Sharing knowledge: SMA Solar Academy in Thailand
The beginning of my career with SMA Solar Thailand
In February 2013 I attended a Solar Academy international training course in Malaysia. On the way back from lunch one of the customers asked me what made me decide to work for SMA. Inspired by the question, I felt energized to give my reply, “Well, that’s a good question. It began one day as I woke up and asked myself what I could do for the world. During that time I was learning about alternative energy sources, solar energy in particular. I realized that we have a tremendous source of energy to which we have access every day. More importantly, I love to share knowledge and ideas. I love working at SMA.”
Seamless integration with all parties
Piyawan (left) is at a trade fair with customers.
My current job is divided into two parts. The first one is to provide training and education to both internal and external customers. In March 2013, we organized the first seminar “System Planning and Design” for external customers. I felt so nervous, but then I thought there was nothing to fear. I am here to do my best at sharing knowledge. That helped lessen my stage fright and it went well after that. That was the beginning of the Solar Academy Thailand.
Piyawan enjoys travelling aorund the world.
The second part of my job is to coordinate educational efforts among Thai universities. We cooperate closely with two universities. This is the SMA Thailand’s first cooperation, MOU, with exceptional academic institutions like Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, which is a leading school of operational engineering, and KMUTT, which has a strong focus on the sciences, technology and the environment. The latter institution recently won the Green University KMUTT (UI Metric Ranking of World University 2012). Through this collaboration, SMA Thailand hopes to support research and development of photovoltaics and put them to practical use. The relationship with the two universities also enables us to highlight a PV production system using SMA’s inverter as the key to the system. This is a stepping stone for students and members of the public to learn more about the system, and for SMA to have a strong presence in Thailand.
Leisure and positive thinking as lessons for life
I like reading books on philosophy, self-improvement and positive thinking. These give me views and perspectives to handle things constructively. I love music, both listening and singing, drawing and the arts. In my college years I studied art appreciation, which made me realize how important art is in our life. I also spend time in the quiet countryside near my hometown in the Uthaithani province with my parents and younger brother.