Solar Power World July 2024 by WTWH Media LLC

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Congratulations to the 2024 Top Solar Contractors!

Many of the companies on this list overcame some major hurdles last year — big net-metering changes in California, high interest rates nationwide, opposition to large-scale solar sites and much more. It always takes some tenacity to build a profitable solar business, but maybe even more than usual this past year.

The 2024 Top Solar Contractors installed solar in every state except North Dakota (hey Gov. Burgum, maybe do something about that?). Nearly 70% of the companies representing this 2024 class have been in business more than a decade. For an industry that’s still finding its footing in many ways, there’s a nation full of veteran contractors providing stability.

Despite NEM 3.0 putting a damper on residential installations, California still had as many 2024 Top Solar Contractors as the entire Midwest. Eighteen percent of this year’s installers are headquartered in the Golden State.

On the large-scale, our top installer this year put in over 3.5 GW — up about 28% from last year's top number. With IRA incentives and supportive state policies for community solar and other segments, the industry isn't slowing down anytime soon.

In this issue, we showcase the full list of top solar installers in the country and break down the Top 10s by markets, services and states. Read on for our feature stories on some standout 2024 companies in Maine, Oregon and in between. And don’t miss our special awards for the Greenest and Most Forward-Thinking Contractors, along with some individual recognitions.

We have a great time connecting with our Top Solar Contractors every year, and we hope it shows through in this issue. SPW

– Solar Power World Editors

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Nearly 17% of the Top Solar Contractors List is made of companies that were founded around the era of the Great Recession, with the most Top Solar Contractors founded in 2009.

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The solar industry is getting bigger and better with age. The Top 5 on the 2024 Top Solar Contractors List each installed more than 2 GW last year — some exceeded 3 GW. The abilities of solar contractors are expanding, as is interest in special markets like community solar. This year’s class of Top Solar Contractors has installed more solar in more states and markets than ever before, and we thank them for their hard work and dedication.

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Utility Contractors

Coming from the residential solar world, how does working on utility-scale projects differ?

The pace in both worlds is always quick, but the speed of utility-scale solar is a challenge unlike any I’ve faced in my career. Months go past in the blink of an eye, deliverables are always hot off the press and deadlines await at every corner. The ripples that missing a deadline or deliverable can cause are akin to a tsunami, so the project team, field operations, safety, quality and even executives are constantly on their toes, checking and leaning on one another to maintain that delicate balance of staying on schedule and within budget. But once you get a feel for the pacing, hitting your milestones is so much more rewarding, particularly when one considers all the moving parts and individual efforts that are equally subjected to the same G-force of utility construction.

— Matthew Frutchey, regional quality assurance manager at Rosendin Electric, a utilityscale EPC from California

Multi-MW Florida Moss (No. 1 Utility Contractor)

MARKET LEADERS

Commercial Contractors TOP 10

How are you helping to open the solar industry to people with more diverse backgrounds?

The solar industry has blessed me and allowed me to provide for my family and live a beautiful life, and I truly would love to see more people that look like me in the industry. It’s important to me to show that “we” don’t need to limit ourselves to just installers or electricians – there is opportunity in entrepreneurship and ownership. ReVamp Energy is going on 10 years and will continue to have an impact, offering opportunities to countless people who otherwise would not have had the chance. The transition to renewable energy will have a huge impact on everyone’s lives, and it’s important to include all walks of life in that representation.

— Jay Cutting Sr., president of ReVamp Energy, a residential and commercial EPC from California

1 MW Aquarium of the Pacific Long Beach, California M Bar C (No. 7 Commercial Contractor)

Residential Contractors

With more than a decade of experience installing on rooftops, how do you see your role in the company with younger recruits?

I see myself as a catalyst — a bridge between experience and innovation. My role isn’t just about personal growth; it’s about nurturing the next generation. These young professionals, with their fresh perspectives and hunger for knowledge, inspire me. Some may indeed surpass my skills, and that excites me. Together, we’ll elevate our craft, empower homeowners and light up the world — one solar panel at a time.

— Casey Lennon, regional construction manager at Green Light Solar, a residential installer from Texas

5.92 kW Sacramento, California Freedom Forever (No. 1 Residential Contractor)

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Community Solar Contractors

What are your feelings toward having your sons start their careers in the solar industry?

Both Cody and Ty told me that they weren’t going to go into the industry, which I was fine with, but they started working during the summers and really enjoyed the camaraderie of working in the field. Then, they took to the actual work. Cody started on smaller residential projects when we were still in the early stages of growth, but Ty was thrown in straight to the bigger commercial and community solar projects. One summer, when he was about 10, I took Ty with me while I was working on our Nebraska projects. He told me recently that some of his favorite memories of spending time with me were rolling around the backroads of Nebraska and visiting the solar fields.

— Jeremy Anderson, president of GenPro Energy Solutions, a community solar EPC in South Dakota

7 MW Blacksmith Road Solar Falmouth, Massachusetts

Nexamp (No. 1 Community Solar Contractor)

Solar EPCs

What is the community responsibility of the EPC when building BESS projects?

At a recent utility-scale solar and battery storage project in Arizona, Saulsbury identified the local volunteer fire department as one of the community resources we wanted to support. Community is one of the core values that Saulsbury was built on. We believe it’s our privilege and responsibility to support the communities where we live and work. We coordinated on-site BESS training for the fire department to help them understand how the system responds to an emergency and what they should and shouldn’t do during an emergency response situation. The fire department will provide the emergency services throughout the operating life of the project, and as the EPC contractor, we are responsible for ensuring that they have the knowledge and tools to keep themselves safe in case of an emergency response on-site.

— Josh Beeber, project manager, and Douglas Biggers, project director, for Saulsbury Industries, a utility-scale EPC based in Texas

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Primoris Renewable Energy (No. 2 EPC)

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TOP 10

Solar Developers

How do your teams stay organized when installing huge projects?

A key element of our team’s organization is prioritizing clear and consistent communication. This ensures that all teams work together efficiently by discussing and aligning on tasks. Development involves many moving parts, so we prioritize organizing meetings to ensure everyone is on the same page. Providing clear direction and timelines for next steps helps streamline project progression. Defined roles and responsibilities ensure accountability, while we also recognize that collaboration strengthens our process – working together is crucial for a smooth operation. Ultimately, empowering team members, fostering collaboration, defining goals and roles, maintaining open communication and establishing strong processes are the cornerstones of building a strong team.

— Erin Takata, director of interconnection, and Stephanie Loucas, chief development officer, at Renewable Properties, a utility-scale developer from California

310 MW solar, 150 MW storage Eland 1 Solar + Storage Project Mojave, California Arevon Energy (No. 2 Developer)

SERVICE LEADERS

TOP 10

Solar Installers

How are you helping solar customers in your area?

I began in the industry as an electrical apprentice after high school, and once joining Solar Power of Oklahoma (SPO), I learned valuable lessons about ethical business practices. We began to experience a very large number of customers reaching out for support after they had been left “high and dry” by an unethical, out-of-state solar company. This required us to be very intentional about the time we were spending staying up-to-date on the latest technology. Though adept at handling challenges, I discovered my passion for proactive roles and transitioned to sales at SPO, aligning with my values to assist Oklahomans in making informed energy choices.

— Shiloh Smith, solar advisor at Solar Power of Oklahoma, a residential and commercial installer from Oklahoma

82.2 kW

The Plymouth Church in Framingham Framingham, Massachusetts ReVision Energy (No. 8 Installer)

Electrical Subcontractors

How has your approach to building solar arrays changed as the projects themselves have scaled up in size?

As projects scale from 10+ MW to 300+ MWDC, our approach at Conductor Power evolves. We emphasize advanced planning, trade-specific construction planning and early stakeholder engagement. What truly sets us apart is our dedicated team and continuous feedback from our craft professionals, ensuring timely completion and readiness for larger projects like the 700+ MW arrays we see on the horizon.

— Paul Subzak, senior engineering manager at Conductor Power, a utilityscale electrical subcontractor from Minnesota

22 MW Seneca Solar Penn Yan, New York Schuler-Haas Electric (No. 6 Electrical Subcontractor)

SERVICE LEADERS

Installation Subcontractors

How do you prioritize safety when installing on commercial rooftops?

Windfree Solar’s project managers strategize crew member fall protection on a project-specific basis and always keep safety as their highest priority. We consider site/roof access and conditions at the beginning of development before we even design the project. Working this way ensures that safety considerations are an integral component throughout the life of the project. Through careful planning, proper training, site quality control and efficient reporting, Windfree Solar is able to build a safe work environment for our crew members and our clients.

— Andrea Sanchez, project administrator at Windfree Solar, a residential and commercial EPC from Illinois

120 MW Ragsdale Solar Canton, Mississippi

Jones Power (No. 2 Installation Subcontractor)

Large-Scale Storage Installers

Residential Storage Installers

What is driving demand for energy storage adoption in the residential solar market?

Our customers are increasingly seeking backup power solutions due to extreme weather events and an aging grid infrastructure. They desire reliable, quiet and clean options for powering their homes. In addition to providing backup power, homeowners are using the stored energy to manage and offset rising energy costs, aligning with their sustainability and cost-effectiveness goals. In Connecticut, demand at Green Power Energy is surging, driven by incentives like the CT Green Bank’s Energy Storage Solutions Program, offering up to $16,000 per project. Once aware of these benefits, customers often wish they had adopted energy storage sooner.

—

Mike Sobiesiak, VP of operations at Green Power Energy, a residential solar and storage installer in the Northeast

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RevoluSun Smart Home (No. 4 Residential Storage Installer)

In light of Arizona’s climate and extreme weather, how valuable is solar to customers?

Arizona receives an average of over 300 sunny days per year. This abundance of sunlight provides an ideal environment for maximizing the annual value of a solar project. It also means temperatures often reach 110°F or more during the summer, leading to increased electricity demand for cooling. This results not only in higher electricity costs but often skyrocketing demand charges. By installing solar and battery storage, commercial customers can significantly reduce these costs by offsetting a large portion of their electricity consumption during the hottest parts of the day. Solar energy is a highly valuable investment, offering significant cost savings, sustainability benefits and, for those who opt to install solar shade structures, the added benefit of protection from the hot Arizona sun.

— Brian Seibel, president of SOLON, a commercial EPC from Arizona

Top Arizona Contractors

285 MW | Sun Streams 3 | Maricopa County McCarthy Building Companies (No. 5 Large-Scale Arizona Contractor)

kW | Scottsdale Solar Topps (No. 4 Residential Arizona Contractor)

STATE LEADERS

In light of Arizona’s climate and extreme weather, how valuable is solar to customers?

What’s the importance of customer service at a time when the state market isn’t friendly to residential solar?

At Citadel Roofing & Solar, we truly value our customers. Whether the market is booming or struggling, we strive to provide each customer with VIP, white glove treatment, which helps us build mutual respect and trust, and gives us valuable feedback. By focusing on the customer experience, our customers become our brand ambassadors, driving high levels of referrals and really setting Citadel apart from the competition.

— Dieter Folk, president and owner of Citadel Roofing & Solar, a residential and commercial installer from California

Top California Contractors

500 MW | Oberon Solar + Storage | Riverside County SOLV Energy (No. 2 Large-Scale California Contractor)

29.6 kW | Encino Solar Optimum (No. 3 Residential California Contractor)

How is Florida leading the way in training the next generation of solar installers?

We are proud to boast we had the first federally-approved Solar Energy Apprenticeship program. We began developing the program well before anyone had heard the term “IRA” and were very fortunate to be out in front when the IRA apprenticeship requirements were announced. The Florida Solar Energy Apprenticeship Program works similar to any other trade programs, wherein students take specific training classes over a two-year period while also earning 4,000 hours of paid on-the-job training at a sponsoring employer. Upon completion of the program, apprentices have a range of skills and knowledge directly applied in the field. They will also earn multiple certifications, from OSHA to NABCEP, plus be qualified for the ultimate goal of sitting for the State-Licensed Solar Contractor exam.

— Rick Gilbert, executive VP at Solar Source, a residential and commercial EPC from Florida

Top Florida Contractors

32 kW | Kissimmee Sunlight Solar (No. 3 Residential Florida Contractor)

1.7 MW | Raymond James Solar Parking Garages | St. Petersburg Advanced Green Technologies (No. 4 Large-Scale Florida Contractor)

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In light of Arizona’s climate and extreme weather, how valuable is solar to customers?

How much has New York residential solar changed over the last decade?

As solar becomes more pervasive and with electric rates continuing to climb with no end in sight, New Yorkers are increasingly turning to solar as an option to rein in their utility costs. According to data from WoodMackenzie, New York installations have soared from a low of about 3,000 installations in 2013 to approximately 27,000 installations annually in 2023.

—

Merrick,

corporate VP of Trinity Solar, a residential installer from the Northeast

Top New York Contractors

27 MW | Janis Solar | Willet CS Energy (No. 2 Large-Scale New York Contractor)

25 kW | LaGrangeville Solar Generation (No. 3 Residential New York Contractor)

STATE LEADERS

What advice would you give to solar companies trying to stay in business for the long-term?

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Use turnkey, in-house teams to ensure quality control, project management and technical analysis/execution of the projects are upheld. Taking the time to invest and educate staff as well as all customers that we interact with on the latest utility changes, solar and storage code changes, product updates, etc. Ensuring that you can service the projects you sell and install long-term with internal service teams. Understanding and adapting to the market as it changes.

Top North Carolina Contractors

— Hannah Elliott, Senior Director of Operations at Renu Energy Solutions, a residential and commercial installer from North Carolina

15.80 kW | Sanford

Top Tier Solar Solutions (No. 1 Residential North Carolina Contractor)

6.62 MW | Renewable Properties project | Gibson | Jeff Crabtree

United Renewable Energy (No. 9 Large-Scale North Carolina Contractor)

For a state that’s historically produced oil, how is solar received among Texas customers?

Specifically, from our customers, I’d say the perception is positive. Most of our customers are well-educated professionals who are paying cash for their systems. These intelligent individuals have done their research and understand that solar is a better investment. We even have several customers whose careers are in oil and gas and they have conceded that solar is the future and oil and gas is dead. The perception from the general population in our location, which was built on oil and gas, is still generally negative. Most people assume solar systems are unaffordable and don’t pay for themselves. They’re also quick to point out any environmental gains are offset by the environmental harm done by rare material mining.

— Rudy Wright, president of Wright-Way Solar Technologies, a residential installer

Top Texas Contractors

from Texas

590 MW | Texas Solar Nova Complex, operated by Clearway Energy | Kent County Mortenson (No. 5 Large-Scale Texas Contractor)

15.99 kW | Dallas Suntria (No. 5 Residential Texas Contractor)

STATE LEADERS

92 MW | Piney Creek Solar Project | Halifax County Kiewit Energy Group (No. 5 Large-Scale Virginia Contractor)

Necto velluptaqui beruntusant offiction cusda faccusdae volorroviti quissit venim acit labo?

What impact has your work had on the communities you’ve installed in?

32.5 kW | TASTE Bayville | Virginia Beach Convert Solar (No. 1 Residential Virginia Contractor)

Quality is our greatest contribution to the community. As a local solar business, our commitment to unmatched quality and service is essential. By quality, I mean excellence in our installations, service and the clean energy solutions we provide — as well as the local jobs we create. Our dedication to quality is why our customers trust Ipsun Solar to help them harness the power of the sun, achieve energy independence and escape rising utility bills.

— Jim Cahill, GM of Ipsun Solar, a residential installer from Virginia

Top Virginia Contractors

The 2024 Top Solar Contractors are much more than just the kilowatts they install. This year’s class has installed solar on the oldest church in the United States, created environmentally friendly arrays that attract at-risk animal species and started apprenticeship programs to attract new talent to the trades. Read these stories and more in this special Across America section.

Contractor meticulously installs solar on oldest church in US

BY KELLY PICKEREL

Adobe structures are a hallmark of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Throughout the city, one can find fencing, homes, schools and restaurants made of sundried mudbricks. It’d be impossible for local contractor Positive Energy Solar (No. 200) to not have some experience installing solar panels on adobe structures. So the company didn’t balk at an opportunity for a special project in the city’s downtown district — adding solar to the oldest church in the continental United States.

San Miguel Chapel is believed to have been built by Tlaxcalan people

from Mexico in 1610 under the direction of Franciscan padres. Through wars, rebellions, storms and fires, the chapel has been repaired, expanded and refurbished but still retains much of its original adobe makeup. The chapel has been owned by St. Michael’s High School since 1859 and continues to hold a monthly mass to this day. The site hosts concerts and other events, and the church itself is a point of pride for the community.

San Miguel Chapel’s location within Barrio de Analco Historic District, which was designated a National

Historic Landmark in 1968, means there are construction requirements to ensure the area retains its historic significance. When installing solar, no conduit, inverters, meters or solar panels should be visible from a public viewpoint. Cornerstones, a nonprofit dedicated to the preservation of adobe structures throughout the Southwest, began exploring in 2018 how the church could go solar, and eventually called on Positive Energy Solar to make it happen. The solar company had installed a project on the Lamy Building (the former St. Michael’s Dormitory) next door to the

Positive Energy Solar installers worked carefully on the oldest church roof in the United States. Wires were concealed through the church’s bell tower.

ACROSS AMERICA

church and had experience working within the historic confines of the district.

church in the country was a high-stress job for Positive Energy Solar.

so this is part of my background, seeing this church,” said Thomas Gray, VP of commercial business at Positive Energy Solar. “Is it a money-making project? Absolutely not. But do I want someone else to do it? No. I want to know it’s going to get done right, especially with such an important building. Everyone in Santa Fe knows this building is iconic and has so much history.”

determine if the old roof could support solar. Structural engineers found wooden timbers were holding up the roof, and the roofing membrane needed an upgrade. But it was eventually deemed worthy, and Positive Energy Solar decided on a ballasted dual-tilt system to keep the array height low. Twenty solar panels were installed for an 8.8-kW system. Conduit was run first though the bell tower to hide it from view and then through 5 ft of adobe to a utility room below.

things that the team had to do,” Gray said. “You don’t make a big hole; you make a smaller hole and clear out as little as you can so you get the pressure between the two materials right. Adobe is literally mud, clay, sand and straw.”

beruntusant offiction

“ I want to know it’s going to get done right, especially with such an important building. Everyone in Santa Fe knows this building is iconic and has so much history.”

Thomas Gray, Positive Energy Solar

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Unsurprisingly, the old church had an outdated electrical system, so Positive Energy Solar had to bring everything up to code. The company moved the service lines away from the church to comply with the district’s historic preservation requirements, but found bones while trenching lines. Thankfully, they were only animal bones, but the project was delayed while cultural testing was performed.

Everything worked out eventually. The array was commissioned in September 2023 and should more than cover 100% of San Miguel Chapel’s annual consumption.

“We oversized it a little bit,” Gray said. “The financial savings help them to reallocate that money toward programs. But it was an environmental thing for them, and to showcase and inspire others to follow.”

Since elected to the papacy in 2013, Pope Francis has urged followers to combat climate change as best they can, and San Miguel Chapel answered the call with this project. The church hopes more religious sites will join its progress.

The $80,000 project was funded entirely by grants and donations, including gifts from Remy’s Good Day Fund, a local nonprofit that invests in solar energy in New Mexico. Positive Energy Solar also donated its time on the project, something marketing director Christopher Fortson said is important for an employee-owned company supporting its community.

“The values that we have as a company played a really big part of wanting to do something like this,” he said. “The fact that we got through this, and it’s worked structurally — we didn’t break the building! When the community can come together and make that happen, it just feels great.” SPW

ACROSS AMERICA

Luckily, the adobe church’s roof was reinforced and supported by timber beams. Positive Energy Solar still went with a ballasted array to avoid making penetrations into the structure.

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Michigan Solar Solutions brings crew to San Diego to show what the Midwest is made of

BY KELSEY MISBRENER

Residential solar crews spend hundreds of hours together putting in hard labor on rooftops. Validation usually comes from happy customers and positive reviews, but an installer in Michigan saw a chance for recognition on a national stage and found a creative solution to make it happen.

Karl Hercula, VP of field operations at Michigan Solar Solutions (No. 246), participated in installation competitions in his former career as a roofer and was intrigued by Intersolar's similar Solar Games, an annual tournament where solar contractors race to complete a rooftop solar installation, that was last held in San Diego in January.

"I saw that brought the camaraderie with my crew when I did roofing, and I thought it'd be a great thing to bring the camaraderie with the solar company I'm working with now," Hercula said.

The only problem? How to cover the costs of transportation and lodging for four people to get to California. Intersolar offers selected teams $2,000 toward travel, but that still leaves a hefty balance with today's inflated prices.

"I brought it up to my boss and I saw the look on his face," Hercula said. "So, I went back home and was just looking around and something just popped up in my head, and I'm like, 'Well, can we get a sponsor?'”

He reached out to a few companies MSS works closely with and found their supplier McNaughton-McKay was willing to give the team a $5,000 sponsorship to cover the rest of the costs. In exchange, the team included the distributor's logo on their competition T-shirts.

Hercula and his three regular crewmates were set to hit the games. But he wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings for those who didn't get to go, so he promised to distribute any prize winnings among all 35 workers at the company. First place won $10,000, second place received $3,500 and third got $2,500.

Michigan Solar Solutions competes on a mock rooftop at the 2024 Solar Games. | 7 Hills Productions

ACROSS AMERICA

The competition proved to be the bonding opportunity that Hercula expected. MSS's solid communication and hard work landed them second place in the competition and a $3,500 prize to split among the company when they got home. Hercula live-streamed the competition to keep everyone back in Michigan in the loop too.

"We found out that our communication within our team was better than the other teams," he said. "You need to alert the guy of what's going on ahead of you and what's behind you, and make sure everybody's safe and make sure people are following the rules."

Although California-based company Aloha Solar won the competition for the second year in a row, two midwestern solar installers placed second and third.

"We had to represent the Midwest. We really wanted to put our foot out there and just show how hard we work," Hercula said. "We don't have the seasons like California does where it's beautiful all year round. We have to deal with a lot of crap."

Although everyone took the competition seriously, the teams got together for drinks afterwards in the Gaslamp Quarter.

"It was great to get to know the people on the other teams. They had as much heart as our team did," he said.

Hercula is planning to get MSS out to San Diego to compete again in the Solar Games in 2025 — and maybe come home as the champions this time. SPW

“We had to represent the Midwest. We really wanted to put our foot out there and just show how hard we work.”

Karl Hercula, Michigan Solar Solutions

The team took second place at the Solar Games thanks to smooth communication and hard work. | 7 Hills Productions

California installer weathers NEM 3.0 storm with high-tech service department

BY KELSEY MISBRENER

Working as a residential solar installer in California has gone from a stable and reliable career path to one mired with uncertainty in the face of recent decisions by the state's Public Utilities Commission. The new net-metering regime, NEM 3.0, drastically reduced the compensation for residents selling electricity back to the grid and has had a devastating ripple effect on solar companies in the state. The California Solar & Storage Association predicted California would lose 22% of its solar jobs by the end of 2023.

The companies persevering in this tough market foresaw these challenges and adjusted their businesses

accordingly. After outlasting the global pandemic, Vincent Battaglia, CEO of Palm Desert-based Renova Energy (No. 133) didn't think anything tougher could possibly disrupt business until the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) began deliberating net-metering changes.

"I figured the worst thing that could come along is maybe aliens landing, but the CPUC one-upped the aliens, and we saw it coming," he said.

Although installation efforts in California have been down, Renova has stayed afloat thanks to some of the company's forward-looking initiatives.

Renova began a dedicated service department called RenovaPLUS in 2008, providing customers ongoing maintenance and panel cleaning as a way to win competitive deals, and then added in-house roofing services in 2020. The company also consolidated customer service for all branches into one department, so clients no longer have to hunt around for answers when they encounter an issue. This has improved the customer experience and Renova’s status in the solar community.

"We don't do things that are not incidental to the business of building microgrids," Battaglia said. "These are

Renova Energy added a solar cleaning drone to its services, which helps cut down on labor and broken roof tiles.

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areas where you're diversifying, but you're not moving out of alignment with the ‘solar-plus’ industry."

In addition to adding services, Renova opened a new office in Kingman, Arizona, in January 2023.

"[NEM 3.0] was such a disruption that having Arizona available to be able to move teams into there, or to be able to pull additional revenue, was awesome. That kept Renova moving," Battaglia said.

The company's service branch has flourished during the California residential solar downturn. What started as primarily a way to beat competitor deals has turned into a profit center of its own. Battaglia estimates that around 70% of Renova's service business is now pure profit, helping customers of other solar companies maintain and clean their arrays.

A particularly flashy and unique piece of Renova's service offerings is a new solar cleaning drone. Instead of two workers climbing a roof and hand-washing the panels, one worker on the ground can control the drone doing all the dirty work.

"We're always trying to put us apart from anyone else, so I think the drone was a great opportunity for us to bring new technology into the industry, something that people haven't seen, while also allowing us here to more efficiently do the job," said Saman Kouretchian, marketing director at Renova.

Renova currently has one Lucid Bots Sherpa drone that cost around $50,000. The drone not only attracts eyeballs in neighborhoods and online marketing, but it protects fragile tile roofs from breakage. Battaglia estimates tile replacements and associated labor cost the company around $150,000 last year. Renova charges a premium for drone cleanings vs. manual, so the company says the upfront drone cost was worth it. The company may even invest in a second drone after seeing high customer demand.

"We're simply adapting technology into our evolving and our maturing solar-plus industry," Battaglia said.

The California market is tough in the NEM 3.0 era, and it won’t be changing anytime soon. But Renova plans to keep pushing on, offering its suite of solar and roofing services and expanding further regionally. Battaglia is aiming to open a Phoenix office in 2025, then plans to move into Nevada. And Battaglia is anticipating that at least the next 10 Renova solar installations in each of those locations will all include batteries.

"I am excited, so excited, about a 10-in-10 installation in every one of those locations, and maturing RenovaPLUS service, so that we can service everyone's system — the legacy as well as Renova systems," Battaglia said. SPW

Renova has survived the rooftop solar changes in California by leaning into other service offerings and expanding regionally into Arizona.

Rural Oregon solar installer finds niche in multifamily housing

BY BILLY LUDT

With the help of a multifamily housing developer, Enterprise Electric has expanded its reach as a solar contractor, building projects all across the state of Oregon.

For solar contractors working in agricultural communities, substantial projects are commonly ground-mounted and built across many acres of fields and farmland. Bucking this trend, a solar company from a rural county in northeast Oregon has become a regional authority in building PV projects on affordable housing developments, and the contractor’s work can now be found across the state.

Enterprise Electric (No. 210) is a residential and commercial solar contractor born from an electrical contracting business that started in 1970 in Enterprise, Oregon. The company dabbled in off-grid solar construction in the '80s and '90s before entering the market in earnest around 2008 as the domestic PV industry started picking up steam.

"We've always been very diversified in what we do," said Jared Hillock,

electrician and co-owner of Enterprise Electric. "We're in a small, rural community, so to stay busy, if somebody comes in the office and asks us to do something, we figure out how to do it, even if we don't know how."

Enterprise Electric gained experience in solar construction by assisting a local PV contractor with custom carport and tracker installations. That solar business eventually shuttered, but Enterprise Electric carried the torch and started picking up projects of its own in Wallowa County and beyond.

It was an ideal time to enter the market, Hillock said, because Oregon was offering substantial tax credits for solar projects. Compounded with the recently introduced 30% federal investment tax credit, project owners could subsidize most, if not all, of the cost of a solar project through tax credits.

Enterprise made its name in solar by building municipal projects and seeking out investors with tax burdens that would be interested in the green subsidies. Then about five years ago, the company started working on solar projects with Fleet Development, an affordable housing developer focused on building multifamily housing projects powered by renewable energy.

"We've worked with the apartment company for years," Hillock said. "They've been around for 50 years, we've been around for 50 years, so we've always known each other. We've always done their electrical work."

Over the last several years, building solar arrays on Fleet Development housing projects has brought Enterprise Electric across Oregon and even into Washington. No two projects on multifamily housing are the same, because every roof layout is different.

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Each utility also has its own stipulations for tying solar into multi-metered properties, and Enterprise Electric contractors have adapted meters into many different configurations depending on the interconnection scenarios.

"You may have a six pack of meters, and one utility may let you put all the solar on one meter and let you credit the other meters, and the next utility won't let you do that," Hillock said. "So, then you're tying solar into six different meters. I don't think there's a ton of people doing affordable housing [installs] at the high level that we do, just because of the complications and the intricacies of interconnection and financing."

Through that experience, Enterprise Electric has even started providing solar construction consultation specifically to other affordable or multifamily housing developers that have heard about the work Fleet Development is doing in the region.

In entirety, Wallowa County only has a population of around 7,500 people, despite being the ninth largest county by land mass in the state. The workforce pool isn't the largest to pick from, but Enterprise Electric has ambitions to expand, reinvigorating its residential solar output and finding some administrative help in the office.

Despite those hurdles from growing pains, the modest team of about 20 people at Enterprise Electric is bringing solar generation to an economic class that often doesn't have the chance to access it, well beyond the borders of Wallowa County.

"For me, pulling wire on residential houses every day was just mind-numbing. It's so repetitive for me," Hillock said. "I like the technology, I've always been into gadgets and kind of a nerd, so solar was right up my alley, and learning and figuring it out, it's just way more fun. You're going to a different place every day and you're doing something different, and the customers love you for putting solar on." SPW

Enterprise Electric has learned to adapt to the many stipulations utilities have for multi-metered solar projects.

Ohio EPC replenishes Northern Bobwhite quail habitat with native grass solar array

BY KELSEY MISBRENER

The United States is losing an average of 2 million acres of grasslands annually, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Many of the animals that call these habitats home are diminishing in kind.

Energy projects typically aren't seen as part of the solution to conservation. But a ground-mount solar array using native groundcover has actually helped the cause in one Ohio county.

TMI Energy Solutions (No. 211), an EPC based in Southern Ohio, planned its first pollinator-friendly solar array in 2021. The contractor was looking to cut down on mowing costs and try something new for its 717-kW project for Paint Valley Local Schools.

"We were trying to make our systems more sustainable, more environmentally friendly, rather than just having turf lawn or gravel or

something like that," said Ryan Findley, director of engineering at TMI.

In its research, TMI was introduced to Seth Rankin, owner of Conservation Contracting. Rankin helped the company determine the right seed mix of native plants that wouldn't grow too tall and shade the panels.

"We want to develop a mixture with a target height of around 3 ft or so. We know vegetation is going to

Pollinator-friendly arrays like this one in Southern Ohio can preserve precious grassland habitat for the animals that rely on it.

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get taller than that, but we don't want to intentionally plant a bunch of species that for sure are going to get 6- or 7-ft [tall]," Rankin said.

The upfront costs of planting native grass instead of turf or gravel is a bit higher, but the deferred maintenance costs for the lifetime of the project quickly lead to savings.

"In Ohio, we've had to mow [other sites] five or six times during the summer — getting completely unruly. So that's not happening now," Findley said.

For the first couple of years as the native plants are getting established, a bit more maintenance is required — but that still only means five or so mowings a year plus some spray control on invasive plants. Once the plants are established and thick enough to crowd out invasive weeds, those needs are even less.

The business case for pollinatorfriendly solar projects is solid, but to a conservationist like Rankin, the environmental benefits are even more important. Ross County, where the Paint Valley solar project is located, is one of a few small pockets in Ohio where Northern Bobwhite quail still live. The species has experienced an 81% population decline over the past 50 years as grasslands vanish due to issues like climate change and heavy farming.

When Rankin checked on the native grass solar site after the first growing season in 2021, he heard what he thought was a Bobwhite whistle.

"Sometimes, you'll hear mockingbirds that sound like a Bobwhite quail. So I was

“We were trying to make our systems more sustainable, more environmentally friendly, rather than just having turf lawn or gravel or something like that.”

Ryan Findley, TMI Energy Solutions

like, 'I have to investigate,'" Rankin said. "I went inside the fence, and sure enough, [out] jumped a quail."

He was thrilled the birds found the solar project to still be a good place to mate, forage and hopefully even nest.

"I knew there were quail in the area prior to this. My hope was to attract them into the inside of the solar planting," Rankin said. “There's already an extremely limited number of quail in Ohio. Any type of habitat that we can create for quail is really important.”

Grassland is a threatened habitat that solar developers can play an active role in replacing. Using pollinatorfriendly native plants on sites with 25+

year lifespans is a great way to give species like the Bobwhite that are reliant on dense, native grasses a shot at a comeback.

"I think it's really important for solar developers to consider pollinator habitat as a vegetative groundcover," Rankin said. "Even just letting a piece of ground sit idle, it'll eventually turn into forest, which is good for some species, but again, it takes away from grassland habitat. So anytime we can restore what was once there is extremely important."

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"It's kind of standard operating procedure now to push that idea, unless we get told, 'No,'" Findley said.

The company is even adjusting its designs to avoid shading with native plants and cut down on maintenance even more.

TMI Energy has since installed a second native grass solar array in Ohio, and is working on a third.

“Now, we're actually making changes to our designs too, where we're actually elevating our ground mounts by another 6 in. to 1 ft, so that those problems are even less prevalent," Findley said. "So we can maximize solar production and maximize that nice, healthy, diverse ecosystem." SPW

The Northern Bobwhite quail is declining in numbers as grasslands disappear, but TMI’s Paint Valley solar array has attracted the birds. Chase D’Animulls | Adobe Stock

West Virginia solar installer uses Cesar Chavez connection to promote community kindness

BY KELLY PICKEREL

Having a positive impact on the communities in which its employees live and work has been a key pillar of Mountain View Solar’s mission since the very beginning. Now in its 15th year serving the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia and surrounding area in the Appalachian Mountains, mtvSolar (No. 239) has long offered customers the chance to participate in its “Community Give Back Program.” Every mtvSolar customer can pledge a solar panel to a nonprofit of their choosing; once enough donations are designated to a specific place, mtvSolar will install an array for free.

The company has also set aside time for employees to volunteer their services for non-solar-related activities that still have an impact in their

community — the Humane Society of Morgan County and The Kids Clubs of Northern Shenandoah Valley are just a couple of the charities and nonprofits mtvSolar employees are passionate about. mtvSolar now has an official Day of Service to get out and volunteer, recognized on Cesar Chavez Day, a national commemorative holiday in honor of the civil rights and labor movement activist on his birthday, March 31.

Why is a West Virginia solar company taking a day to remember a former grape picker from Arizona and the founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW) labor union? It turns out, Cesar Chavez is mtvSolar founder Mike McKechnie’s birth father. A legacy McKechnie has struggled to balance

his whole life, he now feels ready to celebrate his heritage and continue practicing the community kindness that has always been in his DNA.

McKechnie was born in California and adopted at two weeks old by family friends of his birth mother Cookie Goepel. His adoptive parents raised McKechnie on the East Coast, with a few stints in Europe, alongside three younger siblings. He grew up knowing he was adopted but didn’t learn of his birth parents until his teens. At the time, McKechnie was reading about Chavez in his Spanish class but didn’t know how to tell his classmates the news.

“As I grew up, I started thinking more about it. I wanted to get to know some of my Mexican family, but I didn’t think I could reach out to anybody,”

Mike McKechnie (right) started mtvSolar in West Virginia in 2009 and has worked to have a positive impact on the surrounding communities since Day 1.

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McKechnie said. This was the 1970s and ’80s, and besides flying out to California and dropping into the UFW offices, McKechnie wasn’t sure how to connect with his roots.

In the early ’90s, McKechnie was able to meet Chavez, but from afar. Chavez was giving a talk at the University of Maryland to recruit college students for a new labor campaign. McKechnie sat in the auditorium and listened, watching Chavez command the room and recognizing certain mannerisms as his own. He didn’t speak to Chavez that day, and unfortunately Chavez died a few years later before McKechnie got the chance to reach out again.

Meanwhile, McKechnie was starting his life in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. He was first a home builder, working on custom houses. He became interested in solar and came to purchase a fully functional home with solar, designed by University of Massachusetts Dartmouth students participating in the 2007 Solar Decathlon on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. McKechnie relocated the home to Berkeley Springs, moved in his wife and children and began giving demonstration talks every weekend on how solar works in rural West Virginia. Eventually, McKechnie wanted to take his passion project fulltime, and mtvSolar was born.

“It was a dream, and it still is and still going strong,” he said. “Now we have 50 people, and it’s just a good group of people.”

Along the way, McKechnie used teachings from his childhood to make a difference in the community — whether it was volunteering on a Habitat for Humanity project or developing workforce placements in the town of fewer than 800 residents.

“We always felt a sense of community growing up in our family,” he said. “We were always aware of different perspectives — living in Europe helped with that. We knew to not just take care of ourselves and not anybody else. We’ve been doing that along the way [with mtvSolar] by helping our employees first and then helping the community.”

mtvSolar employees participating in the company’s Day of Service while wearing their Cesar Chavez shirts.

While expressing kindness to your neighbor can be a learned trait, McKechnie has wondered if he was born with Chavez’s penchant for community action. He said he believes finding passion in the solar industry is what brought both his natured and nurtured talents together.

“I was building houses for years, beautiful houses, but it wasn’t enough. But then there was solar, and I got to do something that was going to help climate change, help people,” McKechnie said. “I found out I’m a good, natural spokesperson. I have this natural talent to get people to understand what I’m saying and follow our ideas. Solar is a good way to use this.

“I think I had it inside me, what Cesar did, if he could bring that many people together for something,” he added. “I think I needed the purpose [of solar] as the catalyst to unlock the potential that

I have. I’m using some of that Cesar energy to promote solar.”

McKechnie has in recent years connected with the Chavez family and grown more comfortable talking about his heritage. When discussing ways to expand employee volunteer efforts within mtvSolar, he thought it was time to honor Chavez on his birthday.

“We dreamt up the Day of Service, and wear T-shirts with Cesar Chavez on them,” McKechnie said. “People are like, ‘Why?’ But then they start to see the similarity — that we’re giving back to our community and helping people who are less fortunate. That feels good for me to have a way to do that. I don’t know much about farm workers or labor unions. But I do know there’s people that need help everywhere. It's been a wonderful thing, and we’re going to watch it grow every year.” SPW

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“I think I had it inside me, what Cesar did, if he could bring that many people together for something. I think I needed the purpose [of solar] as the catalyst to unlock the potential that I have. I’m using some of that Cesar energy to promote solar.”

Mike McKechnie, mtvSolar

Bringing big-city solar experience back home

BY BILLY LUDT

After working with solar contractors across the country, Tony Martin returned to his hometown of

Kids from small communities often leave to find something their hometowns can't offer. There's a whole world out there filled with opportunities for new careers, education and perspectives.

For Tony Martin, co-founder of Sonne Energy Solutions (No. 382), leaving and learning was a necessary part of returning to his hometown of Teutopolis, Illinois — a village with a population of just over 1,600.

Teutopolis was founded by GermanCatholic immigrants in 1839. Martin said it’s an idyllic town, one where he spent his childhood with his extended family, riding bikes with cousins and attending high school sporting events.

Martin worked for a decade in the solar industry before returning

to Teutopolis. He and his wife, Traci, moved near Denver, Colorado, in 2009, where Tony found an internship installing solar projects. He moved to Nashville to work as a solar project manager and eventually returned to Denver as a residential lead at Namaste Solar.

“I loved the concept of solar,” Tony said. “I just never wanted to do something else. I like what it does for the environment, and it made total sense to me.”

He learned the ins and outs of the solar trade and brought that experience back to Teutopolis, founding Sonne Solar in 2019. At Namaste, he was responsible for managing a team of 50 people. At Sonne, Tony is the sole full-time employee. Traci handles a

lot of administrative tasks but works another full-time job, and the only other employee works part-time. Sonne outsources project design and hires a local electrical contractor to help build arrays.

Tony handles everything else himself, including sales. Despite the lean company structure, Sonne installs about 300 kW each year. After almost five years in business, the company has completed more than 20 solar projects in Teutopolis alone.

“My mom and dad live three blocks away. On the way to their house, I think we’ve installed six systems,” Tony said.

Those ties to the history of the community drive Tony’s desire to do right by his customers. For one, the

Teutopolis, Illinois, to start Sonne Energy Solutions.

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company’s name pays tribute to the city’s roots as the German word for sun.

Just up the road from his home is a building where his grandfather and great-great uncle founded a dental clinic. Sonne Energy will soon install a solar project there.

“Just knowing that they started that, and I get to take part in installing solar on that building. It’s not in our family now, but it was originally started by them,” Tony said. “I could hit a baseball from where that clinic is to my house. It’s just a really, really cool thing.”

Sonne has marketed its services in the past but has found that a referral in a tight-knit community like Teutopolis is more effective. And despite installing solar for nearly 15 years, Tony admits he isn’t the strongest salesperson, instead prioritizing honesty in sales conversations.

“I tell people all the time, I would rather you not do it than regret it,” he

said. “I 100% don’t want to make a sale, install solar on someone’s house, and for whatever reason they wouldn’t be happy with it.”

Despite its population and smalltown characteristics, Tony said Teutopolis is a hub for commerce and welcomes the ingenuity of something like solar. The town resides near Interstates 57 and 70 and lies about halfway between St. Louis and Indianapolis. Many businesses call the small town their home.

The Martins ultimately returned to Teutopolis to give their son a close extended family upbringing like Tony had. It’s a bonus that he’s able to pursue his passion of installing solar in his hometown and in the communities surrounding it.

“We’re small and we want to grow responsibly,” Tony said. “We want to make the business sustainable. We are here for the long-term; this is one of my ultimate passions.” SPW

“I loved the concept of solar. I just never wanted to do something else. I like what it does for the environment, and it made total sense to me.”

Tony Martin, Sonne Energy Solutions

With lean business practices and technically one full-time employee, Sonne Energy manages to install about 300 kW of solar a year.

Pennsylvania solar installer works through cancer diagnosis on the roof

BY BILLY LUDT

Kayla Reedy could have stopped installing solar when she received a breast cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

"But I wasn't going to let cancer define me or push me back from the industry that I love," she said.

Reedy already knew working in this industry requires some tenacity. She and her husband, Zach, had worked at a relative's solar installation business and decided it was time to start their own — in 2020. With the newly minted Elysium Solar Energy (No. 381), a residential and commercial PV contractor based in McDonald, Pennsylvania, the couple endured the economic hardships of the pandemic.

For the last four years, Elysium has installed solar in the greater Pittsburgh area and the Northern Panhandle of

West Virginia, two regions known for coal production, not solar. Kayla said she originally intended to become a state highway patrol officer or work with the FBI but opted for a quainter job in solar installation, a career she said was better suited for starting a family.

Kayla found the mass in her breast while playing with her daughters, aged one and three. She went in for a biopsy and a week later received her diagnosis.

“Any time you hear cancer, you think death. But I have yet to cry. I’m just dealing with it with the best positive outlook that I can. My children don’t know, and I’m taking it as a positive journey to help other women.” she said. “I feel like that’s why I’m going through it. It’s a bump in the road, and I can only

get stronger and grow from this point on.”

Kayla handles a lot of the administrative tasks at Elysium, like billing, permitting and interconnection, and also installs projects. She hasn’t stopped getting on the roof since starting chemo treatments in January and said she has thankfully not been too sick from the drugs to do the job.

"I was very tired, lethargic, but I just battled through it as much as I could,” she said. “Yes, some things got put on the backburner that weren't top priority, but I fought through it. I pretty much continued to do my day-to-day tasks, just a little bit slower, but I still got everything done that needed done."

Throughout several months of chemo, Kayla wore cold caps, which are

Kayla Reedy flexes while working on

rooftop solar array. She has continued to build solar projects — both on and off the roof — following a breast cancer diagnosis earlier this year.

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skin-tight helmets that pump cooled liquids around the surface of the scalp, to prevent her hair loss and maintain her image of health. The chemo treatments ended in May, and the cancer didn’t recede, so Reedy underwent a double mastectomy in June. The operation is followed by a period of radiation treatment, and for the next year she will likely have regular injections of estrogen blockers to prevent the cancer from returning.

During her recovery, Reedy has been marketing Elysium’s solar services and the financial incentives available to homeowners, businesses and nonprofits interested in solar. The residential market in the region has taken a hit, so work has slowed, she said. Net metering might be axed in West Virginia starting in 2025, and Elysium is busy trying to complete projects in the state before year’s end so they’re eligible for current compensation rates.

Business carries on, and in tandem Kayla’s treatment continues. When asked about the origin of the business’ name, she said that for she and Zach, Elysium meant moving from a period of darkness into light. Kayla won’t let cancer prevent her from building a business and a legacy for her family. She means to be an advocate for surviving.

"You get one shot at life, and if you dwell on any challenges that are presented, then you're not living your life to the fullest. I would say, my family, my kids, especially [drive me], because I want them to take over the company when they are older," Reedy said. "They're going to be getting up on the roof, I could tell you that.

"And to just be a mentor for other women — because we don't have enough women in our industry — to get more involved and set that standard for them," she continued. "It's a manly industry, but women can do it just as good as they can, if not better." SPW

“You get one shot at life, and if you dwell on any challenges that are presented, then you're not living your life to the fullest.”

Kayla Reedy, Elsyium Solar Energy

Maine solar installers join forces on workforce development

BY KELLY PICKEREL

Training through ReVision Energy’s apprenticeship program includes mini installations on a test roof.

Maine is in a unique position in the country. According to statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, baby boomers make up close to 28% of the state’s population, while trending at 22% nationwide. A big chunk of Maine’s workers is now retiring, and no industry is immune to job vacancies. The solar community is capitalizing on recent population shifts to train a new batch of electricians for the betterment of the entire industry.

ReVision Energy (No. 82) has been installing solar in Maine for over two decades and began preparing for workforce shortages in 2018. That’s when the company developed its Dept. of Labor-registered four-year ReVision Electrical Apprenticeship Program (REEAP), said Brie O’Malley, director of the company’s training center.

“There were projections of how many electricians were needed to meet our

climate goals, overlaid with the number of electricians who are retiring without succession plans. As an older state, our electricians are even older,” she said. “We looked at the pace of folks coming out of community colleges and technical programs vs. the gap between electricians needed and retiring, and how to get creative to fill that gap. One of the clearest ways to do that is to grow your electricians at home.”

REEAP provides 8,000 hours of paid work experience and pathways to state licensure. ReVision also has an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), so apprentices are vested in the company before even reaching their journey license. O’Malley said it’s been a great program to get more people interested in solar as a career path when they may not have considered it before.

“We’re building a place where people feel belonging from a lot of

different backgrounds. It’s less about where you’re looking to bring people from and more about what you’re creating for people to come into and feel like they belong,” she said.

Maine Solar Solutions (No. 208) is also setting up programs to retain qualified hires, no matter their backgrounds. Jacob Bradley, head of field operations, relocated to Maine from California in 2019, and said — perhaps influenced by population shifts during the pandemic — more “nontraditional” workers are getting into the industry.

“Since I’ve been here, most of the candidates that we get are not even from within the construction industry. They’re from all over — a number of teachers, professors, firefighters, line cooks, you name it. All different walks of life are attracted to our industry,” he said. Because of that excitement but

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relative lack of experience, Maine Solar Solutions started its own informal apprenticeship program before more recently receiving Dept. of Labor approval.

“When we have a new hire who’s brand new [to solar], we take them from the ground up and teach them all the skills. We set expectations around time,” Bradley said. “At their second-year mark, they should be able to get a limited residential electrician’s license, which is pretty massive. A large percentage of residential contractors in Maine have that license and operate their entire company off it.”

Rather than only considering their own business futures, the Maine solar community is collaboratively building up its industry. ReVision started a preapprenticeship program through a local adult education program and invited like-minded companies like Maine Solar Solutions to help. There have recently been increased numbers of refugee and asylum populations finding homes in Maine, and many already have electrician and construction experience. ReVision’s O’Malley said more than 60 people applied for the first pre-apprenticeship program, and the solar community is helping work through language barriers and bureaucratic roadblocks to get more qualified candidates into the industry.

“We want people to have jobs. We also want more solar. We want to take as many opportunities to grow [the industry], but we can’t do it alone,” she said. “There’s so much to be done that I don’t think we can be selfish [with employees]. We have to approach this as a community.”

Maine’s solar industry has a supportive governor and policies in place to help grow community solar and other segments. Building a capable workforce is a win for the whole state.

“There are now a lot of companies trying to make their way into the market. Before, it was just a select few folks doing solar in Maine,” Bradley said. “It’s a close-knit solar community. We work together.” SPW

“We’re building a place where people feel belonging from a lot of different backgrounds. It’s less about where you’re looking to bring people from and more about what you’re creating for people to come into and feel like they belong.”

Brie O’Malley, ReVision Energy

THE NAME YOU CAN TRUST TO BUILD QUALITY, RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS.

Former oil CEO acquires a taste for solar construction

BY BILLY LUDT

Steve Newby's path to entering the solar industry wasn't one marked by high ambitions to green the grid. He worked for 25 years in oil and gas, with a decade of that time spent running Summit Midstream Partners, a company responsible for building multi-billiondollar pipeline projects.

Instead, Newby saw growth potential in solar, something he still considers to be a young industry. So, he formed Bravo Infrastructure Group, an investment firm, intending to acquire solar contracting companies in the Atlanta, Georgia, region.

"I like to tell people I started an oil and gas company under Obama and a renewables company under Trump," he said.

The first company Newby purchased was Sunshine Solar, a commercial contractor, in 2020; and shortly after, Bravo Infrastructure acquired Radiance Solar (No. 56), a longstanding Southeast EPC, in late 2022.

"We had a belief that we wanted to vertically integrate," he said. "We were getting asked by our customers to provide services, and we wanted to integrate into the EPC world from a subcontractor, because we wanted to control our destiny a little bit more."

Over the last year, the companies combined their services under Radiance's name, handing over existing projects and duties and orienting itself for a new mission. Newby's goal is to make Radiance a solar EPC equipped

to install distributed generation projects up to 30 MW in scale nationwide. He believes the DG market is underserviced and wants to jump at the opportunity to expand there.

One area for growth within that space is building solar canopies on parking lots and garages. Carport projects only account for 10% of Radiance's total solar output now, but Newby made a move to boost that last year when Bravo Infrastructure Group acquired Atlanta solar carport manufacturer Quest Renewables.

"I built billions of dollars of energy infrastructure over my career, and solar is the hardest thing I've ever built," Newby said. "Not because of engineering or technical aspects or

Radiance Solar CEO Steve Newby entered the solar industry by acquiring PV contracting businesses and is dabbling in manufacturing after purchasing solar carport company Quest Renewables.

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hardware. That is pretty easy, frankly, vs. other things. The hard part is the logistics and supply chain."

Now, Bravo Infrastructure and Radiance have some control over their supply chain.

Radiance was Quest Renewables' biggest customer. The carport manufacturer was born from a Dept. of Energy grant-funded project administered by Georgia Tech Research Institute to build new technologies to make the solar market more competitive. After taking a hit financially during the pandemic, Quest Renewables was seeking an acquisition, and Bravo Infrastructure made the purchase.

“We’ve installed a lot of canopy systems — pretty much everybody’s system. We like Quest the best,” Newby said.

Compared to solar arrays with similar generation outputs, carports require some heavier lifting. Erecting and attaching structural supports on blacktop parking lots or multistory, concrete parking decks typically means using some style of crane powered by a certified operator.

While owned by Bravo Infrastructure, Quest is still operating independently. The manufacturer can sell to anyone, with the added ability to include installation services through Radiance. For Radiance, Quest carports will always be the first choice, but if a customer prefers to use another canopy system, Radiance won’t turn down the project.

Newby said he had no interest in starting a solar equipment manufacturer. Quest already had completed the research and development, made the designs and arranged manufacturing

contracts to make its carports. Quest was an intellectual property that Radiance supported, and a logical addition to the Bravo Infrastructure portfolio.

After acquiring two solar installation companies, consolidating those services and buying a specialized solar racking manufacturer, Newby said he’s shifting the focus to growing the business and taking on solar projects across the country.

“We're really a company that's only a year and a half old, right?” he said. SPW

Radiance Solar was Quest Renewables’ biggest client, and Newby believed in the product enough to bring it in-house.

SPW’S TOP PRODUCTS CONTEST CELEBRATES THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND SIGNIFICANT PRODUCTS AVAILABLE TO THE U.S. SOLAR AND STORAGE INDUSTRY.

The 2024 Top Products program will follow two tracks (residential and large-scale) in the following categories:

• Solar Panels

• Inverters + Power Electronics

• Racking + Mounting + Tracking

• Software + Apps

• Energy Storage

• Balance of System (BOS)

• Installation Equipment

• Solar-Plus (items that don’t

TOP PRODUCTS PRESENTED BY SOLAR POWER WORLD

WINNERS ANNOUNCED:

Winners of the 2024 Top Products contest will be announced online in December and in our December magazine. There will be an extensive social campaign on LinkedIn and Twitter to celebrate the winners.

CRITERIA:

KEY DATES:

Open for submissions: July 1, 2024

Early bird deadline ($375): Sept. 9, 2024

Final deadline ($475): Sept. 30, 2024

Entries submitted must be new products that are commercially available in the United States and have been released since January 1, 2022. [Note: After the inaugural awards campaign, new products will be restricted to having been released in the previous calendar year.] Best submissions should include a description of the product’s purpose, information on the product development process and real-life application examples. This competition will be judged by industry professionals with experience in all markets, representing the research, product development and installation sectors. Awarded products will be assessed on their originality, market promise and benefits to installers and developers.

solarpowerworldonline.com/ apply-now-top-products/

2024 AWARDS PROGRAM

Solar Power World’s 2024 special awards program showcases the companies and workers going above and beyond to make the industry more sustainable and employee-friendly. These award-winners have made strides in workforce development, solar advocacy and installation. Read about this year’s winners in the pages that follow.

Solar Power World Contractor creates sustainable HQ, expands community solar opportunities

The 2024 Greenest Contractor is an employee-owned company with a deep commitment to sustainable operations and equal green opportunities. While many Top Solar Contractors have installed solar on their headquarters, Namaste Solar (No. 160) has also invested in free EV charging and an annual campaign to bring community solar to underserved Coloradans.

Namaste installed a 100-kW solar array on its LEED-Silver-certified Denver office building and warehouse in 2018, but took it to the next step and added EV charging stations after that. The company was aided in this initiative by the Charge Ahead Colorado program, a joint venture between the Regional Air Quality Council and Colorado Energy Office that offers grants for EV charger installations to encourage diversification of transportation in Colorado. The four Level II charging stations at two locations in Boulder and its headquarters in Denver are available and free to both Namaste's employees and the community.

Namaste's employees are also eligible for substantial discounts on solar installations on their own homes to help add even more clean energy to the local grid. The company supports environmental efforts both at its headquarters and in daily life, encouraging customers to recycle old solar panels and other electronics at Boulder-based recycling company EcoCycle's Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM).

The company is also committed to expanding green opportunities for more Coloradans through its Keep the Lights On Colorado program. It's a fundraising program on behalf of nonprofit Energy Outreach Colorado that funds subscriptions to community solar projects for underserved Colorado families. SPW

“We take our responsibility to our communities and the Earth very seriously and strive to use business as a force for good. This Greenest Contractor recognition is a sign to us that we’re on the right path, a path that we’re committed to walking.”

Jason Sharpe, CEO, Namaste Solar

Solar Power World’s 2024 Most Forward-Thinking Contractor democratizes solar business with majority worker-ownership

This year's Most Forward-Thinking Contractor is building a cooperative business structure where employees can share in its success in a way not accessible at traditional workplaces.

PV Squared (No. 282), based in Greenfield, Massachusetts, has been a worker-owned cooperative since it opened its doors in 2002. The company is run by a board of directors composed of worker-owners who hold positions for three-year terms. Each worker-owner has one stake in the company, regardless of tenure.

"We're democratically governed by a self-selected board of directors," said Brittany Hathaway, marketing and community outreach specialist and a worker-owner at PV Squared. "There is democracy at every level, because we ensure that every one person gets

the same amount of weight in their opinion as the next person."

The company started with just four people but has since grown to around 48. All employees are eligible to become worker-owners, but they must spend at least one year at the company and then complete the Worker-Owner In-Training Program. The program includes assigned reading about communication and procedures for worker-owners, as well as interviews with current workerowners.

The company recently reached a milestone — over half of PV Squared's employees are now worker-owners.

PV Squared believes its values as an employee-owned company help to attract customers and is the main reason the majority of customer leads come through referrals. SPW

“PV

Squared sets itself apart from the rest by offering our workers a greater stake in the company. We’re not only acknowledging their immense talent and hard work but also ensuring they have a say in our collective future. This exemplifies a refreshing approach to business, one that recognizes the importance of shared success and empowerment.”

Brittany

Hathaway, Marketing and Community Outreach Specialist, PV Squared

“His leadership inspires a diverse team of engineers, environmentalists and dreamers who work together to harness the sun’s energy, reduce carbon footprints and create a brighter tomorrow.” — Robert Young, CFO,

SOLAR CHAMPION AWARDS

Top Solar Top Solar

“Jeffrey’s attention to detail and installation efficiency allows Enterprise Electric to be one of the most competitive solar installers in Oregon in the multifamily rooftop solar market.” Jared Hillock, Electrician and Co-owner, Enterprise Electric

Lee Spruill, director of learning and development at North Carolinabased Blue Ridge Power.

Spruill has been instrumental in designing and implementing Blue Ridge's workforce development program to meet IRA requirements. Blue Ridge's PowerUp PreApprenticeship and Apprenticeship Programs have paved the way for well-paying careers in solar that attract a wide net of workers and help to diversify the solar workforce.

Spruill's dedication to education comes from his background as a school principal. This experience helps Spruill understand the challenges current students face when choosing a career path and tailor the Blue Ridge program to those interested in the trades. He has formed partnerships with the Cumberland County School District and local community colleges to offer high school and college students opportunities to enter the solar workforce with on-the-job training paired with academic credit.

“Lee has also built in ways for pre-apprentices and apprentices to advance within our company, recognizing that career mobility is critical for employee satisfaction and

Hulme, Director of

CEO Scott McCafferty 310.279.3844 smccafferty@wtwhmedia.com

Executive Vice President Marshall Matheson 805.895.3609 mmatheson@wtwhmedia.com

Senior Vice President Courtney Nagle cseel@wtwhmedia.com 440.523.1685 LEADERSHIP TEAM

The solar industry is constantly evolving into emerging markets through product innovation. Success would not be possible without the ingenuity and determination of our leaders. These individuals and companies are working for the growth of the entire renewable energy industry.

The future of the industry will build on the foundation of today’s efforts. Solar Power World would like to acknowledge such achievements in leadership. These accomplishments in racking and mounting, inverters, modules and more are what drive those gigawatts and create jobs.

We think they deserve recognition from you, too. Vote online for one or more of the companies listed through October.

SOLAR POWER WORLD does not pass judgment on subjects of controversy nor enter into disputes with or between any individuals or organizations.

SOLAR POWER WORLD is also an independent forum for the expression of opinions relevant to industry issues. Letters to the editor and by-lined articles express the views of the author and not necessarily of the publisher or publication. Every effort is made to provide accurate information. However, the publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of submitted advertising and editorial information. Non-commissioned articles and news releases cannot be acknowledged. Unsolicited materials cannot be returned nor will this organization assume responsibility for their care.

SOLAR POWER WORLD does not endorse any products, programs, or services of advertisers or editorial contributors. Copyright©2024 by WTWH Media, LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, or by recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher.

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SOLAR POWER WORLD - VOLUME 14 ISSUE 3 - (ISSN2164-7135) is published 7 times per year: January, March, May, July, September, November and December by WTWH Media, LLC, 1111 Superior Avenue, 26th Floor, Cleveland, Ohio 44114. Periodicals postage paid at Cleveland, OH and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Solar Power World; 1111 Superior Avenue, 26th Floor, Cleveland, Ohio 44114. WTWH Media,

Solar Power World July 2024

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Congratulations to the 2024 Top Solar Contractors!

– Solar Power World Editors

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Contractor meticulously installs solar on oldest church in US

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Michigan Solar Solutions brings crew to San Diego to show what the Midwest is made of

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California installer weathers NEM 3.0 storm with high-tech service department

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Rural Oregon solar installer finds niche in multifamily housing

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Ohio EPC replenishes Northern Bobwhite quail habitat with native grass solar array

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West Virginia solar installer uses Cesar Chavez connection to promote community kindness

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DC COMBINER BOXES

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Bringing big-city solar experience back home

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Pennsylvania solar installer works through cancer diagnosis on the roof

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Maine solar installers join forces on workforce development

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Former oil CEO acquires a taste for solar construction

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TOP PRODUCTS PRESENTED BY SOLAR POWER WORLD

WINNERS ANNOUNCED:

CRITERIA:

KEY DATES:

2024 AWARDS PROGRAM

Solar Power World Contractor creates sustainable HQ, expands community solar opportunities