Each month we highlight one of our esteemed Business Members with an interview in our newsletter. This month, we feature Platinum Business Member, Axis Solar. TXSES Marketing & Outreach Coordinator Steven Ùgalde reached out to Axis Solar CEO Graeme Walker for a chat about their business, vision, accomplishments, projects and more.
Thank you for sharing a bit about Axis Solar with us today, Graeme. Please start by telling us about yourself and your background in the solar industry.
My background is actually in finance. I started training as a CPA with Arthur Andersen, then Deloitte in the UK. After a few years working in audit, I moved to the Corporate Finance department helping support transactions in the upstream Oil and Gas Sector in Scotland. After a brief stint in renewable energy banking which was abruptly ended by the 2008 financial crisis, I joined one of my offshore wind farm clients as head of finance to help them raise debt end equity to support their upcoming developments. After that business was successfully sold, the leadership team moved to Texas in 2009 to form an offshore wind company to explore operations in the Gulf of Mexico. Realizing that the economic and political headwinds were strongly against us at the time, we opted to mothball that company in 2012. I took up a position as CFO with a small residential solar installer, however after 9 months, decided to form my first solar company. In 2014, I started Alba Energy as a commercial solar company, serving primarily the multifamily industry. In late 2015, we expanded into residential solar and that became our primary focus.
How did AXIS get its start and how did you come into the position?
Axis was formed in late 2018 by myself and Jason Thomas who previously served as master electrician at Alba. We had grown disenchanted with the residential sales side of the industry, and wanted to concentrate on our core strengths of operations and construction. Initially, we focused on operating as an EPC for large residential sales companies such as Sunrun. However, seeing early the impending crunch that high interest rates have caused to the residential sector, we began to pivot heavily towards commercial solar in mid 2022. Over the last 2 years we have built on our previous commercial experience and molded the company into an extremely efficient EPC of commercial projects. We act as an EPC for certain large developer groups, but we also directly source our own projects alongside that effort.
What is the vison and mission of AXIS?
Our mission is to be the go-to expert for C&I (commercial and industrial) solar in each geographic market in which we operate. We look to achieve this through only hiring the best team members and being laser focused on project execution for our customers and stakeholders.
What is AXIS’ approach to projects, whether residential or commercial?
Since 2022, we have not been involved in the residential sector. The larger scale C&I solar sector is a highly specialized industry. There are always unique engineering and construction challenges on every project. Our success comes down to detailed upfront planning and engineering to ensure a smooth project, but also in our effective communication with customers and stakeholders. One of the most important traits we look for in new hires is their ability to communicate and present themselves well in front of customers.
What has been the biggest impact on your career in this industry?
Over the last 10 years in solar, it’s been a steep learning curve for myself on two fronts. Firstly, learning the ropes of running a company and the responsibilities that that brings. Secondly, dealing with the ever evolving nature of the solar industry as it matures.
What would you consider are AXIS’ biggest company accomplishments?
We just commissioned the largest behind-the-meter private solar system in Austin Energy in late 2023 — 3.4MW of rooftop and carports. A great effort by the team that has set the platform for our continued growth in the sector.
What surprises can be expected when first entering the solar industry?
The constantly changing industry dynamics. The change that has happened in the last decade has been dramatic, but there are still challenges to the industry as it matures and potentially starts to threaten entrenched legacy interests in Investor Owned Utilities or fossil fuel sectors.
What is the biggest hurdle AXIS has faced?
Navigating (& surviving) through the Covid years. There was a short period when work really dried up, and survival looked tricky. But fortunately, there was then a very strong rebound as folks capitalized on low interest rates to go solar.
What does the future look like for AXIS?
We are very positive about the future. We already have a very strong pipeline of deals through the remainder of 2024 and into 2025. Our focus continues to be on excellent execution of our projects as well as measured growth. There are very few companies with our experience and focus on the large scale C&I space, so we feel we are in a good position to continue to capitalize on the growth in that sector spurred by the IRA 2022.