This week Women in Solar+ Europe give a voice to Laura Riedl, Digital Marketing Manager at Solis. She says that the energy transition is inherently complex and multidimensional, which makes the diversity of the perspective invaluable. “It helps to reveal the needs that would otherwise be invisible and ensures that solutions are robust enough to serve broad communities,” she explains.
Energy powers of houses and cities, makes mobility possible, supports industries and keeps communities connected. Our sector forms the way we live, move and work, and it reflects the perspectives of those who build it. That is why diversity and inclusion are not “nice-to-haves”, but essential ingredients for progress.
History has shown us what happens when certain voices are excluded: decades of women’s health problems were ignored, car safety tests were designed without female bodies in mind and urban planning often neglected the needs of the elderly. These blind spots cost lives, opportunities and trust. To build a system that really operates everyone, it must be formed by many voices. Diversity and inclusion ensure resilience and future reading in our industry.
Diversity brings more than representation, it brings new ways of seeing. Each team, the department or culture approaches challenges differently, so that both priorities and solutions are formed. Even the way in which there is a problem framed Can differ: an engineer, a policy maker and an end user can all describe the same challenge in totally different terms. In the energy transition, which is inherently complex and multidimensional, this diversity of perspective is invaluable. It helps to reveal the needs that would otherwise be invisible and ensures that solutions are robust enough to serve wide communities.
What attracted me to the Solar and Renewable Energy Sector sector was the chance to work on something that really matters: tackling climate change by reforming how we feed the world. The daily work can be very specialized, so that time is needed to learn technical language and systems. The reward lies in seeing how these different pieces fit together in the direction of a common goal. Events such as Intersolar Europe catch these beautiful, innovations from all over the world, people united by a shared mission. These moments confirm why this industry is so inspiring and why I chose this path.
Of course the journey was not without challenges. Like many women in this series, I have experienced the heavy pressure to prove that I belong and, to show that I am capable of what we know as an impostor syndrome. For me this often meant over -preparation for meetings, anticipating every possible question and trying to stay informed of technical details and cross -distribution contexts. But with the times, because I better understood the team dynamics, processes and the people I worked with, especially in external institutions, my confidence started to grow.
Support networks have been crucial along the way. Participating in the Wisu network at Intersolar was a milestone. It was not just a networking event; It was a safe space where thoughts, questions and experiences could be openly shared. Listening to colleagues who express the same challenges that I stood for, reminded me that I was not alone. Nowadays working in a team led by a fantastic woman has made the power of such networks even more tangible. Female leadership in action shows how support, safe spaces and encouragement not only help individuals to build trust in their role; They form healthier, more inclusive workplaces for the long term.
For younger women who enter the solar and renewable energy industry, my advice is simple: embrace both the technical and human sides of this work. Understand how different teams think and communicate, because both matter if you want your voice to be heard. Don’t be afraid to experiment, try different approaches and learn from what resonates. And never underestimate the value of a trusted network of colleagues who can give honest feedback and encouragement.
This industry needs your perspective. When leadership is included, there is room for every voice to matter. Over time you will see how your thoughtful contributions not only strengthen your own trust, but also help shape the future of energy.
Laura Riedl is a digital marketing manager at SOLIS, one of the world’s leading PV -Omsorperers manufacturers. With a few years of marketing experience, she has increasingly focused on the Solar PV sector, which works on brand communication and digital channels. At Solis, Laura contributes to brand positioning and online marketing on the European market and important target segments that translate industrial developments, market trends and customer needs into clear, usable initiatives.
Interested in becoming a member Laura Riedl And other leaders and experts in industry at women in Solar+ Europe? More information: www.wiseu.network
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