What do you most like about your role?
It might sound odd, but I like how my days usually go, that feeling that you maybe know how your day is starting but you certainly don´t know how it will end. I like challenges, so to face a different problem every day really keeps my mind active and focussed on my work. Of course, I like something new to learn every day. The EV world is ideal for that – it is always changing and evolving. We are also working with different manufacturers that develop new products from time-to-time, so I am usually in contact with them and the Backoffice team trying to get to grips with the updates and changes.
How many chargers have you deployed this year?
Wenea has approximately 80 chargers in the UK, our second market after Spain, and the large majority of them have been deployed this year. It’s therefore been quite a busy year and long may it continue! We have had an excellent deployment in Spain, with over 500 chargers and now we want to replicate this success in the UK, so our customers can charge whenever or wherever they need.
What is your career background / how did you get into being an EV charger engineer?
Well, I studied Electrical Engineering and then I did a master’s in industrial engineering so I´ve always had an interest in and passion for electricity and renewables energies. Once I finished my masters, I did an internship with one of the biggest DNOs in Spain, specifically in High Voltage O&M works, which introduced me to the O&M world. I had never been very aware or keen on it, but I immediately loved it. Then I started to work with another company focussing on photovoltaic solar farms. Around that time, the EV sector and specifically EV charging was just taking off, so I just kept exploring the sector until I got a great opportunity to work in Gamma, and now I’m really enjoying watching the Wenea network grow.
What does a typical day look like for you?
There are no typical days in the O&M department, each day is a new challenge. Usually, the days start with a small talk with the sites engineers to check with them if there is something unexpected on the schedule or whether to carry on with the planned week.
It is difficult to have a plan when problems can suddenly arise, but we like to prepare a plan at the end of each week for next week’s preventative maintenance, commissioning or diagnostics jobs.
Then we adapt them during the week to resolve any unexpected problems with the chargers, so after talking with the engineers I try to progress with office work like invoicing, reporting, answering emails and dealing with contractors. That is normally interrupted if a phone call arrives from one of our engineers requiring remote support, or our contractors or other colleagues requiring support.
Then there are other days where I may be on site supporting the engineers, supervising contractors or even commissioning and testing new chargers.
What are the challenges you face when deploying a new charger?
The main challenge is to build the knowledge of the each of the different charger manufacturers. Talking only from the O&M perspective and maintaining so many different chargers, it is difficult to ensure information isn’t missed.
How do you like to spend your free time when you are not working?
If you couldn’t tell from the description of my work life, I am a very active person and I like challenges and new experiences constantly. So, I usually spend all my free time doing different sports! I´ve always loved climbing and the way you need to think to find the right route. Beyond climbing, I also love board sports such as snowboarding and surfing so, weather permitting, I try to invest time in those. And now I´ve just bought a longboard, which I find very fun to keep it in my car to provide some entertainment when I have to stop to charge my EV!