In acknowledgement of the 10th anniversary of Solar Power World’s Top Solar Contractors list, the editorial team proudly recognizes four individuals for Top Solar Champions awards. These special awards highlight four individuals working at Top Solar Contractor companies who have gone the extra mile in their jobs and solar advocacy efforts.

The 2021 Top Solar Designer award-winner is Omkar Bhandakkar, solar PV design engineer for GreenBrilliance.

Omkar Bhandakkar’s dedication to working around even the toughest design challenges cemented his place as this year’s Top Solar Designer.

Bhandakkar’s biggest challenge so far was working on a project for a Virginia home within a homeowner’s association. The resident had reached out to a number of installers whose plans were rejected before finding GreenBrilliance. Bhandakkar rose to the challenge, read up on Virginia’s HOA laws and drafted a design package that would adhere to the guidelines.

After designing the system, he personally attended monthly HOA meetings to explain how the system would look, as well as the benefits and myths about solar power. After some back-and-forth with the association, where he proved that any other layout would result in substantial production loss, the president of the HOA approved the project. It was the first solar installation to be allowed within that HOA’s jurisdiction.

Because of Bhandakkar’s persistence and skill, GreenBrilliance went on to install numerous systems in that large HOA community.

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