A day in the Life: Solar Maintenance Team Leader Matt Dunn 

Matt Dunn works at RSK Group company Twig, a leading habitat management company specialising in ground maintenance, ecological contracting and solar farm maintenance. He’s the business’s longest-serving colleague, having joined the ecology team in 2009 before moving over to the solar team. 

“Before joining Twig, I worked as a greenkeeper at a golf course. This role gave me some transferable skills that enabled me to join the Twig ecology team, as the machinery used in both roles was similar. During my time working in the ecology team, I would also clear vegetation with ecologists and install various types of fencing, such as newt and reptile fencing. I utilise the grass management experience I gained as a greenkeeper in my current role, as it involved everything from herbicide application to mowing.” 

Matt moved to the solar team to help out during a particularly busy period for the team, but having excelled in the role, he now travels the length and breadth of the UK to maintain vegetation on solar farms everywhere from Devon and Yorkshire to Wales. Each solar site has its own needs, depending on its location and whether it’s grazed by sheep, meaning the activities he performs will change from one season to the next. 

“For part of the year, my day might involve mowing grass, driving a tractor pulling a mower between solar panels and clearing any shading to ensure the panels do their job effectively. At other times in the year, I might spend the week moving from site to site, applying herbicides to kill off tougher weeds that sheep won’t touch. This is done from a quad bike pulling a boom sprayer and lance. 

“Some sites I work on are very remote, requiring me to be more reactive and clearing fallen trees or logs that have blocked the panels.” 

As Britain becomes more aware of its biodiversity and rich wildlife, solar farms are raising their standards for ecological value and biodiversity net gain. In addition to his regular duties, Matt can spend a week seeding wild flower meadows in Norfolk, installing bird and bat boxes in Kent, chopping up wood for wildlife hibernation sites in Hampshire or creating standing structures from dead trees to encourage roosting bats in Devon. 

“While I’m never in the same place for more than a week and the role offers up a lot of variety, there is still some regularity to my day. For instance, after an early start, I usually travel to the Twig depot to collect equipment before heading to site. Once there, I’ll complete the sign-in procedure, which involves calling my line manager and reviewing my risk assessments and method statements. Depending on what the job is, I’ll get the necessary equipment ready and discuss with my team how we will complete the work. 

“When I leave the site, I’ll complete the sign-out procedure with my line manager before heading back to my hotel to have dinner with the team. I’m really fortunate to work with some great people who get along really well. We help each other when we can and keep in touch throughout the week to ask for advice and to keep each other company.” 

Matt’s role involves lots of travel and long-distance driving, something he says he enjoys but that requires forward planning. 

“Anyone interested in becoming a solar operative should know that there can be a lot of travel involved. I always devise a plan for the week ahead on the Friday beforehand to make sure that my route is mapped out and that I set off early on a Monday to avoid getting stuck in traffic. With the sites we visit often being in the middle of nowhere, I gather as much information about them to ensure I’m as prepared as possible. 

“However, travelling around the country is one of my favourite aspects of the job, and I particularly enjoy having the opportunity to visit sites in Cornwall and Yorkshire. I’ve also been given multiple training opportunities during my time at Twig, such as the PA2 course, which trains you on applying herbicide with a boom sprayer and has enabled me to control weed growth on solar sites with a quad bike and boom. I’ve also gained chainsaw certifications that I often put into practice.” 

Matt continues to enjoy his role at Twig, and he’s eager to gain further training and qualifications to support his career development. 

“I’ll be completing my excavator training very soon and am looking to gain some extra arboriculture certificates, which will enable me to do climbing work and to work on bigger projects. I’m also hoping to undertake some training on the whole tree chipper and other plant machinery. There are a lot of opportunities to continue building on my career development, and I’m really excited to see what the future holds.”