home. The place all living things share & the gift I feel compelled by a force beyond myself to protect. When Third Sun Solar advertised for an office administrator position 11 years ago, I jumped at the chance to apply.” Jamey says, “I saw this as an opportunity to create a career that aligned with my personal values. At the time, I knew nothing about solar except that solar was green and cool. But, I liked the way solar panels looked.”  

Not everyone comes to Jamey liking the way solar panels look, but at this point, she can make them look good to just about everyone.   

Find more of our women in solar this month on our social media pages. We’ll introduce you to more inspiring women. We hope you’ll follow along!