Arthur “Sir Art” Robles is a member of WeGen’s Engineering and Implementation Team in WeGen’s headquarters in Ortigas, Pasig. He joined WeGen on October 16, 2016, and he now considers it a high point in his career that one of the projects he worked in is recognized by the highest governing body of the Catholic Church.
The Vatican Recognizes the Maasin Project
Last June, the Vatican gave recognition to the Maasin Diocese’s success in being the first diocese in the world to go completely solar. The Vatican cited the Maasin solar project in its Laudato Si’ 5th anniversary report it produced to commemorate the fifth year of Pope Francis’ landmark appeal to humanity for ecological conversion. When Maasin was cited, WeGen Energy was also mentioned as the partner that implemented the project that now provides clean, free, and sustainable energy to 43 churches and church-run buildings in Maasin. This is the same project that Art helped lead.
“The Maasin solar project is actually the first project I handled when I joined WeGen. It was very ambitious, and we were on a rigid schedule because we had to meet the goal of operationalizing all the solar PV systems on 43 rooftops of the churches and buildings under the Maasin Diocese before the diocese’s 100th anniversary,” he explained.
Art shared that WeGen’s Engineers and Technical design people prepared for the project for an entire year, but all the installations had to be in place within a four-month schedule. Art and his own team with Service Engr. Romnick, electricians, and PV technicians worked non-stop for nearly four months, moving like an army of ants from one parish to another all over Maasin, simultaneously building one installation after another.
“As soon as we finished installing in one church, we turned on the system immediately then moved on to the next. We worked with contractors and other site-based service engineers to build faster and to address any problems with the system as soon as they were spotted. It was a very good experience for me all in all because of the teamwork and the coordination I saw among all the members of the team,” he added. “We beat the deadline, and the ‘solarization’ of the Maasin Diocese was complete in time for the anniversary.”
And what did he feel about the Vatican’s recognition of the project?
“Pretty good. It’s an important project – a massive show of support for our goals to popularize solar energy and promote sustainable energy sources. WeGen works with the Church on these goals because the Church also champions sustainability and renewable energy. For the Maasin Project to be recognized by the Vatican sends a great message across that all churches should follow suit and go solar to practice the teachings of Laudato Si’ to help ease the burdens of the planet when it comes to carbon emissions,” he said.
Training with SolarEdge
Art did not start out as a solar technical engineer. Prior to joining WeGen he worked as a Technical Manager for 16 years for a company that distributes photo processing machines, and he was adept at installing, maintaining, and repairing the latter.
“When I joined WeGen, I immediately familiarized myself with how solar PV systems work, the benefits of solar energy for both consumers and the environment, the versatility and many uses of solar technology. What’s really great about solar tech is its accessibility: the technology itself is very basic, and the energy itself – becomes it comes from the sun—is free. It’s a no-fuss and no-frills sort of technology that has so many benefits but creates virtually zero-waste,” he said.
To further improve his knowledge about solar PV systems and their components, Art with two other WeGen staff participated in a three-day training with SolarEdge, the producer of one of the leading inverter brands that WeGen uses in its projects.
“The training was in China earlier in January this year, just before the COVID-19 outbreak became a pandemic. We learned more about the features of the inverters, how to maximize the inverters themselves, how to troubleshoot issues faster if and when they arise. WeGen was more than willing to sponsor the workshop because the company values employee education and training,” he shared. “Trainings like the one we had with SolarEdge are important because we gain expertise in the technology we use. We look forward to working on more projects because we’re eager to apply what we learned.”
Stress? What Stress?
It is precisely Art’s enthusiasm for his work that made the necessary COVID-19-related travel restrictions a little hard to accept. “We have many projects lined-up, but we’ve been forced to slow down because of the pandemic. WeGen’s first priority has always been the safety of its employees, so we immediately adjusted installation schedules because we can’t have our people risk their lives. When the health situation in the country has significantly improved and become safer, we’ll pick up work where we left off,” he said.
Art is the point person for projects in the NCR, and Southern and Northern Luzon and he said that WeGen has many projects lined up. “Our clients are very understanding about the delays. The situation with COVID-19 affects all of us, after all. “
As a laidback person, Art himself has made many personal adjustments because of the pandemic. He and his family (wife Marybeth and daughter Angelika) had just rented a condo unit closer to the LRT system (so it will be easier for Angelika to get to UP Manila in Taft Avenue where she’s studying dentistry) when the COVID19 lockdown in the National Capital Region (NCR) was imposed last March.
“We were practically trapped inside the condo. It was hard because we felt so insecure about our safety. Our unit was on the fifth floor, and we didn’t know about our neighbors and the health status of the general neighborhood. I couldn’t sleep well at night, I was always restless,” he said.
Art’s ordeal ended only earlier in July when he was finally able to move his family back to their house in Fairview. Still, one wouldn’t have known that Art was under a lot of stress because he still did his work for WeGen via the Working Remotely (WR) arrangement the company implemented.
“Sanay na rin siguro sa stress, pag nagtatrabaho, nakakalimutan ko at nakaka-adjust ako (Probably it’s because I’m already used to stress – when I’m working, I can ignore it and adjust to it,”) he joked.
“I believe in WeGen’s mission, and I see the complete sincerity of the company to take care of its employees as it pursues its business goals. I’m proud to say that I work for a social good company.” #