Q&A with Greenbuddies

Zbyněk Vašek

• What was your first impression of Greenbuddies?

Although it is definitely not possible to say that the company is small, from the beginning I felt a friendly rather than purely working atmosphere, and I hope that despite the rapid growth, this "good spirit" will remain in the company. It is certainly helped by joint events, such as the teambuilding in Malaga.

• Is your family supporting you in your mission?

Apart from the fact that my family "has to" listen to my stories and I sit down in front of the computer instead of the TV in the evening, I have, so far, partially involved my wife in telemarketing. Anyway, everyone sees that I enjoy my work and therefore supports me both morally and with the mentioned activities.

• What do you think will change about the PV world over the next five years?

I think the market will move from small installations to larger, corporate installations, which will be a big complication for many companies in the industry that have been created by the boom in the last two years. I believe that large-scale photovoltaics will be even more intensively supported by the government, also in view of the commitments to the EU. I also expect massive development in carports, which could soon cover many larger car parks.

Michal Janský

• Tell me about someone who has influenced your decision to work with Greenbuddies.

The defining moment was my first preliminary visit to my future workplace. I think I was able to sense very quickly what the working atmosphere was like and whether my future colleagues were compatible in terms of character. These less than two hours made the difference.

• How would someone describe you?

Purely subjectively, as someone with a rather specific sense of humor and at times stubborn, yet perhaps straightforward, hardworking, and conscientious, but it's more a question of my surroundings...

• What do you do when you're not working?

I ride a mountain bike, hike in the mountains, and travel to see the beauty of the world.

Jan Ryba

•  What do you find most challenging about your job?

I see this whole job as one big challenge. Everything changes from minute to minute. It's not a from-to job, and above all, it's working with people. Which is sometimes very challenging. Explaining the unexplainable and defending the indefensible.

• When your friends or family find out that you work in the solar industry/renewables, what do they say or ask?

The first thing everyone asks me when I mention what segment I work in is if I can get panels for free. It's a bit of a shame that, thanks to dodgy companies trying to cash in on the solar boom without the proper knowledge and experience, the whole segment is sometimes looked down on, so it sometimes takes me a while to explain that we're not ripping off homeowners like others are. 

• Tell me about someone who has influenced your decision to work with Greenbuddies.

Apart from my girlfriend, who probably wanted to get rid of me because I was working from day one, it was probably our Chief Technical Buddy, Marcel Hrubý, who impressed me from the first interview that he really cared about me joining the company. 

• What do you do when you aren't working?

I guess you could say I work nonstop. Even if you have a day off, you still have work on your mind. It's not a job you can just put behind you. But the only thing I'm able to turn off is sports. Especially hockey and floorball. I also like to go fishing, which, with my last name (Ryba = fish in Czech), is a must.