Category: Team

This blog is written by Peter Toogood, Head of Continuous Improvement – meet more of the team here!

Peter Toogood Allume Staff Volunteering Yes Vote Campaign

On Saturday 14th October, Australians will have their say on the proposed change to the Constitution; that we will recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first peoples of Australia through a Voice enshrined in our Constitution. 

This idea came directly from indigenous communities via the Uluru Statement from the Heart and is supported by more than 80% of Indigenous Australians. [YouGov poll March 2023]

My motivations for voting Yes

I strongly believe that when people are empowered and given responsibility in matters that affect them, the best outcomes are achieved and that voting ‘Yes’ is an important step for us to take as a country.

It may not be the perfect solution, not least because it doesn’t go anywhere near far enough to address the issues that are faced by indigenous people in Australia. But it’s a step in the right direction. Even in recent years, there have been countless examples of governments failing to consider the impact of decisions on indigenous communities.

The Voice is one of the more modest proposals to reconcile this compared to other countries. In New Zealand for example, there are seven reserved seats in their parliament of 120 for Māori people. 

And the system has already been tried and tested here in Australia; we have already effectively had a Voice mechanism in place for Torres Strait Islanders, to both federal and state governments, for almost 30 years. The Torres Strait Regional Authority is able to “advise the federal minister for Indigenous affairs on matters relating to Torres Strait Islanders”.

This is a once in a generation opportunity to create lasting positive change. Many Australians are still undecided, so having conversations about the issue will be crucial in the outcome of the vote. 

Volunteering for the Yes campaign

Over the past few months, I’ve been volunteering with the ‘Yes’ vote campaign.

Living in the UK in 2016 I saw firsthand how powerful the ‘bubble effect’ can be. Living in a progressive university town, it was easy to dismiss the Leave arguments as absurd and xenophobic. It came as a real shock to learn the morning after that the Leave vote was successful.

It’s too easy to be caught up in our bubble, talking only to those people that think like us and assuming everyone else thinks that way. When we confine ourselves within bubbles, we rob ourselves of the chance to understand different viewpoints. We risk becoming ignorant of the fears and worries of those outside our immediate circle. Bursting the bubble gives us a better opportunity to make informed decisions.

Addressing the Challenges of the Discussion

It’s natural to avoid topics that either don’t directly impact us or ones we don’t feel knowledgeable about. Speaking up means taking a risk and stepping outside your comfort zone. If you are not indigenous, it might feel like you have no right to an opinion or that you don’t know enough of the details to be comfortable in a challenging conversation. I wanted to learn from my UK experience and break out of that bubble but faced the fear of not knowing enough.

The Voice Referendum affects all Australians, directly or indirectly. We owe it to our nation to be informed, to understand, and to make a conscious decision. And, even if you don’t feel like an expert, remember that genuine, open conversations are the first steps toward understanding.

Through volunteering with the Yes campaign and talking to people on the phone, at their doorstep and while handing out flyers, I have learnt that starting with explaining why I cared had the most cut through; that I could connect with people and help address their concerns or provide them reliable information.

Stepping outside of my comfort zone led to some fulfilling conversations, and a deep sense of satisfaction knowing that I had been able to make a small difference in something I believe in.

What can you do?

For people that are like me and believe that we should recognise the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first people of Australia through a Voice, I encourage you to get uncomfortable and talk to your friends, family and colleagues. Start that conversation and if you can, volunteer through Yes23.com.au

The vote is 3 weeks away, there’s still time to make a difference.

If you are still undecided, if you don’t feel like you have enough information or the right to have a say for Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders I can only encourage you to read widely, check your sources and read beyond the headlines. This decision needs to be made on facts, not fear.

Resources:

Voice.gov.au

Yes23.com.au

Voice booklet

 

Written by Kristy Battista, CTO & GM Australia, reflecting on a bus as her Bornean adventure drew to an end.

 

I have just returned from a 3 week adventure in Borneo, Malaysia. It was an amazing adventure that exhilarated me, relaxed me and challenged me. I experienced the joy of watching semi-wild orangutans feeding, had the privilege of witnessing green turtles laying their eggs, hiked mount Kinabalu and best of all; immersed in dense wild rainforest. 

The time in the jungle included canopy walks, cave exploration, spotting exotic critters, swimming under a waterfall, river boating & multi day jungle hikes. The biodiversity was like nothing I’ve ever seen. Almost too much for the senses to fully take in – the sounds of the tropical rainforest were an ever changing melody, I saw bird-sized butterflies and emerald green vipers with the humidity of the air ever present. The rainforest was lush green from the mosses up to the vines, with majestic centuries old trees climbing to the canopy above.

Reset your nervous system

We should not underestimate the importance of having time to genuinely switch off from the week to week and engage with different parts of ourselves. We all deserve this. It also allows us to serve ourselves and others in a more sustainable long lasting fashion. I was told that it takes 21 days to reset the nervous system so we should aim for a break of this length every year. A break where we are not available to our workplace or regular responsibilities.

As a leader, I believe that ultimately one of the greatest measures of my leadership will be my ability to make myself redundant. Because if I can achieve redundancy that means I have passed on my knowledge and experience in a way that has empowered others to grow into themselves and roles of responsibility. 

At Allume Energy I have not fully achieved this goal yet, given we are a scaling ever-changing business which is regularly resource constrained. But I am proud that both my team and myself trust each other enough that I can take a break and know they have got me covered. A break from making decisions, having challenging conversations, strategising and holding space for others. This was a time for me to just BE me. For me to bathe in Borneo’s green rainforests and blue seas. For nature to nurture me and fill my cup.

Consequences of workplace burnout

I have seen many in the industry burning out lately, often those taking on even more caring for others throughout the height of the pandemic or maybe as a consequence of the pace of modern life. But I would pose the question: What value do you put on your physical, mental and emotional health? When your health becomes greatly compromised, your primary goal becomes healing the body. Whereas when you are healthy, your choices expand and your ability to have a positive impact grows. Isn’t proactive prevention better than reactive cure?

At Allume Energy, we do our best to genuinely support work life balance despite the challenges a scaling business faces. Some ways we achieve this is by our 25 day annual leave policy and half day fortnightly Fridays. But I believe more significantly than these policies is the messaging that we really do want everyone to take the breaks they need to remain at their best.

kristy-battista-allume-cto-bridge-borneo

On my trip I noticed families genuinely talking and enjoying each other’s company. Old friends and new friends belly laughing. The stresses and pressure of the week to week, a world away. Take a break. Take the time. You only live once. You are worth it. Yes work is important and meaningful for many of us but it will be waiting for our return. And we will return reinvigorated and grateful for our life, likely more inspired and with the energy to be better than ever!

 

 

The Australian based team at Allume HQ in Melbourne

 

Wow, it’s hard to believe 2022 is almost over. As a consequence of coming out of the blocks with all guns blazing after 2 years of COVID lockdowns, with a desire to live life harder and fuller than ever, this year has flown by.

To be completely honest, 2022 has felt harder than I thought it would. I had imagined a year filled with the euphoria of experiencing more of the aspects of life that bring colour, light and laughter, potentially even one of my best years yet. But in reality, I was exhausted from the past 2 years of surviving, which was hard personally and professionally. There was a flatness, a degree of despondence about the suffering that had occurred and is still occurring in the world.

Allume’s vision provides purpose

Focusing on my work at Allume Energy has contributed to healing that despondence. It provides me with an opportunity to contribute towards the world I want to see. It gives me purpose and a grounding to something greater during the darker days.

Allume’s vision is a world where everyone can access clean and affordable energy from the sun, specifically enabling access to rooftop solar for multi-dwelling buildings through our world-first technology, the SolShare.

More than 2M Australians, 15M Americans, and 300M Europeans live in low and medium rise apartment buildings, with the roof space for solar but no way of accessing it.  With apartment residents having a lower average household income than their counterparts in stand-alone homes, and electricity rates rising dramatically, this section of the population are especially vulnerable to the skyrocketing cost of energy.

It is humbling to be a part of a solution that is changing lives for the better. And we’ve only just begun.

allume team usa

Some of the US based team at an installation in Orlando, Florida

Healing has led to hope

As we end the year, the darkness is dissipating replaced by glimmers of sunshine and hope, and that familiar feeling of a fire in the belly.

At Allume we have ambitious goals that require us to scale mountains.

Taking an opportunity to zoom out reminds me of everything we have achieved in 2022, and it’s huge:

 

The European based team at Homes UK and Unlock Net Zero Live 2022

 

On behalf of the Allume Energy team, and with heartfelt gratitude, I want to acknowledge all of our customers, our investors, our partners, our supporters, our cheerleaders and all those around the world that are contributing to a greener more equitable future for all.

I hope you can all take some time to celebrate, to reflect, to enjoy, to dream, to rest and to love this beautiful world we get the privilege to inhabit and care for.

 

The end of one year and the beginning of the next is a good time to take pause; reflecting on the highlights, reliving the moments of joy and taking pride in the challenges overcome. And then thinking ahead to the goals that inspire us, what to focus more on and what to leave behind.

 

2021 was a pivotal year of growth for Allume Energy.

Some key statistics:

All of this has been achieved while designing and manufacturing the SolShare in Melbourne; a city that has had more days of lockdown than any other in the world. We could not be prouder of our team’s resilience in the face of extreme challenges.

Commercialising new technology successfully is a marathon not a sprint; therefore, growing in a way that is sustainable is essential to Allume’s continued success. I would like to share some principles that Allume has learnt and validated through lived experience.

 

People and relationships are the cornerstones of a successful business.

That means deeply listening to and valuing your customers.

Attracting investors that will both financially and strategically support you.

Building a network of highly competent development and manufacturing partners.

And of course, developing a happy, highly motivated and well-balanced team. This last point is so important that I would like to share a few thoughts:

 

 

Have a plan but do not over plan or cling to it.

While you can proactively mitigate risks and go after strategic opportunities, you cannot predict everything. Who could have predicted COVID-19 and all the specific challenges that would come along with it? When the challenge hits you want to have an adaptable team that can adjust course like a cheetah, not a hippopotamus.

 

As a leader a couple of my reflections for the year have been:

Energy is more important than time. Therefore, intimately understanding what energises and equally de-energises you as an individual is paramount. An example for me is that I am deeply inspired by Allume’s vision of a world where everyone can access clean and affordable energy from the sun. Therefore, taking regular time to focus on feeling the opportunity I have to create the change I would like to see in the world helps me keep going through the grind.

Leadership can be lonely so it’s essential to have a strong support network around you. For me maintaining relationships with trusted mentors in the industry and being part of leadership groups that contain high quality people have been important.

There are many more reflections and lessons that I could share, but that will have to wait because 2022 has begun and with it comes a multitude of opportunities for Allume. There will be more hurdles and lessons ahead, but I am confident we are up to the challenge. Because I believe we have the desire, the talent and the technology to achieve our vision.

 

If you’re interested in joining the Allume Team, follow us on LinkedIn to see all our job openings. We are hiring for a number of exciting roles currently. 

Nihan  – Embedded Software Engineer

 

Nihan is passionate about wildlife and the environment and loves going on hikes, camping and exploring new places. So much so, she’s recently moved to live on a farm with her husband!

Nihan was born and raised in Turkey, where she gained a degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering, followed by a masters in integrating wind power to conventional grids. Excited to discover more of the world, she moved to the Netherlands for work and then to Australia where she gained a second masters in solar energy for community grids. Eager to put her experience to use, she’s now changing the world as an Embedded Software Engineer for Allume.

 

You joined Allume 1 year ago, from an integration engineer in the automotive industry to an embedded software developer in the clean-tech sector. What prompted the move? 

I have always wanted to work in renewables but when looking for a job in Australia about 5 years ago, having completed my second masters, there were not many R&D opportunities only sales and service roles. As a fairly new immigrant to Australia I felt it was important to get industry experience, and I took a role in integration in the automotive industry. I enjoyed it and became an expert in my area over a 3 year period. But I had a desire to build my skills in software development. Then I was lucky enough to come across an embedded software role at Allume Energy. It was the role I wanted in the industry I wanted. Win win!

 

How has the transition been?

The transition has been challenging as I had to step out of my comfort zone in an established role in a large corporate, to an area that is new to me. But it has been worth it for something I passionately believe in, the clean energy transition. The Allume team has been so supportive along the way; I have always felt comfortable to ask questions. After a year I can say I have grown in the role and become a valuable contributor to the technical team.
 

What do you enjoy most about working at Allume?

Definitely the people and the vision we are working towards, A world where everyone can access clean and affordable energy from the sun.

It is refreshing to be surrounded by genuine, hardworking people that are passionate about what they do. Even though they are experts in their field, everyone is open to growing and giving/receiving feedback. This comes through in the way problems are approached, with positivity and openness.

 

 

How have you grown in your time at Allume?

It’s different to being an engineer in a big business. At Allume I’m involved in many different stages of the product development cycle including design, implementation, testing, documentation, issue resolution and in-field support. Basically I’m involved in a full product development cycle from conceptual idea to deploying product in the field.

 

I feel a great sense of achievement for having established myself in a new role, in a new company, in a new industry. I’m glad I took the leap of faith!

 

Has there been anything that has surprised you about working for a growing business in the clean-tech sector?

The dedication of the team in a growing business. There is a greater sense of ownership and accountability. Everyone chips in when it comes to solving a problem for a customer.

Innovation is actively encouraged. If you have a good idea, you can get immediate support to investigate that idea. You are not pigeonholed into a rigid role, but rather encouraged to explore your passions, and find opportunities that add value to the business. It’s a very dynamic, agile and energetic environment.
 

What five words would you use to describe Allume’s culture?

Supportive, Inclusive, Genuine, Passionate, Fun

 

 

What advice would you have for engineers that would like to be part of the clean-tech sector?

I really want to encourage others to follow their dreams, persist and know that there are opportunities out there.

The clean-tech job market is very different to even a few years ago. There are more start-ups; more passionate people coming together to create products to address the climate crisis.

If you are looking to make the switch, you can be confident that your skills in another industry are transferable and sought after.

 

It’s been amazing to hear your story Nihan, are there any comments you would like to close with?

I’m lucky enough to now have the opportunity in my professional life to utilise my skills that have been honed for years to contribute to the cause that I believe in; the need to take care of our planet, for ourselves and the next generation.

It’s a great feeling to know I’m actively contributing to the renewable energy transition. It’s a fantastic motivator.

 

If you are interested in joining the Allume Team, follow us on LinkedIn to see all our job openings. There are a number of roles we are actively recruiting for & there will be more in coming months. 

 

 

 

 

 

Psychology studies have found that the human mind is wired to look for problems to solve.

Regardless of your environment, age, IQ or EQ everyone is solving some type of problem in their life. For some, that problem may be finding food and shelter for the night, for someone else it might be ensuring they get tickets to see their favourite band, while for another it could be being part of determining strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

If we only have a finite amount of time and space to solve problems, the question arises “What problems will you focus on solving?” If you are blessed enough to have your physiological and safety needs met, are you going to sweat the small stuff or are you going to focus on solving big problems that truly matter to the world?

2020 highlighted there are a multitude of significant problems that require solving. We are living in a world where people have viscerally felt the environmental crisis highlighted by devastating bushfires and floods, and risks to our health and freedom with the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

“My hope is that engineers, scientists, innovators, and leaders frequently question how they use their talent and their time to make sure that they are helping contribute towards a world that they want to see. In fact, it is more than that, I believe if you have been blessed with the opportunity and aptitude, you have a responsibility to solve problems that truly matter to the world”

 

At Allume Energy, ‘Solve Problems that Matter’ is our company mission.

It applies to both the vision of the company as well as the methodology we use to prioritise work.

Allume Energy is committed to generating social and environmental good by being part of the solution for ensuring we have a world where everyone can access clean energy. The specific problem our team is solving is ensuring everyone can access free electricity from the sun; thereby reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and electricity bills with rooftop solar. We have achieved this by developing the SolShare: the world’s first behind the meter technology for sharing rooftop solar in multi-dwelling buildings.

Allume Energy takes pride in being part of the renewable energy transition and solving a problem that matters.

 

As we continue to grow our business and refine our product, we need to ensure we are being as efficient as possible with our resources. Our organisational culture creates an environment that encourages every team member to reflect on questions such as:

 

In my next blog, I will discuss that to solve problems that matter you need others on the journey with you. And talk to one way that Allume Energy is facilitating this and creating deeply meaningful work for all people in our organisation.

 

Throughout my life, creating environments that generate connection and inclusion has always been a theme. Whether it was being the person that made the new soccer teammate feel welcome or providing opportunities for inter-department connection in the workplace.

I have realised in recent years that I love to create environments that give people the opportunity to thrive; fun, lots of laughter, inspiring, empowering, open-minded, and full of regular feedback. There are two key drivers within this:

 

As Allume was growing, questions arose: how do you successfully marry the two drivers together? Would having truly diverse teams still support building a culture that everyone would be aligned with? Or would everyone be so different that there was not enough commonality to create that connection?

And then it hit me. An organisation that builds its culture around core value alignment unites people around a common cause. And the beauty of alignment on values rather than background, hobbies or lifestyle, is that you open the door to a diverse mix of people who still feel connected.

 

Allume Energy’s mission is making rooftop solar accessible to all and in doing so reducing carbon emissions and energy bills for people in apartments. Therefore the key values for those that work at Allume Energy are conservation of the environment and using their talents to solve problems that truly matter to the world.

As a team, we came up with a set of company values that drives our approach to business, product development, how we prioritise our work, and how we collaborate as a team. They are:

  1. Have the courage to create, the passion to persevere, and the diligence to deliver.
  2. Solve problems that matter.
  3. Share the power.

 

I am so proud of the diverse, driven and supportive team we have created at Allume Energy. One where we appreciate our individual similarities but also differences.

We currently have six women and ten men, born in seven different countries: Mexico, China, UK, Colombia, Turkey, Ecuador and of course, Australia. It did not take a tick box recruitment system to achieve this. For every single position, we have hired the strongest candidate for the role.

Maybe just as like attracts like, diversity attracts diversity.

 

If you’re interested in joining the Allume Team, follow us on LinkedIn to see all our job openings.

When becoming a CTO for the first time I thought hard about the following questions:

 

Some months later a few things became clear to me.

I am an expert in product development; in taking a technical concept through requirements, prototyping, verification & compliance, transfer to manufacture, and out into the world. I want to utilise this knowledge to solve problems that genuinely make a difference in the world. But my fire, my passion, my inspiration comes from helping people grow and evolve to all they can be.

And it would be through making those around me better that we would get the SolShare out to the world. And in getting the SolShare out to the world, we would help preserve the environment and make solar accessible to all.

 

Kristy overseeing a SolShare technical discussion at Allume’s manufacturing facility

 

So, what do I focus on to achieve my vision as CTO at Allume Energy?

 

This approach is having fantastic results. I am so proud of the professional growth I have seen in each and every individual, of the highly functioning and cohesive team that we are building, and how this is translating to growing business success.

The past year has also reinforced for me that if there are no examples of leaders around you that look like you or think like you, that does not mean you are not meant to be a leader. Forge your own path! Being authentically you is the most powerful leadership asset that you have.

 

I believe Allume Energy will continue to have increasing commercial success with the SolShare as we will continue to reflect, adapt and evolve to ensure we:

And that’s why for me, the T in CTO is as much about Team, as it is about Technology.

 

Want to join the Allume team and help change the world? Be sure to follow our LinkedIn page for future opportunities.