Winning together, Stephen’s story

Joined 2019, USA – Growing up in Anchorage Alaska and attending college in Montana I developed a deep connection and appreciation for nature, sustainability and protecting our natural environment, so a career in renewable energy was always in the cards. Prior to joining the solar energy sector, I spent 20+ years in commercial construction/general contracting managing large complex portfolio programs and projects. 2021 marks 11 years in the utility scale solar sector with GWs of experience across the US and in Chile. While designing and constructing our large solar energy projects I am working with the Lightsource bp team to provide a better world for my children and future generations. Lightsource bp has always felt like a perfect cultural fit for my skills, experience, career goals and aspirations.

From the beginning, what attracted me to Lightsource bp is the company culture: core values of safety, integrity, respect, drive and sustainability, inspiring and allowing our employees and leaders to succeed. All our teams collaborate and partner together to support each other, and we have a lot of fun – there’s a work hard, play hard culture that I really thrive in!

I think one of the things that makes Lightsource bp so successful is that we’re not trying to do things the way they’ve always been done. We are not tied to a module manufacturer and can choose any technology that works for our projects, we are not trying to be an EPC Contractor or self-perform, we are just doing what we do best. We’ve got brilliant support from support from bp, but as a privately held company we can be nimble and quickly adapt to market changes. We don’t have silos, the teams work well together with a “win together” approach to all of our projects and pursuits.

Despite a great deal of growth, and now being quite a sizable operation, our US team still feels small and friendly. I enjoy developing and mentoring high performing teams and seeing them succeed and grow personally and professionally, and it has been so rewarding at Lightsource bp. There’s no compartmentalizing, silos or hidden agendas, everyone is focused on helping their teammates to be successful, focused on the success of the project, the team and the company. Everything is a team effort, and we are all committed to the core mission of generating affordable, sustainable solar power for businesses and communities across America.

Stephen Barnes, Senior Vice President, Project Management & Construction, USA

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