A New Life:The desire to be his own boss and lead a greener life made Fergus Wheatley leave his safe job, he tells Fiona Tyrrell
After years working as an engineer in a power station, "committed greenie" Fergus Wheatley got out there and made his own job in the renewable energy sector.
Describing himself as a "closet tree hugger", Wheatley (38) worked in the power generation industry for almost a decade, but longed to put his talents towards green energy.
There were, however, "not many jobs out there" and it began to dawn on him that he would have to go out and make his own job.
Finally, last July he made the jump, giving up his safe job as an electrical engineer at Huntstown power station in north Co Dublin to set up shop as a solar panel installer. It was a big move and it has not been all plain sailing.
Despite some "stressful periods", Wheatley is glad he made the leap. "I'm far more fulfilled in my job and realise that this is something very important to me," he says.
Naturally there were those who thought he "was stone mad" to give up a power station job with a good salary, health insurance and stock options.
"It was an excellent job. A job that most people would have given their right arm for, but I had no kids and thought it was my last chance."
Initially his girlfriend was a bit dubious about his plans to leave a steady, well-paid job.
"She has come round now. Really she was very supporting but she did question it a bit and made sure that I had crossed my Ts and dotted my Is."
Luckily his former employers were very helpful and allowed him to work part-time for four months during the crucial setting up time.
Wheatley had installed some solar panels over the years for friends and family. He learned a lot from that. "I had to go back and change some I did in the early days. It was a huge learning curve."
When he began to consider it more seriously, he attended renewable energy shows on the Continent and did a plumbing, domestic heating and design course to give him a "good grounding".
He got advice and help from friends and family. An active member of the Green Party, he says he got great mentoring and support from party colleagues, many of whom are also self-employed, he says.
Despite all the help, becoming your own boss still requires a big adjustment. Working for big business means that you can afford to concentrate on one area, he says.
"I have to be jack of all trades and master of a lot of them too. There are certainly areas I need to improve on still."
Coming from an engineering background, he had a lot to learn when it came to sales and marketing.
"I learned that once you speak to people nicely and give them good service, you are on the way. Knowing what you are talking about is a huge bonus."
Wheatley's new venture moved up a gear when, at the end of last year, he teamed up with Allied Ceramic Tiles to form Allied Solar - a company specialising in solar panels and wind turbine installation.
The company also sells energy efficient equipment, gives energy advice to homeowners and trains plumbers in energy-efficient technology. It operates from two show rooms in Dublin - Coolock and Walkinstown - and a trade-only outlet in Trim, Co Meath.
Business has picked up considerably in the past few months driven by a growing green awareness and rising oil prices. It's a mixture of cost-effectiveness and a desire to help the environment, he says.
"Everyone is saying they want to do something for the environment but really they want something that is not too expensive. I tell people that a solar panel is equivalent to an SSIA - it works out at a 10 per cent pay back per year."
Now almost a year since the move, Wheatley is very happy he took the plunge. He girlfriend still thinks he's mad, but "not as mad as she used to". The work is hard and he puts in 12-14 hours a day, six days a week, but the pay off is big.
There is of course a big risk associated with such a move, but it's not as big as people think, Wheatley says.
If you don't succeed, you have gained invaluable experience and if you do succeed "you are your own boss and nothing is better than that", he says. Despite the long hours and hard work, Wheatley says he is much happier.
"I feel I'm a square peg in a square hole. The way I look at it, and I know it's a bit cheesy, when you're 50 or 55 and look back over your life will you be able to say 'I did everything I could with my life that I wanted to do'?
"You have to get up off your backside and do it. Invariably, even if it doesn't work out, you will still be glad you tried."