The Solar Power World editorial team is proud to continue our Top Solar Champions awards program that began in 2021. These four awards, open to all those employed by Top Solar Contractor companies, highlight talent in the industry in different skill areas. 

The 2022 Top Solar Designer award-winner is Elizabeth Helsel, project manager for State College, Pennsylvania’s RETTEW Field Services.

Helsel’s solar array design skillset has helped RETTEW succeed in a unique and growing segment of the industry: floating solar projects. Floating solar requires specialized permitting and anchoring specifications that the designer must carefully consider. Helsel has excelled in this area, recently completing the 3.3-MW Jackson Floating Solar Array in New Jersey. The Jackson array is one of the largest in the United States, as well as the first application in the country of floating solar PV on a deep-water quarry.

As a new frontier for solar installation, standards are being set in real time for floating PV projects. Helsel has become a leader in this space, working with design, construction and manufacturing sectors to find the most cost-effective solutions for new equipment configurations that work best on water. Her passion is paving the way for the next generation of solar designers and contractors looking to make waves with floating solar.  

The Solar Power World Top Solar Contractors awards program is part of our annual Top Solar Contractors list.