Eden Exchange Program: Jack's visit to the US

Last Autumn I spent two weeks in Upstate New York as part of Eden’s international exchange programme working with our team in Troy. Arriving from London in  Albany, I was picked up by my colleague Sean, who kindly shared his home for the subsequent fortnight. 

Over the following week, I got to see the inner workings of Eden US on the ground floor; from site identification to project development/management, all the way through to construction and sales. The team works on community solar projects across New York State and beyond; as with things on the British side of the Atlantic, it’s a bustling, exciting time to be involved in renewables. I had heard that “Americans do things big” and was thrilled to confirm their expansive office was dwarfed only by expansive hospitality and enthusiasm, for which I am endlessly grateful.

Beyond the office, we visited a couple of projects under construction. Without a cloud in the sky or a drop of rain during my stay, solar power had never seemed so appropriate. Town planning meetings were a fascinating comparison between British and American systems; on my second day, I saw Sean expertly quell the concerns of the planning board at his very first meeting as a speaker.

My time in the Empire State also provided a fantastic opportunity to soak up Western Culture with pilgrimages to Stewart’s Gas Station, Dave & Buster’s Arcade, and the much-hallowed Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. We also headed west to see picturesque Syracuse and see the difference in how Americans celebrate ‘Halloween’ -where all ages dress up enthusiastically as popular characters.

I had a tremendous time stateside and was delighted to meet and work with the team outside the confines of Zoom. We eagerly await Jennifer’s reverse journey at the end of January, and can only hope to live up to the friendly, fun, educational, truly memorable hosting I received in Troy.