Stephen Smith, Founder and Managing Partner

In 1997, Stephen graduated with a degree in Renewable Energy Technology and embarked on a career in Solar Energy that has taken him from China to Western Europe.

After 10+ years in the industry, he founded Solvida Energy Group to answer a growing need in the dynamic PV industry -more predictable and effective project execution.

Early in his career, Stephen’s relationships with specialty contractors provided him with a unique ‘bottoms up’ training and hands on installation experience. He later developed core technical project skills as a Project Manager with PowerLight/SunPower – the largest US commercial solar systems integrator. During his six years with Powerlight he amassed a diverse project portfolio: parking, ground and roof mounts, tracking and fixed arrays.

In 2006, Stephen left Powerlight/SunPower to pursue a leadership role developing and validating High Concentration Photovoltaics (HCPV). He spent just over 3 years with product-oriented start-ups, utilizing his experience in high volume planning and deployment to shape a variety of initial project ventures.

Stephen has participated in more than 100MW of  solar projects for a broad range of clients – from Fortune 500 companies to state and federal agencies; universities to utilities.

Stephen spends his free time with his wife and growing family of 3 children and 2 chihuahuas. He enjoys surfing, swimming, and traveling but is just as happy for a quiet moment on the couch with the latest PHOTON Magazine.

Erika Kemp, COO/CFO

A graduate of UC Berkeley, Erika has over 15 years of experience developing and growing lean, service-based businesses in the US and the UK.

After consulting with SEG since its inception, she officially joined the company as COO/CFO and partner in December 2011.

Erika – a relative newcomer to renewables – has gained a tremendous amount of industry insight from Stephen and from her extensive research into the various technical, geographic, economic, and political factors that shape the U.S. PV industry.

Since 2009, she has crafted and executed various strategic initiatives within SEG. As a result, Solvida is now known – in the U.S. and abroad – as the go-to resource for firms looking to successfully penetrate the U.S. large-scale commercial and utility-scale solar PV markets. As COO/CFO, Erika is responsible for Solvida’s strategic planning, sales and marketing, and product development efforts.

When not poised at her laptop vetting “the next big thing” in the U.S. PV industry, Erika loves spending time at the beach, enjoying great food, and spending time with family.

Michael Snyder, Lead Engineer

Michael Snyder graduated from the University of Kansas in 2003. His Bachelor’s of Science degree is in Architectural Engineering with a focus in Power Systems. He worked in the commercial building sector for four years and in 2005 earned his Professional Engineer’s license in California.

A desire for technical challenges and sustainable design work brought Michael to the solar industry in 2007. He joined the SunPower electrical engineering team, designing large scale grid-tied systems and eventually leading the electrical engineering team for all North America projects. He brought with him a strong understanding of Code-based design, large project experience, and an enthusiasm to learn and share knowledge in the solar community. This enthusiasm led to various training and teaching initiatives, including EE 101 classes, creation of as engineering training program, and participating in the Code revision process for the 2011 NEC Article 690.

His enthusiasm for training has led him to his latest project in the writing of his “Engineer’s Guide to PV System Design and Article 690”, an effort to consolidate electrical engineering design guidance into a simplified manual for design teams to utilize for training and reference material.

He has designed, or been directly involved in and responsible for, over 100 solar photovoltaic projects, ranging in size from 200 kW through 30 MW, and totaling over 100 MW.

Michael maintains his strong Jayhawk basketball allegiance, and follows them through March Madness, whether it be in Kansas, California, or in the middle of the night in Sweden.