Our Team
Keith Burkland, Field Supervisor
Keith worked in electrical construction for more than 25 years before moving to the solar industry. He started in his father's company in Lakota, North Dakota then worked Minneapolis, Minnesota before moving to San Francisco in 1979. As a Master Electrician, he entered into the solar industry in 2002. He has a B.A. from the University of North Dakota, class of 1975.
Carmine Garofalo, Designer
Carmine joined the Occidental team in the fall of 2011 after graduating from Skyline College with certification in Solar Sales, Design and Estimation for PV and Thermal systems. With over 34 years of experience in the construction trades as a plumber, master carpenter, electrician and licensed general contractor, Carmine brings an in depth understanding of the business to Occidental. Most recently Carmine was building custom log homes in the Sierra's which were mostly off grid and utilized many sustainable and alternative technologies. His vast knowledge and versatility is a complement to our team.
Grace Kennedy, Estimator
Grace Bio here.
Maxeon Solar Technologies September 2024 Solar Shero
Adam Diener, Estimator
Adam joined Occidental in the Summer of 2016. He graduated from UCSB with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Music. He also graduated Skyline College with a certificate in Solar Sales. Since 2011, he has specialized in solar consultation, sales, estimation, and design. Adam comes from a 10-year background in high-end carpentry and brings a high-quality, detail-oriented, customer service approach when consulting to all of our clients both residential and commercial.
Jonathan Perdue, Executive Advisor
Jonathan provides Occidental years of business leadership in a diverse range of markets and environments. His career experience includes starting, developing, merging, and selling companies. He is assisting the Occidental Management team identify and implement strategic objectives. In 1976 he co-founded and served on the Board of Directors of the Solar Center, a solar energy design and installation business.
Helene Sharav, Lead Administrator and Solar Thermal Specialist
Helene Sharav is a Lead Administrator and Solar Thermal Specialist at Occidental Power. She has a degree in environmental engineering and is interested in Renewable Energy Technologies and Urban Sustainability. In her spare time she enjoys adventure, traveling and being outdoors with friends and family.
Gerry Lax, Design Consultant
Gerry has over 40 years of experience in design, engineering, project management and construction of large commercial/utility-scale PV and battery storage projects, microgrids, as well as commercial-scale solar thermal and cogen (CHP) systems. He is well versed in all aspects of these projects: From initial site assessment to contract generation, from early design to permit drawings, including coordinating civil, structural, and electrical engineering as well as design for zoning, building, and electrical permits. Gerry was part owner and designer at San Francisco’s Solar Center. He worked with Greg Kennedy from 1994-2004 at Occidental Power. In the past, Gerry worked with several commercial solar companies back East. He is back with Occidental Power since 2020. Gerry graduated from Swarthmore College.
Greg Kennedy, Founder and General Manager
Greg is a General Contractor with B and C-46 (solar) licenses and has over 40 years experience installing Solar Hot Water and Photovoltaic systems. Throughout the 1980’s, Greg was part owner and project manager of the Solar Center in San Francisco. He was also Field Supervisor for Trident Energy Systems and New Energy Works. Greg is a graduate of Occidental College.
Pictured on the Intuit Quickbooks website, Greg was a featured user of their Desktop Enterprise software. Visit the Intuit Quickbooks Desktop Enterprise page.