Solar Power World July 2023

NEC 2023 PACKS

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NEC 2017 PACKS

NEC 2014 PACKS

NEC 2011 PACKS IN STOCK - NOW

THIS IS BUILDING IS SUPPLIED BY MULTIPLE SOURCES OF POWER WITH DISCONNECTS LOCATED AS SHOWN:

something’s in the air

Have you been feeling it too? The excitement for solar from contractors and customers alike has been vibrating for months. Federal support for solar and storage has reinvigorated an already buzzing market. We know solar contractors already enjoyed their work, but, wow, does it feel great to be given the tools to do even more!

We at Solar Power World are excited to present the 2023 class of Top Solar Contractors. We see your increasing kilowatt installation numbers and are so glad everyone is busier than ever meeting the call to build more renewable energy and build it fast. We hope you’ll take a moment to celebrate everything that has brought you to this moment.

Accelerated success means the U.S. solar industry is entering its consolidation era — you might notice our No. 1 contractor this year is securely in the top position due to the merging of a few companies. Still, there are 57 first-time listees on the 2023 Top Solar Contractors List, which shows the market is healthy and competitive. New tax credits will encourage even more entrants and plenty more customers.

Thirty-six companies featured on the list this year started business in 2009, the most popular year to start an installation company. If so many have ridden the solarcoaster of the last 14 years and are still growing in kilowatts and customer satisfaction, then this Solar+ Decade will be one to watch. We look forward to witnessing the country’s increasing success through the 2020s and beyond.

No company featured on the Top Solar Contractors List could have landed where it is without the dedicated individuals pushing it forward. Make sure to check out our individual Solar Champions awards in this issue; we’re especially proud of their contributions to the industry.

Thank you for your dedication to solar!

Billy Ludt @SolarBillyL

Kelly Pickerel @SolarKellyP

Kelsey Misbrener @SolarKelseyM

APA

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SOLAR POWER WORLD - VOLUME 13 ISSUE 4 - (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 o ces.

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The 2023 Top Solar Contractors have momentum on their side. Federal solar incentives paved the way for a big solar year in 2022, and contractors put up the installation numbers to meet the moment.

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TOP SOLAR CONTRACTORS IN THE UNITED STATES

TOP SOLAR CONTRACTORS IN THE UNITED STATES

TOP SOLAR CONTRACTORS IN THE UNITED STATES

TOP SOLAR CONTRACTORS IN THE UNITED STATES

New Era Electric specializes in renewable energy and electrical contracting. From ground mounts to rooftops to battery storage to solar carport installations, New Era Electric, is your project solution.

TOP SOLAR CONTRACTORS IN THE UNITED STATES

TOP SOLAR CONTRACTORS IN THE UNITED STATES

Find out how Aurora’s new Plan Sets feature can help you expedite your permitting process with our done-for-you service so you can get back to doing what you do best, selling and installing solar.

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MASTER

The 2023 class of Top Solar Contractors stands out in many ways, and not just in the number of kilowatts they install. In this special section, we feature companies pioneering new training programs, innovating to bring solar power to organizations in need and even inventing their own solar structures to deploy more clean energy across the country.

SUNSTALL

SHINE SOLAR

ASTRAWATT SOLAR

SUNWORKS

SOUTH SOUND SOLAR

BLUE RIDGE POWER

BROOKLYN SOLARWORKS

NOVEL ENERGY SOLUTIONS

NORWICH SOLAR

Missouri installer franchises its top-reviewed business

BY KELLY PICKEREL

While franchises are a common sight — fast food restaurants, oil change shops and hair salons are around every corner — the franchise model isn’t prevalent in the solar industry. There are many national installation brands, but they use that name recognition to keep things under one banner. Or mom-andpop shops pride themselves on their small size and dedication to their communities. Astrawatt Solar (No. 227) has found that franchising keeps the best of both sides — local business owners get the support of a larger brand while still providing solar customers with a close-to-home experience.

“Our goal is to be the largest solar sales and installation company through a network of franchisees in the country, and within probably five to six years we should be able to achieve that,” said Astrawatt CEO Keith Murphy.

It’s quite the bold, yet still attainable, goal from a company that began in a Kansas City, Missouri, garage in 2016. That’s when Murphy decided to use his years of

installation experience to start his own solar business. From the beginning, he wanted to do things differently.

“We’re not pushy salespeople. We don’t put out misleading advertisements. Our approach is truly a consultative approach,” he said. “We sell solar, obviously, but it’s more so helping customers through their journey, answering their questions, making sure they understand the federal tax credit.”

With Astrawatt’s humble beginnings — Murphy was at one time mowing lawns on the side to make money for marketing — the company was able to build a strong foundation in the community and has plenty of glowing customer reviews online. Astrawatt has been featured on the Inc. 5000 list for the last three years and is one of the fastest-growing companies in Kansas City. This success led Murphy to open additional Astrawatt locations in St. Louis and Houston, while still holding on to the same mission.

“We’ve grown pretty fast and quite a bit,” he said. “And our five-star reviews

haven’t faltered because of it, which is something we’re very proud of.”

Astrawatt’s Houston location is co-owned by Tyler Tucker, a former solar colleague of Murphy’s who reached out and asked to partner in Texas. Tucker was ready to start his own solar business, but Murphy already had that strong foundation. It would be easier to partner than to start from scratch. It was only after successfully operating the Houston branch for a few years that someone pointed out that it was operating like a franchise.

“I went through this mentorship program, and my mentor asked if we’d ever thought about franchising. I was like, ‘No, that’s dumb. Why?’” Murphy said. “He’s like, ‘Well, your Houston location is pretty much a franchise.’ Wow, it is, isn’t it? It’s working. We didn’t even know what we were doing. That was the nudge — we’re going to start franchising.”

The Astrawatt franchise program was unveiled in early 2022, and franchisees are already set up in Oklahoma, New York, Tennessee, Florida and Arizona — with more

ACROSS AMERICA

starting the process right now. Murphy said he’s only aware of a few other solar franchises, but Astrawatt appears to be the only that got its start in the solar industry rather than as a franchise business model.

Astrawatt receives multiple franchisee requests each day, but all applicants are vetted to ensure they fit the Astrawatt brand. Franchisees are required to be vertically integrated to provide sales and installation — no subcontracting. Before unveiling the franchisee to the community, the new sites have to complete the Astrawatt training program, which covers every position, from sales to marketing and project management to installation. In addition, franchisees are encouraged to attend Solar Energy International and NABCEP courses.

“Our goal is simple: stay true to our values and our mission to provide better experiences,” Murphy said. “And [we] offer a solution to people that want to get in the solar industry, where they can get access to financing and vendor and manufacturer relationships, and our processes, branding, training.”

The franchise model has allowed Astrawatt to grow without losing sight of its mission. Murphy himself couldn’t operate an Astrawatt branch in New York while living in Missouri and continue to provide customers with the proper solar experience.

“The main attraction for us to become a franchisor was local ownership and having someone who not just wants to succeed but is invested in succeeding. Their livelihood is on the line, just like my livelihood is on the line as a small business owner,” he said. “We don’t want people just punching the clock as a manager of a location. Local ownership is the most important factor in how customers are being treated. The process isn’t being handled by a project manager in Phoenix; it’s being managed by someone who is your neighbor.”

Murphy is continuing to focus on the day-to-day operations of the original Astrawatt branches, but he expects the franchise side to soon require more of his attention.

“My goal was never to become a franchise; it just happened to work out that way,” he said. “It's been really cool to see.” SPW

one of the country’s top EPC S builds pathways to careers in solar

BY BILLY LUDT

The U.S. solar industry has the responsibility of creating an unprecedented workforce to meet the growing need for solar PV output in this country. That demand for renewable energy deployment is bolstered by federal subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act and upheld by the existential threat of climate change.

While the tax credits in the IRA are enticing for developers and project owners, the apprenticeship and prevailing wages required to receive these subsidies are a wrinkle in planning. Solar contractors are in charge of developing this workforce, which has been a longtime challenge for the industry. According to a survey conducted for Solar Power World’s Top Solar Contractors List, 74% of respondents have struggled to find qualified employees in their respective territories.

Blue Ridge Power (No. 9) of Asheville, North Carolina, created a workforce development program in 2022 to address employment demands at its own company.

Since it started last summer, PowerUp has trained more than 200 people for employment at Blue Ridge Power.

“We think we offer a really great deal for people who are interested in a career,” said Eric Grant, senior director of learning and development at Blue Ridge Power. “If you’re joining a company that is an EPC, rather than joining a company that is a subcontractor or a temp company, that worker has the opportunity to advance within that company and grow into a solar career.”

Blue Ridge specializes in construction of solar projects that are 75 MW and larger, which requires many workers who must travel around its install territory throughout the Southeast and Texas.

Blue Ridge runs PowerUp from its facilities in North Carolina and Texas. The instructional programs cover training options for all ages and experience levels — including no construction experience at all.

Students in high school and college can earn credits for enrolling in PowerUp Internships, where they’ll learn the day-today operations of a solar EPC company. Blue Ridge partnered with high schools and community colleges in nearby counties to offer pre-apprenticeships to students interested in solar careers.

“We wanted to give an opportunity for younger people to get into solar, into recognizing that there’s great potential out there for a long-term career that can pay well, where there’s upward mobility, there’s opportunity … other than saying your options are college, military or working at a service industry job,” Grant said.

PowerUp Academy is a one-week training course that puts trainees in the field to practice installation, giving everyone a chance to have hands-on time with solar hardware and act as a crew leader. While there is instruction in a classroom, the course also simulates the conditions in which solar installers work to make the

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experience realistic. Students stay in hotel rooms like installers do when traveling to build an array. They work outside to get acclimated with building in heat and inclement weather.

The instructors said people who complete PowerUp have an easier time transitioning to on-the-job work, and Blue Ridge’s employee retention rate has increased from the program.

“When I came into the solar industry, I got no training,” said Edwin Martinez Cuascut, lead PowerUp instructor. “I was thrown out there to the wolves and it’s really hard and frustrating because people, when they’re under too much stress or they don’t understand something, tend to give up. But we build them up to a certain level throughout a one-week course training — we get them up to speed so they can actually be successful in the field.”

Those who complete the one-week academy are eligible for the PowerUp Apprenticeship, a U.S. Dept. of Laborrecognized, two-year program giving those enrolled several thousand hours of real-time solar installation experience. The apprenticeship program was approved by the DOL the day before the IRA was passed.

One of Blue Ridge’s goals with PowerUp is to create long-term careers at its company, guiding trainees from the earliest instruction through to completing an apprenticeship and becoming a full-time employee. That intent extends through other efforts, like recognizing and fostering students and employees that excel in leadership positions.

“We are able to take 18-year-old high school students, work with them, train them, evaluate them, put them out onto our sites,” Grant said. “These are young, sharp people who are interested and have skills and knowledge, and they’ve bought into who we are as a company. These are our future leaders. We are seeing this as: Our workforce development doesn’t end on the site. Our workforce development continues all the way through a career with Blue Ridge Power.” SPW

Intricacies of NYC construction make installer the voice of a niche market

BY KELLY PICKEREL

New York City appears to be a dreamland for solar installers — with millions of identical residential rooftops and few trees casting shade, who wouldn’t capitalize on this endless opportunity?

But the city’s complicated fire safety and building code requirements mean not many installers make the effort. That’s why Brooklyn SolarWorks (No. 280) finds itself in a unique spot. Through development of its own canopy and tilt-rack designs, BSW is dominating NYC flat-roof solar. Because

of that complex understanding, BSW CEO TR Ludwig — for better or worse — is also a significant voice in state policymaking.

“We have some really important things that just so happen to be occurring when we’re alive and in our careers right now in the city. I just don’t want it to be ignored,” he said. “We have been able to advocate for very good things here for solar. Being involved in it, and making sure that it happens the way we want it to happen, is really important, and not to just leave this

policymaking to policymakers, but have it come from the folks that are really going to make it happen. It’s pretty critical right now. If I wasn’t doing it, I’d be lobbing in suggestions to the people that were.”

BSW and other city players are currently navigating new building codes that require railings on all flat roofs. Even when safety measures are not relevant, railings are still required, which can limit solar generation.

“This last year was kind of the year of the railing — you couldn’t get a solar

system built without putting up railings,” Ludwig said. “We would try to keep the design intact, but we would add in railings that are required and hope they don’t shade the solar system. We’ve been struggling with FDNY and the Dept. of Buildings, trying to get a clearer view on what they want.”

Ludwig works with state organizations like NYSEIA to ensure BSW’s city-specific solar perspective is heard.

“I weigh in on residential stuff statewide, but New York City is such a big animal in itself,” he said.

Energy storage is also a significant policy focus for NYC advocates. The city has strict indoor battery installation codes, which has led many vendors to shy away from entering the complicated market. The rest of the state is installing batteries without issue, so BSW is working to make sure policymakers understand these holdbacks.

“Obviously, this stuff is relatively safe, it’s being deployed en masse throughout the country. You just can’t do it here right now,” Ludwig said. “That needs to change, but this goes back to that New York City-

specific [way of doing business]. A lot of people just don’t want to [try installing here]. We’ve always been on the edge, whether we like it or not, of making it happen.”

While advocating takes up a lot of BSW’s time, so does installing. The company logged nearly 2.5 MW of solar in New York City last year, all on flat roofs. The company’s canopy and tilt-rack place panels above roof obstructions and keep them high enough for firefighter access. NYC residents also seem to respect that BSW is local.

“Having the canopy and being able to immediately get a large solar system up on a roof is great. For folks working on pitched roofs all the time [who] then try and come into a brownstone or a row house — it’s not the same thing,” Ludwig said. “Our install crews are super privy to all that, and it shows that people enjoy working with us because they know we are not coming in from New Jersey or somewhere. If they need to find us, we’re right down the road.”

Ludwig said there are enough tailwinds right now, with extra incentives in the IRA, that solar and storage will continue to grow

in NYC despite some of the building code setbacks.

“The density of New York City is like no other. As storage starts to evolve, even if that starts to expand slightly, that’s a whole other market opportunity for us, crossselling back to our existing base,” he said. “Although it seems niche, the market is quite large because we’re in New York City. There are just blocks of flat roofs anywhere you look.” SPW

A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST DON’T WANT TO [TRY INSTALLING HERE].

WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN ON THE EDGE, WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, OF MAKING IT HAPPEN.

Vermont contractor brings needed savings to dairy farmers with community solar

BY KELSEY MISBRENER

Vermont is the most rural-populated state in the nation, illustrated by its rolling green mountains dotted with rustic old barns and grazing cows. But small farmers in this pastoral state have struggled in recent years due to increasing costs and competition from bigger operations. From 2012 to 2022, the number of small Vermont dairy farms decreased by 44%, according to independent newspaper Seven Days

The small dairy farms still in business are looking to cut costs and boost revenue in any way possible — including saving on electricity with solar power.

Since margins are already tight, many of these farms can't afford to purchase solar outright. But Vermont-based Norwich Solar (No. 156) found a way to make solar work for farms with no upfront costs.

Toward the end of 2019, Norwich had a growing pipeline of community solar projects in development. A lot of the larger schools and towns in the state had already subscribed to Norwich or other contractors' projects, so the company was looking for new segments to target.

"We came up with the idea to start what we were calling the 'Small Business Community Solar Alliance,' so we were going

to go out and target all kinds of small- to medium-sized businesses that really hadn't been served well by community solar in the past," said Kevin Davis, VP of sales at Norwich.

He was planning to hire a dedicated salesperson for the job in 2020, but then the pandemic hit and crushed any face-toface sales plans. Instead, Norwich found broker Solar on Earth to help with customer acquisition. Solar on Earth had found success in subscribing farms to community solar projects in Upstate New York, so the group got to work on dairy farms in Vermont.

They found an eager customer base. To date, more than 50 farms have subscribed to Norwich community solar projects. Farmers sign on to 15- to 25-year contracts with Norwich that yield up to 10% savings on their utility bills from Green Mountain Power.

"Norwich Solar really wants to support local businesses, and that includes agriculture. Whatever we can do to help businesses and farmers save money, be more efficient and meet their financial goals, that's part of our mission," said Diana Wood, director of marketing and outreach at Norwich.

Over a dozen 500-kW projects providing power to these dairy farms are either

operational or close to completion at this point. But community solar isn't the only way for farms to save money with solar. Norwich has also leased land from dairy farms that isn’t suited for crops or grazing to build community solar farms.

"There's lots of different ways they can participate. We're even now looking to lease rooftops on barns where they've got a big barn roof, but maybe they don't have the financing to build their own project. So we'll come in, and instead of leasing the land, we’ll lease the roof and build a solar project on the rooftop and do the same community solar model," Davis said.

Norwich is planning to expand community solar for farms to other states after its success in Vermont, first trying the model in Maine and New Hampshire. And there are still plenty of Vermont dairy farms that may be interested in saving some money on electricity.

"Their costs are going up and their revenues are going down, so any way that they can save money on their expenses is great. Signing up for community solar, [with] no out-of-pocket costs, and they're going to save 10% or so on their electric bills — that's meaningful," Davis said. SPW

Minnesota developer thrives in Maine community solar market

BY BILLY LUDT

Community solar has a unique offtake arrangement when compared to other styles and scales of solar projects. Unlike traditional residential or commercial arrays, community solar projects have a subscription model that gives nearby residents and business owners the opportunity to subscribe to a portion of the project and, in return, have a fixed monthly utility bill, often lower than their typical energy rates.

Not every state has approved a community solar program, but favorable policy for the community solar market is growing, and some solar contractors are making it their primary installation focus. One of those companies is Novel Energy Solutions (No. 88) of Minnesota.

“Community solar has a direct community impact and allows for significant scale,” said Skylar Werde, chief revenue officer for Novel Energy Solutions (NES). “From a subscriber perspective, it provides an opportunity to save money on energy while participating in the renewable movement with no investment and begins as soon as the energy hits the grid. For us, the wins are even greater, as we provide landowners with long-term leases on their land that in many cases takes stagnant land and turns it into a maintenance-free cash crop. It’s a win-win-win.”

NES was founded by a fifth-generation Minnesotan farmer and has a long history in the Midwest. Yet, the company has had recent success with community solar installations in a different region — New England. Minnesota has a robust community solar program, but the bulk of NES’s recent work is in Maine. The company has installed more than 100 MW of community solar in Maine, bringing 22 MW online in 2022 alone.

Werde said community solar’s stable, reliable prices are enticing for customers in Maine, who have experienced a recent rash of utility energy price hikes. Ironically, state utility regulators have issued these cost increases because of the solar subsidies enacted in

Maine, according to The Bangor Daily News.

Community solar allows residents who don’t have space for a solar array to still benefit from renewable energy. While its presence isn’t widespread yet in Maine, NES sees big potential in this burgeoning market.

“Maine’s program and communities operate much like Minnesota in many ways and presented a much easier opportunity for NES to break into,” Werde said. “We look for states where we can partner with landowners and community members to generate a real benefit for both subscribers and the communities we build in.”

Community solar is only possible within a state that has policy allowing its development. Then, contractors building these projects must arrange agreements with utilities to build the subscriber models. Since policy can dictate community solar growth, NES has staff that works with the associations, the public utilities commission and state utilities that govern

Maine’s community solar program.

“One important lesson we have learned over our 11 years of experience in the community solar market is the necessity of being agile and adaptable,” Werde said. “The development of large-scale community solar projects is not always linear, and unexpected challenges can arise.”

NES uses its in-house team called “Join Solar” to engage with communities it’s building in and educate them about community solar, covering steps in the development process from construction to subscriber allocation. Werde said its subscription management team similarly keeps education a priority while talking to its customer base, answering any questions regarding the program and its benefits.

Novel Energy is maintaining its trajectory in community solar development, identifying new markets viable for these arrays, and laying down roots in the states that already encourage them. SPW

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Arkansas installer meets strict licensing requirements with in-house training program

BY KELSEY MISBRENER

When a state's solar market starts to take off, one of the first major growing pains is sorting out solar licensing requirements, or lack thereof.

Arkansas jumped from 35th to 30th in the nation for solar installations in 2022, with about 16 installers and developers working in the state, according to SEIA. Residential installer Shine Solar (No. 137), based in Rogers, Arkansas, is one of those companies and has been closely involved with licensing and regulation standards for this up-and-coming solar state.

While most states require contractors to hold an electrician's license to perform solar PV installations, Arkansas currently takes it one step further. The state mandates that everyone working on a project either be a registered apprentice or a licensed electrician.

The Arkansas Board of Electrical Examiners in charge of administrating electrical licensing laws was pushing for a new four-year program for a solar electrician license, but the program and classes would be nearly identical to a regular electrical apprentice. After all that schooling, the worker would only be able to install solar and not perform other electrical work.

"That really cripples the ability to do business, because we would not only have to have solar electricians, we would [also] have to have journeyman electricians to come and do a panel alteration or a service upgrade or trench work or anything like that, because by definition, a solar electrician wouldn't be able to do it," Trudo said.

So Trudo got involved with the Arkansas Workforce Development Board to help with their efforts to define the job of solar installers, including their responsibilities and the licensing required. He said the board has made some good progress on an equitable educational path, with more work to be done.

For now, the state isn’t strictly ensuring that everyone

"The struggle that we've been seeing in Arkansas particularly has just been the balance between, what does a solar installer look like and what is the licensing that's needed for that [vs.] for an electrician?" said Chris Trudo, president of operations and fulfillment for Shine Solar.

CALLING ALL TOP UTILITY CONTRACTORS

on every solar jobsite is meeting the current rules to be either an electrical apprentice or licensed electrician. Trudo said some companies are skating by without meeting those metrics, but Shine is determined to hit the high standards.

For a while, the company tried to get employees trained at the local community college. They were logging plenty of the required on-the-job hours, but the company operates in six states, so life on the road made getting to in-person class difficult.

"So I challenged our team to look at, 'Hey, let's start our own school. Let's look at what that takes,'" Trudo said.

A fusion of online and in-person classroom hours combined with on-thejob training turned out to meet the state's requirements. Shine Solar Academy was approved and went live in October 2022. The program includes both a two-year residential electrical wiring license and a four-year journeyman electrical license. The class meets Tuesday nights at Shine headquarters and via Zoom for those working out of town. There are currently

35 students enrolled in the program, with seven set to get their licenses this year.

"The great thing is, when they're able to graduate through the program and they take their tests and get the license, their pay continues to climb up as they go through that first year, second year, third and then fourth, as a journeyman," Trudo said. "Then they jump in already knowing our system, the quality, what our expectations are, and really just go right to work. It's very sustainable, scalable and, so, it's been awesome."

The program is offered at no cost to employees — Shine just asks that they commit to staying with the company for a set number of years after receiving their licenses. Growing an internal pipeline of increasingly skilled workers pays off for Shine in the long run with higherquality installations and positive customer relationships.

"Our company is really, really committed to compliance, and that's been really good thing for us. As times get difficult or the market changes, the

decisions you make regarding compliance come back in a positive way," Trudo said.

While the state is still working through solar licensing rules for the growing industry, Shine is hoping to be a few steps ahead with its in-house training options. SPW

I CHALLENGED OUR TEAM TO LOOK AT, ‘HEY, LET’S START OUR OWN SCHOOL. LET’S LOOK AT WHAT THAT TAKES.’

Washington contractor serves community by solving puzzling projects

BY KELLY PICKEREL

Every solar project has its complexities, be it tricky layouts or challenging interconnections. Kirk Haffner, president of South Sound Solar (No. 327), has made a name for his Olympia, Washington-based company as a problem solver.

“I've been involved with the community for many years. We have a very solid reputation that's been hard earned, both with utilities and AHJs,” he said. “If there’s something that’s a bit of a puzzle, they’ll call Kirk. I like that.”

Some of the more puzzling projects South Sound Solar has taken on since forming in 2008 involve nonprofits and community-based organizations. From affordable housing to youth services and food banks, there’s no solar project that the company can’t take on, Haffner said.

“Merritt Manor and Camp Quixote — those were ones that our expertise came into play,” he said. “Other installers said it couldn’t be done, and I said yes.”

Merritt Manor is a low-income housing development with 82 apartments that now tap into a 126-kW solar array across the shared roof. In order to win a state grant for the project, South Sound Solar had to convince the building owner to remove individual tenant meters and instead use one building meter. Haffner worked out an algorithm using

historical energy data, apartment occupancy and more to have the building owner appropriately charge each apartment for their energy usage, while still passing on the solar savings.

“It was about six, eight months of really hard work to come up with a solid plan,” Haffner said. “And we did it and got the solar installed. But also — utilities charge you each month for the privilege of having a meter. So we just eliminated [an additional cost] for lowincome people because they don’t have to pay the basic meter fee.”

Quixote Village is a tiny home community at the site of a former tent city called Camp Quixote. Thirty tiny homes now shelter the previously homeless people, and South Sound Solar was able to install solar panels on each home and the site’s central community building. Another difficult “campus environment” solar project, the utility and AHJ wanted a shutoff on each building. Haffner was able to negotiate one full-service disconnect at the community building instead.

“It was a little bit complicated, a convoluted design, but I knew I could figure it out,” Haffner said. “I told them that you’ve got much more of a concern when you have these tiny houses with electric baseboard heaters and everything stacked in front. With solar, we’ve

made it more safe.”

In addition to 86 panels installed on the community building, each tiny home has four 60-cell panels. The specific panel size was an important consideration Haffner made months before South Sound Solar even knew it would be working on the Quixote Village project.

“I took a risk. I was confident enough that we would win that project that I purchased the 60-cell panels a half-year in advance,” he said. “I assumed the cost because the industry is going into a 66-cell panel. I knew I could fit four 60-cell panels on the roofs. I couldn’t fit four 66-cell panels.”

A core tenet for South Sound Solar is to give back to the community, and many of these complicated projects are well worth it in the end, Haffner said.

“A big part of being a nonprofit or a community-based organization is chasing funding. They have to apply for hundreds of grants to win only a few in order to keep their operations going. They’re providing critical services,” he said. “I feel really strongly that this is something we can do in a very physical, practical way to support those organizations, not to just throw money at them. Give them something that helps lower their operation costs and give them something to feel good about — solar!” SPW

Large-scale solar contractor won’t be fenced in by its vertical solar racking

BY BILLY LUDT

Finding a solar contractor that offers one service and one service only is rare nowadays. Out of necessity, installers are developing post-installation maintenance plans, learning to install roofing, pairing EV chargers with PV and adding many other types of complementary services to fill new gaps as this industry grows.

Following that trend, a large-scale contractor from Novato, California, had an idea for a ground-mount solar structure, and decided to build the solution itself instead of pitching the idea to an existing manufacturer. Sunstall (No. 75) debuted

Sunzaun, its proprietary vertical solar racking, in 2022 on a solar project built at a California vineyard.

“Zaun” is the German word for fence, and that is exactly what Sunzaun is meant to be: a solar-generating fence.

In 2019, Sunstall CEO Helge Biernath saw examples of vertical solar fencing, but found those racking systems were customized for each project and made with more expensive and less efficient means than a manufactured solution would offer. Sunstall was founded in 2011 as an installation company specializing in ground-

mounted projects and has worked with a range of racking and tracker foundations. So, Biernath said, developing this solar racking in-house made sense.

“When you’re working for 12 years in that space, I mean, you’ve seen it all. We’ve been from the beginning part of the design of multiple [racking] systems,” he said.

A lot of the interest in Sunzaun comes from its potential for dual-use, like “agrivoltaics,” or the symbiotic pairing of a solar installation with agriculture. Certain plant species thrive in environments with partial shading, and since it is a fence

covered in solar panels, Sunzaun will cast shadows. Yet Biernath hopes developers will find many other applications for Sunzaun too.

“I think you need a little bit more in this niche than just ‘you sell the solar racking.’ It has to be a solution-driven approach,” he said. “Agrivoltaics is one piece of the puzzle. We call it solar architecture. Is it now residential as a fence? Or is it something along I-5 because we need the whole freeway system full of vertical solar, because we need every electron for every car if we go to EVs?”

Sunzaun is designed to host bifacial solar modules, and because it’s a vertical racking, there is an expected performance cut when compared to a solar array

installed at more optimal tilt-angles. Vertical installations have historically performed better in northern latitudes, where they’ll have a steadier output compared to the “duck curve” of midday sun from southfacing arrays.

But Biernath believes wherever solar can be installed, it should be installed, and solar fencing can fit into many places.

“It’s not as efficient as the perfectly adjusted system,” he said. “We get that, but it doesn’t matter. We need more electrons.”

Sunzaun is still in its early stages of public availability. The California vineyard array is its first and only project so far, but the racking has been wind-tested and is currently undergoing UL certifications.

Biernath said development is underway on other arrays using the vertical racking.

Sunstall will continue working on large solar projects as an installation subcontractor and hopes to eventually install the solar fencing for customers as Sunzaun reaches greater public availability. Biernath hopes clients will see the potential in Sunzaun and come to the contractor with unique ideas for vertical solar projects.

“Give the people just the concept in general and wait for the ideas to come of what they see for their business,” he said.

SPW

DG installer makes recycling standard procedure for decommissioning projects

BY KELSEY MISBRENER

Nearly 20 years after the birth of the solar investment tax credit (ITC), many early solar adopters are seeking a refresh of their old arrays in favor of new technology. Even if the panels are still producing, new module, inverter and battery technology that far surpasses their current array’s performance can be inspiration enough to decommission and reinstall a system.

Utah-based Sunworks (No. 80) is a commercial installer that expanded to residential work with an acquisition of Solcius in 2021. The company saw an uptick in decommissioning projects around 2021 and pieced together a plan to recycle almost 300 old panels so they didn't end up in a landfill. But Sunworks realized it needed a more comprehensive partnership to streamline recycling on future projects.

"There is going to be a transition as businesses and homeowners decide to upgrade to new panels. We wanted to be positioned correctly to be able to help our customers and to do the environmentally responsible thing, to take care of them the right way," said Sarah Willis, SVP of marketing and communications at Sunworks.

Sunworks' environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) advisory committee, consisting of over a dozen employees, got to work researching the best recycling providers to hire. In the end, the company inked a long-term national partnership with Massachusetts-based electronic recycling company ZEEP in August 2022, which has since sold its solar panel recycling business to Commercial Solar Panel Recycling (CSPR). Sunworks chose ZEEP because of the company’s ability to recycle every element of a solar module.

"What we really liked about their program is that the methods that they use to recycle get you to a point where nothing goes to the landfill, which was pretty incredible," Willis said.

ZEEP also recycles some other solar project components too, like inverters and batteries. The company then provides written documentation detailing where the products were disposed for customer ESG reporting purposes.

Sunworks passes the cost of recycling on to the customer during decommissions, but Willis said that extra fee is not a deterrent.

"Especially in a commercial scenario, that's going to be part of their expectations," she said. "They have their own requirements to be compliant to, and recycling is naturally a part of a component of that."

Willis has noticed the topic of ESG and recycling coming up more and more in conversations with prospective clients.

"Things like recycling are definitely part of the consideration process. Companies want to make sure that their supply chain is acting responsibly as it relates to the environment," she said.

As more companies look to decommission their old solar systems in favor of fresh installs, Willis expects recycling to become a necessary service to win a bid.

"Right now we're talking about it and it's like, 'Oh, that's a differentiator.' As we move forward, having an established recycling program, I think that's going to be just an expectation that any client is going to have of their provider," she said.

Solar Power World’s TSC special awards program honors the companies and individuals making the industry more innovative, inclusive and sustainable. These two companies and four employees nominated by their peers and selected by SPW editors showcase the best in solar leadership during a time of great industry growth.

solar power world’s 2023 greenest contractor matches its community’s environmental goals

The Greenest Contractor award celebrates the greenest contractors making their companies and communities as environmentally friendly as possible.

Wilmington, North Carolina, is a city bordered by the ocean-fed Cape Fear River, a cluster of coastal islands, protected land and public beaches. This historic city draws many visitors for its natural features, and Wilmington established sustainability goals many years ago to reduce carbon production, transition to alternative energy sources and reduce waste to preserve the area’s natural beauty.

As a solar contractor headquartered in Wilmington, Cape Fear Solar Systems (No. 178) is following the city’s lead and enacting its own green changes at a company level.

The first development in Cape Fear’s ongoing sustainable expansion is the company’s new solar array on one of its warehouses. The modules were installed in the shape of the U.S. flag, which commuters on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge or passengers on flights from Wilmington International Airport can see from above.

Cape Fear plans to build several solar-powered facilities that will serve different purposes for its operations, customer base and the Wilmington community. Phase 2 will include a fourstory office building, an electric vehicle charging station covered by a solar canopy and a net-zero home that will be used for demonstrations. In Phase 3, Cape Fear will construct several multi-family buildings that will also be powered by solar. SPW

“We are honored to be a finalist for the 2023 Greenest Contractor Award by Solar Power World magazine. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team in promoting sustainability within our facility and throughout our local communities. At Cape Fear Solar Systems, we strongly believe in the importance of environmental sustainability, and our new warehouse is evidence of this commitment with the use of solar energy, geothermal climate control and campus-wide recycling. It’s our mission to empower our region to live better by making it easy and affordable for home- and business-owners to go solar, creating a greener future for our region.”

ROBERT PARKER • COO • CAPE FEAR SOLAR SYSTEMS

the 2023 Most Forward-Thinking Contractor fights for climate justice with workforce development program

The Most Forward-Thinking Contractor award celebrates solar installers devoted to making progress in energy and beyond in hopes of a more sustainable future.

The demand for solar deployment has never been greater, and so too has the need for people qualified to install the renewable energy source. Recognizing that struggle, Solar Landscape (No. 71), a community solar contractor from Asbury Park, New Jersey, created a workforce development program called STEP-UP (Solar Training and Education Partnership for Underserved Populations).

An unfortunate reality of renewable energy development is that the technology is often installed where people can afford it, and not necessarily for the people who need it most. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published a report in 2021 that found underserved communities, which commonly have greater populations

of people of color, are the places most affected by climate change.

Solar Landscape is addressing both employment demands and issues of climate justice through STEP-UP, a program that was recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Energy with a Sunny Award for Equitable Community Solar earlier this year. STEP-UP has trained close to 1,200 people, focusing on residents from low-income communities and creating solar career opportunities in the process.

Solar Landscape partners with community organizations to find people interested in the multi-day program that covers entry-level solar installation training. STEP-UP graduates can find employment anywhere in the industry, and

Solar Landscape has hired a few workers straight from the program, which is offered in New Jersey, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico and new states to be announced. Solar Landscape is helping to grow renewable energy career opportunities for people who may normally be left out. SPW

“We’re excited that Solar Landscape has been considered a finalist for the 2023 Most Forward-Thinking Contractor award. Solar Power World has long been a standard-bearer for our industry, and we hope that this national recognition can be a springboard to introducing even more people to careers in solar installation. We are proud to share this recognition with our partners who have helped make STEP-UP a success, including Job Corps, Lyft, Trinity Solar and GAF Roofing Academy.”

SHAUN KEEGAN • CEO AND CO-FOUNDER • SOLAR LANDSCAPE

SOLAR CHAMPION AWARDS

The Solar Power World editorial team is proud to continue our Top Solar Champions awards program that began in 2021. These four awards, open to all those employed by Top Solar Contractor companies, highlight talent in the industry in different skill areas.

TOP SOLAR ADVOCATE TOP SOLAR designer

White spends his days in the thick of major national policy and regulatory issues concerning the solar industry. Since joining PGR in 2020, he has worked on implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, international trade issues, removing barriers for solar resources in wholesale electricity markets and simplifying interconnection of solar power to the grid. White has represented PGR in numerous significant Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) proceedings regarding transmission and interconnection, and regularly meets with policymakers to discuss these issues.

He also uses his experience in international trade law to guide PGR’s decision-making on solar trade issues. White is even working with major industry trade associations to develop a roadmap to onshore the domestic supply chain.

Education is another passion for White, who meets with federal agencies, environmental groups and other organizations to teach stakeholders about utility-scale solar development and construction.

Titolo has been instrumental to the growth of community solar developer Solar Landscape, supervising a team of seven in the design, engineering and procurement of the company’s projects.

Over the course of his career, he has overseen the design of more than 200 commercial rooftop solar projects. Community solar has been his biggest inspiration yet, designing arrays that will benefit many hundreds of subscribers.

His commercial rooftop background has helped Solar Landscape site community solar arrays closer to the people they serve and eliminate the need for costly additional transmission lines required with more remote ground-mount projects.

Titolo’s leadership is helping Solar Landscape expand into new markets and giving the company confidence in eventual nationwide aspirations.

The 2023 Top Solar Advocate award winner is Brett White, VP of regulatory affairs at North Carolina-based Pine Gate Renewables.

The 2023 Top Solar Designer award winner is Lucas Titolo, VP of engineering at New Jerseybased Solar Landscape.

“Last fall alone, Brett authored over 120 pages of comments to FERC in major rulemaking proceedings addressing transmission planning and generator interconnection — two issues that are pivotal to the future of the solar industry in the U.S.”

“Lucas Titolo has overseen the design of more than 200 commercial rooftop projects, made up of about 200,000 solar panels. Now, thanks to community solar programs, he’s helping bring solar energy to nearly 11,000 homes from those commercial rooftops.”

NIKKI JONES • SENIOR MANAGER OF EVENTS AND SPONSORSHIPS • PGR

BRENDON SHANK • EXECUTIVE VP FOR ENGAGEMENT • SOLAR LANDSCAPE

SOLAR CHAMPION AWARDS

TOP SOLAR installer TOP SOLAR changemaker

If you’re on solar LinkedIn, you’ve probably seen a post by Neugebauer talking about bringing more women into the industry. She shares stories from install sites, detailing challenges and triumphs and normalizing installers outside the status quo putting in solid work on rooftops.

Neugebauer’s commitment to expanding opportunities for women in the solar installation field has culminated in the creation of her group Solar for Women. It’s a space online and on Instagram for community-building and technical training for women interested in DIY solar projects and solar installation as a career path. She plans to launch the first courses in 2024, focusing on the basics of small-scale solar installation.

Through her work in the community, on social media and, most importantly, on the jobsite, Neugebauer is widening the net of career options for women in the trades.

Silver is described by numerous colleagues as one of the hardest workers and best team leaders at ADT. He has built a vast knowledgebase others can rely on from a decade of experience in the field installing systems in dozens of states. Silver’s skills even got him an invitation to join ADT’s Elite team of traveling foremen who coach and train installers and new hires across the country.

Professionalism is also a key part of Silver’s success. He goes out of his way to make homeowners feel confident and knowledgeable about their new installations, walking them through every step of the process, from pre-install to monitoring.

Silver also suggested design changes to ADT Solar’s ground-mount installations that have saved the company thousands of dollars and cut about half the time from the previous design. His dedication to helping his colleagues and his company succeed set him apart at this national organization.

• ADT SOLAR

The 2023 Top Solar Installer award winner is Joseph Silver, regional foreman at Louisianabased ADT Solar.

The 2023 Top Solar Changemaker award winner is Riley Neugebauer, residential solar apprentice at Colorado-based Namaste Solar.

“We’re proud of the positive change that Riley is creating both in our company and throughout our community. She has exhibited a lot of persistence in overcoming obstacles in her career and is committed to doing the work and making progress toward her goals.”

“From ground-mounts to metal, to shingle, to tile and even more... Joseph has done it all. He’s a remarkable employee, with more experience than anyone I know on the roof, and even a better coach. There isn’t a single field issue he can’t solve or address.”

CHELSEA THOMAS • CONTENT MARKETING SPECIALIST • NAMASTE SOLAR

TRISTAN WILLIAMS • LAWRENCEVILLE BRANCH OPERATIONS MANAGER

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