In the ‘Our Fixers’-series, we talk to colleagues about working at Novar. Everyone works in a different department, but we share one common goal: fixing the energy transition. In part 11, we speak with Jenny Alvstråle, Business Developer at Novar in Sweden.
‘My job starts outside, not behind a desk. I spend a lot of time meeting landowners, walking their land and talking about possibilities for renewable energy.’
As a business developer, Jenny focuses on identifying new project locations and building relationships with landowners and local communities. From the first conversations about land leases to handing projects over to the development team, she helps to transform opportunities into concrete projects.
Building the puzzle
‘No project is the same. You are constantly connecting the pieces: landowners, municipalities, grid connections and technical possibilities.
Slowly the puzzle starts to come together.’
Sometimes unexpected discoveries appear along the way, requiring creative solutions.
‘In one project we found archaeological remains older than the Viking Age. When something like that happens, you take responsibility. We want to make sure the landowner ends up with a solution.’
A fixer mindset
For Jenny, being a fixer means staying open-minded. You have to think outside the box and aim a little higher than what seems possible. If you have a good idea, you go out and explore it.
One moment she remembers well was signing her first solar project covering more than 100 hectares. Finding the landowner, developing the project and handing it over to the team felt like a real milestone.
Making a difference
Before joining Novar, Jenny worked in the defence industry. At some point it didn’t feel right anymore. She wanted to work on something that contributes to a better future. Renewable energy gave her that opportunity. ‘We are building clean energy systems that work with the environment and society, not against it. That makes this work meaningful.’
And when she is not developing new projects?
‘You will probably find me in nature: at sea or in the forest with the dog. It’s the best way to recharge.’
