Interview with BTU alumnus Fabian Homberg (Environmental and Resource Management)

Fabian Homberg trained in a carpentry workshop in southern Germany and worked briefly as a carpenter before coming to Cottbus to study for a Bachelor's degree in Environmental and Resource Management at BTU. He later completed a Master's degree in Kassel and worked on many construction and photovoltaic projects across the borders of Germany. He is now a freelance solar planner for in-roof photovoltaics and integrated solar systems. You can find him online at https://www.homberg.solar

Hello Mr. Homberg, you have traveled a lot in your life and you also speak an unusually large number of languages, including German, English, Spanish, Latvian, French and Russian. What appeals to you about the intercultural aspect?
When I was young, traveling was my elixir of life. I am interested in other landscapes, cultures and especially people. That's why I like to travel by means of transportation that enable or even force contact with the local population: By bike, on foot, and back then also by hitchhiking. I have hitchhiked from Canada to Guatemala and across Canada several times; hiked across the Alps on foot and cycled from southern Germany to Asia. I've met great people and experienced stories that I can only believe because I've been there myself. I always try to approach people without prejudice - I think that's one of my strengths. I appreciate the company of others, even strangers. My enjoyment of learning foreign languages and a pinch of humor have helped me to gain deep insights into other ways of life. Once my new job as an independent solar planner has become established, I would like to realize interesting projects in a region where I speak the language, such as Mexico, Latvia, Africa or South America. I have already traveled to other regions to meet with potential project partners, in Mexico and Mallorca. Some of them are BTU alumni.

They are also involved in www.bewelcome.org. This is an international open source hospitality network. Please tell us more about it.
It's an internet portal where travelers offer each other free accommodation in their home country. The use of such networks is of course closely linked to my former lifestyle. When the Internet found its way into our living rooms at the turn of the millennium, Hospitality Club was the largest relevant website on the Internet. I was active here at the time and visited many people all over the world, but also received visitors from all over the world. After this website stopped working, the former volunteers founded a new network: BeWelcome. In contrast to well-known networks such as Cochsurfing, this is free of charge and very well established, but not as large. This organization was founded during the time I was temporarily settled, which is why I have a profile here with only a few comments from visitors. I am currently converting our half-timbered house into a sun house for my family and myself. When that is finished, I intend to use BeWelcome again with more commitment in the future. The stays with locals in Latin America, Scandinavia and Russia were unforgettable experiences. In Costa Rica, we were invited to stay with Harold, but he was away all day and handed us the keys. We handed over the keys to the next guests three days later and introduced them to his household without his presence - such a deep trust is rarely experienced in other areas of life. Following our repeating, Harold took us back and let us stay with him for two weeks until we had found an apartment. In Nicaragua, we received a very warm welcome from our host's family; the host herself was still in the capital, where she worked as a radio presenter and greeted us by radio announcement instead of meeting us directly. She welcomed us and let us choose the next songs via telephone interview. We were only able to meet her in person in the evening after work. The next day, we were invited to a traditional village festival where a piglet rubbed with oil was thrown into the crowd to be owned by whoever managed to catch and hold the lively animal. Even though we had to travel on without our animal travel companion, these were impressions that will stay with us. By registering with BeWelcome, anyone can invite an evening of travel anecdotes to their couch. This is a win-win situation for everyone, whether traveler or host, and funds mutual understanding between cultures.

You started your career with an apprenticeship. In your experience, what is the advantage of having practical training in addition to scientific and theoretical training?
In the technical professions, I would advise everyone to consider an apprenticeship first. In my experience, a previously completed apprenticeship for academics fills the gap between the two sometimes suspiciously eyeing worlds of craftsmen on the one hand and planners and architects on the other. In my last seven years as a project manager and installation manager at Planeco GmbH in Switzerland, I therefore took over the area of complex roof-integrated PV systems. Here, the tiles are partially or completely replaced by overlapping PV modules. This creates additional interfaces - not only with the electrician, but also with the carpenters, plumbers and architects. In such projects, I can act as a kind of interpreter because I speak the language of the tradesmen and can work out detailed solutions with them. But at the same time, I know the planners' and architects' points of view and specifications and can put myself in their shoes. At the end of a hard day's work, for example, I could jokingly say to my fitters: "Thank you very much for standing around" without anyone being offended, because they know full well that I really appreciate their efforts. With my self-employment, I also see myself as an intermediary between clients and architects, planners and tradespeople.

How did you come to study in Cottbus and what was your experience here?
I have dedicated my career entirely to solar energy and sustainable construction. The content of the Environmental and Resource Management study programme from environmental engineering combined with the international background therefore really appealed to me about the Cottbus course. The compulsory semester abroad at a partner university and the opportunity to do a Leonardo internship in Latvia were valuable experiences for me. Last but not least, it was a great advantage for me that there were very affordable housing options in beautiful old shared flats at the time, because I largely financed my studies myself by doing construction work during the semester break.

You now work as a self-employed solar planner. What was your path to self-employment like and what does your day-to-day work and, above all, your project acquisition look like now?
I remember when the population of Cottbus fell below the critical 100,000 mark and there were a lot of vacant properties. The first buildings to be demolished were not the vacant old buildings in the old town, but the prefabricated buildings in Sachsendorf. This shows us that sustainable construction also has to do with aesthetics, because buildings that fit in well architecturally are more likely to survive. I therefore see integrated solar energy as an important component of the energy transition. In protected town centers and in the old town, visual integration is an important aspect to increase the acceptance of photovoltaics. This is where I can make the best use of my accumulated experience to offer aesthetic solutions that preserve the character of buildings worthy of protection, for example in listed buildings. Integrated PV annexes have been used in Switzerland for a very long time. However, I have noticed that the zeitgeist in Germany is changing and that there is an increasing demand for in-roof PV systems here too; this is the registering for the following semester that I receive from architects and manufacturers. Of course, this applies in particular to listed buildings and historic buildings, but also to single and multi-family homes. As I have accompanied most of the integrated projects in the company in recent years as a project manager or technical "interpreter", I would like to make this know-how accessible to a wider audience with my business start-up and offer myself as a contact person for demanding architectural PV projects. The day-to-day work involves investing a large amount of time in planning. A separate module plan, batten plan and string plan must be drawn for the electrical design. Registration with the authorities and communication with those involved in the project also takes some time. In contrast to standard PV, more frequent on-site appointments are essential for in-roof annexes: precise on-site measurements, batten checks, integration of skylights, chimneys, flashings and roof structures. Once the solar battens have been installed, the installation team screws the substructure for the PV panels into place. The tinsmith then makes the edging and only then can the modules be installed. The great thing about the systems: They are weather-, hail- and water-resistant and completely replace the tiles if required, blend seamlessly into the roof surface and are visually as one piece. In times of the solar boom, acquisition is not very difficult. In Switzerland, I benefit from a network of friends, former colleagues, partner companies and architectural firms who have known me for a long time and occasionally contact me. In Germany, on the other hand, I cooperate with various manufacturers, 3S Solar Plus, Sunstyle, Axsun and others, who are currently expanding their products into several European countries.

What do you miss most from your periods of study in Cottbus?
The warm company. I made a lot of very good friends, but have lost sight of most of them in the meantime. I would be delighted to meet up with one or two of them again. Maybe some of them will read the interview and write a short message? Who knows? The students who come from Berlin sometimes smile at me for it, but I often missed the friendly subculture in Cottbus. I particularly liked the intimate atmosphere of the campus university, where you got to know a lot of students relatively quickly. In my Environmental and Resource Management study programme, we had around 50% international students and were therefore always a group with different cultural backgrounds and foreign languages. The international students presented their country in the "Culture Nights" with culinary, dance and informative elements, which was always a real highlight for me. The foreign language get-togethers were great. I organized the Spanish regulars' table for a while and gained a lot of language practice from it. There was sometimes a lot to laugh about, not only because of my clumsy pronunciation, but at least it enabled me to complete my compulsory semester abroad in Spanish in Costa Rica. That was the crowning glory of my periods of study.