Although Solar panels produce electricity without burning fossil fuels while they operate, the panels need strong structures and foundations to stay safe for many years.
Rebin K Reji, our next pathbreaker, works as Senior Structural Engineer at Solarport (UK), a company that supplies and installs ground-mounted solar panel systems and solar carports.
Rebin talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about how structural engineering is laying a very strong foundation for new age technologies by helping them stay safe for many years and thus contributing to the larger mission of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
For students, Civil engineers may begin on construction sites, work in difficult weather and earn less than some other professions at first. Site experience teaches lessons that drawings and textbooks cannot.
My Journey into Structural Engineering
Rebin, tell us what were your growing up years like?
My career began with a simple habit: I kept stopping to look at buildings under construction. That curiosity led me from Kerala to structural engineering in the United Kingdom. My path included difficult college days, construction sites, freelance projects, more than 450 job applications, and many lessons about patience. I hope my story shows students that a career does not have to begin with a perfect plan. It can begin with one genuine interest and the willingness to keep learning.
I grew up in Kottayam, Kerala, a place often called the land of lakes, letters and latex. I come from a middle-class family. My father is a businessman, my mother is a homemaker, and I have a younger brother. Their support gave me the confidence to try a career that was new to me.
I studied at Cluny Public School and later at SFS Public School. Outside the classroom, my favourite things were friends and cricket. If a match was happening nearby, I was probably there with a bat, plenty of confidence and, if I am honest, a technique that still needed work.
Like many children, I first said I wanted to become a doctor. I did not really know why. It simply sounded like the answer students were expected to give. My real interest appeared later, when I started spending time at a construction site.
What did you study for graduation and post graduation?
I completed a BTech in Civil Engineering at Saintgits College of Engineering in Kerala from 2013 to 2017. Civil engineering is much wider than drawing house plans. It includes structures, roads, foundations, soil, water systems, construction management and many other areas. My final-year project looked at redesigning Ettumanoor town to reduce traffic congestion.
After graduation, I completed extra training in Autodesk software, including AutoCAD and Revit. These tools help engineers create drawings and three-dimensional building models. Learning Revit later played an important part in helping me secure my first engineering job in the UK.
In 2022, I moved to the United Kingdom to study for an MSc in Structural Engineering at the University of East London. I studied steel and concrete design, advanced structural analysis, soil and foundation behaviour, and engineering management. My dissertation investigated the moisture resistance of a sustainable building material called hempcrete.
What made you choose this career?
The turning point came while I was still at school. My father was constructing a commercial building, and I began spending afternoons at the site. I watched engineers and workers turn an empty plot into a real building. To me, it looked like a giant version of LEGO, except the pieces were concrete, steel and bricks.
My father noticed my interest and explained what civil engineers do. He also told me that the profession could one day help me build my own business. That idea stayed with me. After that, I could not pass a construction site without looking at the cranes, foundations and half-built walls and wondering how everything worked.
By the end of Year 12, my interest had become a decision. I chose civil engineering because it combined problem-solving with something physical and useful. An engineer can begin with a sketch or a calculation and later stand in front of the completed structure.
How did you plan your career path?
I did not have every step planned from the beginning. I made one useful decision at a time, based on what I needed to learn next.
| Career stage | What I did and learned |
| During college | In my second year, I began working evenings in our family supermarket. Balancing classes and work was tiring, but it taught me to speak with many kinds of people, manage my time and take responsibility. |
| Learning on construction sites | After my BTech, I worked in India as a civil site engineer, civil engineer and assistant project engineer. I checked drawings, surveyed sites, planned materials, solved construction problems and coordinated with workers, contractors and clients. Those jobs connected the ideas in my textbooks with real buildings. |
| Building a freelance practice | Alongside my regular jobs, I worked as a freelance consultant through RKR Builders and Developers. I prepared plans and structural designs, carried out site visits and represented clients during construction. This gave me experience with more than 12 residential and commercial projects. |
| Choosing a specialisation | As I gained experience, steel structures interested me more and more. During the COVID period, I decided to study structural engineering in greater depth and gain experience in another country. That led to my master’s degree in the UK. |
| Starting again in a new job market | Although I already had experience in India, many UK employers viewed me as a graduate because I was new to their codes and working practices. I studied UK standards, completed online courses, improved my CV for each role and kept applying. |
| Moving into structural and solar engineering | My first UK role at BPDM Structural Engineers gave me experience in the design of steel, concrete and timber structures. I also inspected buildings to investigate cracks and possible failures. I later joined Solarport, where I moved into the design of structures and foundations for solar energy systems. I now work there as a Senior Structural Engineer. |
Contacts also mattered. I asked engineers and technicians how work was done in the industry, especially when I took on unfamiliar freelance tasks. Their advice helped me learn faster. A good professional network is not about collecting names; it is about asking sensible questions, listening and helping others when you can.
How did you get your first break?
Moving to the UK for my master’s degree was the biggest break in my career, although it did not feel easy at the time. It was a major financial and personal decision for someone from a middle-class family. My parents and my wife stood by me through that change.
Getting my first UK engineering job took more than 450 applications. I prepared a separate CV and cover letter for many roles and continued learning while I applied. Eventually, a director was looking for a structural engineer who could use Revit. Because I had learned that software after my BTech, I matched an important part of the job. A skill I had picked up years earlier suddenly opened a door.
That experience taught me that a first break often looks like luck from the outside, but preparation helps you use the opportunity when it appears.
What challenges did you face and how did you handle them?
My journey had three major challenges.
Challenge 1 Balancing study work and daily expenses
During my master’s degree, I attended classes, completed projects and a dissertation, and worked part-time to meet my living expenses. Some weeks felt as if seven days were not enough. I planned my time carefully and used small gaps well. On journeys, I read research papers, worked on assignments or applied for jobs.
Challenge 2 Finding my first engineering job in the UK
Employers often treated me as a new graduate in the UK even though I had worked in India. Rejections were difficult, but I treated each application as practice. I improved my CV, wrote role-specific cover letters, studied structural engineering topics and kept applying until I found the right opportunity.
Challenge 3 Finding a sponsored role before my visa expired
I had a limited period to find a role that met the UK’s sponsorship and salary requirements. I could not control the rules, so I focused on what I could control: my technical skills, the quality of my work and the value I brought to an employer. I continued learning and took on greater responsibility. My current company later offered me sponsorship.
Where do you work now and what is your job like?
I am a Senior Structural Engineer at Solarport Systems Ltd in the United Kingdom. The company supplies and installs ground-mounted solar panel systems and solar carports. My job is to make sure the supporting steel and foundations are safe, efficient and suitable for the site.
A solar carport is a canopy structure installed over a parking area with photovoltaic panels mounted on its roof. It has two main functions: it provides shade and weather protection for vehicles while generating clean electricity. Solar carports can also support electric-vehicle charging, lighting, battery storage, and rainwater-management systems. Because they use existing parking areas, they generate renewable energy without requiring additional land.
An efficient solar carport should use materials intelligently, be easy to manufacture and transport, require fewer components, and allow fast and safe installation. It should also minimize the number and size of foundations, avoid unnecessary disruption to the parking area, and provide simple access for inspection and maintenance.
A typical project begins with information about the location, soil and proposed solar layout. I calculate how wind, snow and other forces may act on the structure. I then design the steel members and foundations, review drawings and technical reports, and work with civil, electrical, manufacturing and project teams. I also guide other structural engineers and support projects from early design through testing, manufacturing and installation.
This work needs a strong understanding of structures, soil and foundations, engineering codes, mathematics and design software. It also needs communication, teamwork, careful checking and time management. I developed these skills through my degrees, site experience, software courses, freelance work, inspections and regular study of industry standards.
What I love most is the daily challenge. Wind does not push every part of a large solar farm in exactly the same way, and soil conditions can change from one site to another. We have to find a design that is safe without using more steel or concrete than necessary. There is always a new problem to solve.
How does your work benefit society?
My work supports renewable energy. Solar panels produce electricity without burning fossil fuels while they operate, but the panels need strong structures and foundations to stay safe for many years. By designing those supports carefully, I help solar projects generate cleaner electricity and contribute to the UK’s goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Structural engineering also protects people and resources. A safe design reduces the risk of failure. An efficient design avoids unnecessary steel and concrete, which can reduce cost, waste and the environmental impact of construction.
What memorable project is closest to your heart?
The project closest to my heart is RAAB Valley Resorts at Panchalimedu, my first major freelance project after graduation. The resort villas were being built on a hillside, so the site brought interesting design and construction questions.
I knew I still had much to learn. I read reference material, checked my calculations and spoke with experienced civil engineers before preparing the plans and structural design. Receiving payment for my own engineering work felt wonderful, but the best moment came later. I stood at the site and saw a real building rising from drawings I had once made on paper. That feeling is difficult to put into words. It showed me why I had chosen this career.
What advice would you give students?
Start by noticing what makes you curious. Do you enjoy understanding how things are built, organising people, solving practical problems, working outdoors or improving the environment? Those clues can be more useful than choosing a career only because it is popular.
- Learn what the work is really like. Speak to people in the profession and ask what they do on an ordinary day.
- Build useful skills early. Find out which software, tools and standards the industry uses, then learn the basics.
- Expect the first years to be challenging. Civil engineers may begin on construction sites, work in difficult weather and earn less than some other professions at first. Site experience teaches lessons that drawings and textbooks cannot.
- Do not judge a whole field by one job title. Civil engineering can lead to structural, geotechnical, highway, water, materials, construction, environmental and many other careers.
- Use your time well, but also be patient with yourself. A setback is information about what to improve; it is not proof that you should stop.
- Choose learning as well as salary when you are starting. Strong skills and reliable work create better opportunities over time.
Most importantly, do not wait to feel completely ready. Ask questions, try small projects, learn from mistakes and keep moving. I nearly gave up during college and again during my UK job search. Progress came because I returned to work the next day.
What are your future plans?
I am working towards becoming a Chartered Engineer, which is a recognised professional qualification. I also hope to complete a PhD in wind engineering because I am fascinated by the way wind acts on structures, especially large solar farms.
My long-term dream is to start my own civil and structural engineering consultancy . I would like to bring together what I learned on Indian construction sites, in UK structural design and in renewable energy projects. The boy who once watched a commercial building rise in Kottayam now hopes to help design many more safe and useful structures.