Victorian solar panel expert Jack Smyth backs renewable energy

Victorian Jack Smyth started out an electrician, but ever since he’s been in the renewable space he has never looked back.

The Smyth family is smack bang in the middle of the nation’s energy transformation.

Jack Smyth works as a field supervisor for Origin Energy’s solar business in Victoria, travelling the state to ensure residential and commercial solar systems are being installed correctly.

The Benalla resident started out as an electrician doing “lights and power points” but became interested in solar about 15 years ago.

Origin Energy solar installation field supervisor Jack Smyth and his wife Melanie and kids Oliver, 14, Max, 12 and Hunter, 10. Picture: Jason Edwards

“I thought it would be an exciting path to go down,” he said.

“It was new technology being brought into the field so I always found that fascinating. I’ve always felt that there would be strong employment around renewables so I was pretty keen to go down that path and get in early.”

Mr Smyth, who took up his position with Origin three years ago, has seen both solar technology and its application greatly advance.

The introduction of electric vehicles is providing new work around installing home charging points while growing numbers of households are moving to store their own energy with batteries.

Mr Smyth is involved in Origin’s virtual power plant program which allows customers to buy discount batteries to be joined to a micro-grid controlled by artificial intelligence.

The experimental battery network, which spans more than 500 sites and is beginning to incorporate electric vehicles parked in garages, is charged by home solar systems.

It can then be called upon to provide energy when the grid needs it, helping to meet peak demand times while cutting down on the need for major infrastructure investments.

The Smyth family have a solar system on their house in Benalla. Picture: Jason Edwards

“We are creating our own little micro-grid which is pretty interesting,” Mr Smyth said.

“I’d encourage any young Australian to go into the renewable space, there are many branches you can go down.”

For more on this series go to: www.missionzero2050.com.au

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Originally published as Victorian solar panel expert Jack Smyth backs renewable energy