Based in Bennington, Vermont, SimpliPhi IQ Certified Installer Power Guru has been installing solar energy and battery storage systems in both Vermont and New York since 2008. Whether a community, residential or commercial solar+storage project, Power Guru provides top notch design and installation work with the utmost customer service — snow or shine. The company has NABCEP certified installers trained by Solar Energy International to install solar photovoltaic systems, and are recognized as fully certified installers by The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and as Full PV Partners by Renewable Energy Vermont.

At the helm of Power Guru is Bhima (Bhimashankar) Nitta, Founder and Owner, who has more than seven years of experience installing both grid-tied and off grid PV and storage systems. Before founding Power Guru, he worked as a Project Manager and Energy Consultant with Efficiency Vermont and designed and patented microturbine and fuel cell technologies on behalf of United Technologies. Prior to that, Bhima worked for BOC Gases and General Electric. Bhima has a doctorate in chemical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic.

Recently, we talked to Bhima to learn more about Power Guru and the vision he has for the company:

What do you love most about your job?

“When I see the light shining bright in my customers’ eyes, when I meet them after we finish the job, sometimes months after, and they tell me how much money they’re saving and how glad they are for our help in doing their part to protect the environment.”

What motivates you?

“The desire to make a difference to the status quo – to make a real impact on our carbon footprint and to motivate others through example, to do the same.”

What is the most challenging part of your job?

“I’m concerned about the ignorance and apathy of the vast majority of the public on this important issue of climate change. Our challenge is to reach everyone and motivate them to do what little they can to protect our fragile environment.”

Why SimpliPhi?

“SimpliPhi makes a great product at a good price. SimpliPhi is part of the solution and we are very happy to partner with SimpliPhi.”

Where do you think the future of solar + storage is headed?

“Solar + storage is going to dominate the renewable energy landscape going forward, as grid reliability, balancing production, distribution and generation increasingly become issues going forward.”

What do you think is the largest challenge facing this industry (in the states you work in) and/or your business specifically?

“Currently, the biggest issue facing us in Vermont is the chaotic nature of the regulatory system, which makes it very hard to have a stable and predictable transition to a renewable future.”

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live and why?

“Vermont! Where I live now. I had come here many times during my graduate school years at RPI and later. I loved the mountains, the wildlife, hiking and biking the fantastic trails here, and of course, the people! Vermonters are a unique blend of independence and tremendous work ethic but with a true passion for community and the environment. That’s why I came back here for good in 2007 and started my solar business. I felt like I came home.”