Navigating change in the solar power industry

By Aaron Robbins, Creative Manager, QuickBOLT

How great would it be if we could predict the future of the solar power industry as easily as the sunrise and sunset? We can track the sun down to the minute, yet the industry powered by it is anything but predictable. Honestly, dealing with change would be easier if the changes were always good ones.

Imagine if every year brought not only better technology and cheaper hardware, but also strong, sensible policies and incentives that fueled steady, sustainable growth in clean energy.

That’s not reality. Change is inevitable. I’m fortunate to work for a company that models a winning approach to dealing with it. It’s something I’ve watched closely, taken part in, and believe might help others facing the uncertainty of the solar coaster.

Accepting That Change Can’t Be Stopped

The first step for our team is recognizing that change won’t go away. We’re not policymakers. And the company isn’t an end user that can simply decide to use something else. We’re somewhere in the middle. We build products, believe in renewable energy, and want to be part of its progress.

That means when change arrives, there’s no opting out. The only choice one has is how to respond to it. Personally, I tend to rely on instinct, but when representing the company, reacting blindly or not at all usually isn’t the best approach. A better place to begin is by understanding what the change means for the company, its customers, and the industry.

Understanding the Change

For many, this will be the hardest part. It is for me. Research, Ughh. And I’ll admit I’ve skimmed articles just to keep up in meetings. But to work through actual change and make it a positive, you gotta hit the books—a phrase I haven’t used since high school (and I barely used it then).

What exactly does this new regulation or development say?

What isn’t clear? What’s my first interpretation of it, and does that interpretation hold up when compared to how others see it? What nuance might I be missing?

Once the change is understood and its impact is clear, planning becomes possible.

Turning Knowledge into Action

For me the goal in understanding is so that knowledge, and hopefully wisdom, can lead to strategy and action. Sometimes what to do is an obvious choice because it’s between a bad and a good choice, but more often than not, it’s about choosing the best of two bads. Even then, a solid grasp of the situation helps find the least damaging route, or at least a path that fits with the values and direction of the company.

How a decision is carried out often matters as much as the decision itself. Take announcing a price increase. Nobody likes it, but the way it’s communicated can make all the difference.

Communicating the Plan

Knowing what needs to be done isn’t the end of dealing with change. Others need to know too. This is where I’ve seen lots of companies stumble. Sharing a plan is scary, it opens it to scrutiny and backlash. Saying what you are going to do causes anxiety, especially when what you are going to do isn’t fun or popular. But that’s also where the value comes in.

When someone says, “I don’t like this change,” it creates an opportunity to respond with value: “I understand, but here’s what we’ve learned and here’s why we’re taking this approach.” All the work of understanding, interpreting, and planning becomes meaningful at this point. In short, the homework you did becomes valuable to someone else.

And communication needs to happen both internally and externally. Teams need to know what’s coming just as customers deserve to know how it affects them. When that happens, change feels less like something happening to people and more like something being navigated together.

Executing and Adapting

At this stage, it’s about sticking to the plan and following through. Along the way, it helps to listen for feedback and prepare to respond to the things that all your meetings missed.

Sometimes a pivot is necessary. If that happens, the same cycle applies. Understand why a pivot is needed, plan the new approach, communicate clearly, and act. That’s how progress is maintained even as the solar coaster bounces around up and down on unseen drops and loops.

The Constant of Change

Two things are certain in solar: the sun will rise each day, and policies, prices, and tools will continue to change. Change itself isn’t bad, even if it feels difficult at the time. It just means homework. Approached the right way, that work benefits not only the individual, but also customers and the industry. Change still isn’t easy for me, but I’ve found value in the way the company I get to work for takes on the challenge of changing times.

Aaron Robbins is Creative Manager of QuickBOLT (www.quickscrews.com).

Q4 2025