BLOWING AIR WITH JONATHAN VISSER
We sat down to chat everything wind with Jonathan Visser, founder of Integrated Wind Power and a member of Workshop17 Newlands. Jonathan it seems is harnessing the wind in more ways than the obvious.
The Pipe Major
Jonathan’s passion for the Highland bagpipe, classified as a woodwind instrument and the only musical instrument labelled a tool of warfare, started at the tender age of 10, using it as a way to connect with both his grandfather and his Scottish heritage. He found that he not only has a knack for it, but deep passion for blowing air. Together with his Jozi-based Pipe Band, you’ll find him jamming online, travelling in South Africa to take part in various competitions (recently returning from a National competition in Durban) or taking part in the odd Celtic festival.
The Wind Facilitator
Jonathon’s manipulation of the wind goes further than just piping - as the founder of Integrated Wind Power, he’s deeply invested in permitting alternative, green energy solutions using wind as the medium.
Jonathan sees himself as a facilitator and adds that, “One of the advantages of having a career as a facilitator is being able to identify a niche in the market where a product or project could function more efficiently and profitably with another independent party involved. In one particular case, I identified a problem that needed to be solved. I knew I had the knowledge to tackle it and I couldn’t help but get involved.”
The problem that Jonathan is referring to is a wind project he started in Port Elizabeth where Integrated Wind Power managed and coordinated permits required for construction, investment by foreign investors, agreements from the municipality to allow sites like this to plug into the grid and sell kilowatts directly to the end users. As municipalities do not have the capabilities to adapt to new technologies, it took someone who could look at the project and energy market holistically and bring together the necessary experts, make the connections as well as deal with permits and legislation to pull everything together.
His vision is to make cost effective distributed green energy available to customers on the municipal networks so that it is no longer considered a green economy luxury but rather a essential cost saving strategy to mitigate against rising electricity costs.
The Sailor
Jonathon is a time management enthusiast, applying David Allen's Getting Things Done® methodology, a method of remembering tasks by breaking them down into their simplest “next-action “ form, and getting them off his mind so he has space to deal with what is coming at him. This method even allows him to easily recalling entire projects with just one word into his trusted system.
This long-term goal setter uses the metaphor of being on a sailboat, “You have your destination in mind and your coordinates set, so even when a storm comes and the wind blows you far off course, you can use the tools available to you to steer back to your destination.”
You can find out more about Jonathan and his green wind energy facilitation by visiting www.iwpower.co.za.
When he’s not looking for his next project or piping with his band, you’ll find him at home rooted at Workshop17 Newlands.
