Contractor's Corner

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Top Solar Contractors list this year, Solar Power World was joined by representatives at LightWave Solar, ReVision Energy and Semper Solaris to discuss the current residential solar market.

Panelists discussed best business practices the installation community has adopted for the residential solar + storage market. While COVID-19 sent many in the United States to work and learn at home, utility bills increased along with the interest in solar and storage. Residential solar installers talk about their businesses and where they’ve found success — from sales software, mounting techniques, lead generation, inverter choice, battery backup requests and more.

Register for future roundtables: www.solarpowerworldonline.com/tsc-roundtables/

Watch the roundtable: https://youtu.be/b8pBY-f1on4

Top Solar Contractors Roundtable - Residential Solar Sales and the Desire for Mini Microgrids

What started as being a nice neighbor to a regenerative farm has turned into a whole new way of building and maintaining solar projects for Silicon Ranch.

With close to 1 GW of installed projects, the utility-scale solar developer and owner was seeing the real impact of using herbicides and pesticides to manage vegetation growth. After siting a new project next to one of the larger regenerative ranchers in the Southeast, Silicon Ranch (whose mission is to be a supportive community member) wanted to ensure it wasn't applying chemicals or contributing to soil erosion that may affect the rancher's mission. With some tips from the rancher, Silicon Ranch dove into regenerative land management practices that could improve the land at each of its solar sites.

In this episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast, Solar Power World editor-in-chief Kelly Pickerel talks with Silicon Ranch CEO Reagan Farr about the company's regenerative energy process, and how bringing more native plants and grazing livestock to solar sites can make a big impact on communities.

Silicon Ranch is celebrating 10 years in the solar industry, and so is SPW's Pickerel, so listen in as they talk about the decade-club.

https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/04/contractors-corner-silicon-ranch/

Contractors Corner

Contractor's Corner: Silicon Ranch

It's no secret that utilities are having a difficult time in California right now. With wildfires increasing in intensity each year, more utilities are having to shut down power to save their grids. It's pushing even more people to consider solar and storage to create their own microgrids to keep emergency services online.

So it's not especially surprising that the state's investor-owned utilities have cried that age-old claim that solar customers are not paying enough for grid upkeep. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is now considering a monthly charge for solar customers, and solar advocates have joined against this attempt by the utilities to "undermine consumer choice."

It leaves installers like Cosmic Solar in a precarious position. In this episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast, Solar Power World editor-in-chief Kelly Pickerel talks with Cosmic co-owners Bahram and Judith Shadzi about how they are supporting the "Save California Solar" campaign while also diversifying into roofing and maintenance services to ensure the 13-year-old business stays afloat in the worst-case scenario.
https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/05/contractors-corner-cosmic-solar

Contractor's Corner: Cosmic Solar

In this special edition of Contractor’s Corner, solar mounting and racking manufacturer SnapNrack talks about its new, Miami-Dade-approved mounting solution that does away with cumbersome metal flashing. Sponsored by SnapNrack.

Solar Spotlight: New techniques for solar mounting and flashing can save time on rooftops

Veregy is a newish energy services company (ESCO) with a much longer history. The company started in 2019 after six regional ESCOs merged to offer energy optimization and performance contracting to commercial clients nationwide. One of those companies was a commercial solar installer out of Arizona, and the new Veregy now focuses on a holistic energy package for customers — with energy efficiency, solar, smart building integration, maintenance services and more.

In this episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast, John Mitman, VP of distributed energy resources for Veregy, describes the joining of knowledge and expertise as a way to better execute on customer goals. Now when K-12 school districts and healthcare institutions want to save money on their utility bills, the Veregy team can create a long-term strategy with multiple phases of energy conservation measures that may include solar arrays.

Read the story: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/06/contractors-corner-veregy/

Contractor's Corner: Veregy

Big-name, multi-site contracts can increase a solar installer's standing in the industry, but for SolareAmerica, a partnership with the Wawa convenience store chain only built on the 12-year-old company's legacy.
In this episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast, John Scorsone, president of SolareAmerica, talks about the gas-pump solar canopies and ground-mounts involved in the Wawa project portfolio, and how it has provided the company with a front-seat to the emerging EV charging market as well.

https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/07/contractors-corner-solareamerica/

Contractor's Corner: SolareAmerica

Aurora Energy has established a name for itself in the Washington, D.C., area as a risk-taking, ahead-of-the-curve solar installer. The company has evolved over the last three decades and sees its specialty in commercial projects that may need a little custom engineering.

In this episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast Aurora talks about the company's desire to take care of its customers seeking all the financial and environmental benefits that come with installing solar. This has led Aurora Energy to branch out into community solar and take on more unique projects like green roofs.

We also talk tariffs and price increases happening right now.
Find the story: https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2021/09/contractors-corner-aurora-energy/

Contractor's Corner: Aurora Energy

As the residential market shifts from reliance on the greater electrical grid to self-generating energy sources like solar and storage, additional considerations will be necessary for energy load management. In this special edition of the Contractor’s Corner podcast, we’re joined by Magnus Asbo, senior director of technical marketing in North America for SolarEdge, to discuss the importance of smart energy management systems and the company’s latest offering in that space.

Solar Spotlight: Managing whole home energy with SolarEdge

The solar carport market is expanding, meaning this high-profile racking is entering new territories. Canopies are viable structures for energy resiliency; they can deploy atop parking lots and commercial garages and are more frequently meeting financing requirements for power purchase agreements. We’re joined by Finn Findley, CEO, and Danny Kraft, director of customer development, at Quest Renewables, a commercial and utility racking company specializing in carports. Finn and Danny are here to discuss how the market is changing for solar canopy systems and how EPCs and developers can anticipate those changes and include carports in their portfolios.

Solar Spotlight: Understanding the carport market

In this episode, Summit Ridge Energy talks about its partnerships to accelerate solar manufacturing and job growth. Sponsored by Scanifly.

Contractor's Corner: Summit Ridge Energy

In this episode, Sundance Power Systems talks about getting started in 1995 and how the company has forged an unlikely collaboration with North Carolina's biggest investor-owned utility. Sponsored by Scanifly and WAGO.

Contractor's Corner: Sundance Power Systems

Solar racking manufacturer Unirac launched its Master Installer Program in 2020 to offer its customers hands-on training with solar racking installation, design and system optimization and troubleshooting. In this episode, we’re joined by Braden Laumbach, program coordinator, and Zak Kushner, installer sales specialist manager, with Unirac, to explore what the company’s customer initiatives like the Master Installer Program have to offer for the solar industry.

Solar Spotlight: Unirac empowers contractors with Master Installer Program

Photovoltaic solar modules continue to grow in wattage, and that often means increasing their size, too, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. In this episode of Solar Spotlight, Lucas Moura, product marketing manager for international module manufacturer Trina Solar, discusses the significance of the compact yet electrically potent N-type TopCon solar module.

Solar Spotlight: Keeping wattage high and footprint low on PV modules

Energy storage is becoming a more common feature on residential solar installations so homeowners can tap into the power they’ve generated when they need it — not just when the sun is up. Rex Liu, VP of product management at Generac, a manufacturer of batteries for renewable energy applications, is here to share how solar installers can approach pitching and sizing storage for residential PV projects.

Solar Spotlight: Choosing the right battery storage for homeowners going solar

In this episode, Vibe Solar talks about pivoting the residential business to adapt to California's new NEM 3.0 rate structure. Sponsored by Scanifly.

Contractor's Corner: Vibe Solar

As the effects of a changing climate increase in both frequency and severity, the need for technologies that can decarbonize and support electrical infrastructure is paramount. In this episode of Solar Spotlight, Zolaikha Strong, senior director of policy and regulatory affairs at Generac Power Systems, discusses the significance of energy storage in the contexts of grid stability, individual energy resilience and the greater mission of combatting climate change.

Solar Spotlight: Scaling energy storage while facing a climate crisis

In this episode, the utility-scale EPC talks about the importance of relationships with manufacturers and hands-on training time for install crews. Sponsored by Scanifly.

Contractor's Corner: Burns & McDonnell

Utility-scale solar projects are consistently breaking capacity records annually, both in individual project size and overall countrywide output. The sheer scale of these acres and sometimes miles long arrays require an unprecedented amount of worktime to construct, and even before a pile is driven into the dirt, project engineers must spend time designing these systems. PVcase, a software as a service company founded by solar engineers, has for the last decade provided design services for utility-scale solar project globally. David Trainavicius, founder and CEO of PVcase, is on this episode of Solar Spotlight to discuss how the platform is helping solar developers automate processes and reduce work hours.

Solar Spotlight: Simplifying and automating large-scale solar design

In our last episode of the Contractor's Corner podcast, we're announcing this year's Top Solar Contractors List. Thank you to Scanifly for sponsoring this podcast and the 2024 Top Solar Contractors List. View the full list at solarpowerworldonline.com.

Contractor's Corner: Announcing the 2024 Top Solar Contractors List

ABC Supply is a prolific distributor in the North American roofing market and has expanded into solar component distribution as well. James Mason, VP of renewable energy at ABC Supply, is on this episode of Solar Spotlight to discuss the company’s history, motivations for entering the PV market and its ambition to reshape how solar contractors are supplied with solar hardware.

Solar Spotlight: Supplying everything above the roof line — including PV

Trina Solar US, the domestic arm of the global PV module manufacturer, is ramping up production in the United States. On this episode of Solar Spotlight, Adam Macaluso, national accounts manager for US channel business at Trina Solar, shares an update on Trina’s U.S. manufacturing footprint, as well as the company’s near future plans.

Solar Spotlight: Playing the long game in domestic solar panel manufacturing

The American power grid is electrifying through renewable energy proliferation, and homeowners are following suit by replacing gas powered vehicles and appliances with electric-powered options. However, certain homes are encountering the conundrum of having too high of an electrical load and not enough electrical service to back it. Savant is a recognized leader in both smart home and smart power solutions, developing solutions for balancing electrical loads in the age of in-home solar and storage. Ian Roberts, VP of sales excellence at Savant, is on this episode of Solar Spotlight to discuss the viability of energy load management.

Solar Spotlight: Using energy load management to avoid service upgrades

We spoke with Rob Masinter, director of product management for solar at Advanced Energy, to talk about how solar inverters can support the grid.

Solar Speaks: How Inverters Help Support The Grid

We speak with Haresh Patel, CEO of SCS Renewables, to talk about the company and the solar finance market. SCS Renewables is working on a new online solar finance platform that the company says can revolutionize the way solar projects are financed.

Solar Speaks: A New Tool for Solar Financing, Haresh Patel with SCS Renewables

The value of energy resiliency is increasing in the face of stronger weather events and natural disasters, and the electrical grid isn’t always prepared to withstand these adverse environmental pressures. Rex Liu, VP of product management, clean energy, at Generac, is on this episode of Solar Spotlight to share how residential solar customers can keep ample backup energy to power everything necessary during a grid outage. 

Solar Spotlight: Enough backup energy to power any load in the home

While there is greater oversight for installing solar projects on school grounds, M Bar C Construction has found success in this segment of the market and has done so through building solar carports. Bobby Bonfanti, eastern division manager, and Erik Krivokopich, VP of business development at M Bar C, are on this episode of Solar Spotlight to shed some light on why carports are the ideal solar solution for schools. 

Solar Spotlight: Why solar carports make sense for schools

On this episode of Solar Spotlight, Benjamin Heitmann, marketing manager, and Madeline Acri, applications engineer with Sungrow North America discuss the company’s history of manufacturing solar inverter technologies and dive into some of the specific features of string inverters. 


Solar Spotlight: An introduction to string sizing optimization with Sungrow

James Mason, VP of renewable energy for ABC Supply, a national roofing and solar product supplier, talks global and domestic factors impacting solar industry’s growth, insights on federal and state incentives, unique challenges in commercial and industrial solar installations and more.

Solar Spotlight: Navigating supply chain bottlenecks in the commercial PV market

Josh Dorfman, president of American Wire Group, is on this episode of Solar Spotlight to discuss the ins and outs of operating a national supplier of cable and electronic components for the renewable energy market in 2025. 

Solar Spotlight: Covering PV electronics from substation to accessories

The Trump Administration has reversed Inflation Reduction Act tax incentives that have bolstered solar’s domestic manufacturing and installation footprints. While they technically are still active, these credits are operating with a shorter runway. On this episode of Solar Spotlight, Liz Reicherts, global head of government affairs, and Kleber Facchini, Director of CC&I Products & Applications at SolarEdge, discuss the state of domestic solar subsidies and how to use them while they’re still intact. Additionally, SolarEdge has partnered with solar mounting company Enstall and its subsidiaries, IronRidge and Panelclaw, to help PV contractors qualify for domestic content incentives. 

Solar Spotlight: Building a domestic content strategy

The U.S. solar industry is constantly remaking itself to adapt to market demands, and so too are the manufacturers producing these renewable technologies. Following that notion, Jinko, a prominent PV module company, recently expanded its manufacturing operations to include battery energy storage systems. With the two complementary technologies under one umbrella, Jinko is supplying the utility and C&I segments with 24-hour energy from a single source. 

On this episode of Solar Spotlight by Solar Power World, Adam Detrick, director of product management and technical services at Jinko, discusses the company's strategic expansion into energy storage and how it's ensuring solar + storage projects deliver reliable, long-term performance. He also highlights Jinko's focus on providing safe, smooth and secure energy storage solutions through its comprehensive pre-integration services, robust long-term service agreements (LTSAs) and strong commitment to cybersecurity, giving customers confidence in the durability, reliability and security of their systems.


Solar Spotlight: Safe, smooth and secure energy storage

Hawaiian solar often makes headlines, but no one knows it quite like Dora Nakafuji. As direct of renewable energy planning at Hawaiian Electric Company, Nakafuji and her team have developed utility programs that are being studied and replicated across the country. During a 2016 Solar Speaks Live interview, she shares her perspective on Hawaiian solar and how a utility built on collaboration and understanding how customers use energy is the best for solar.

Creating A New Type Of Utility For Solar

In this Solar Speaks podcast, NEXTracker co-founder and CTO Alex Au offers insight on what's next for NEXTracker, a global provider of solar tracking solutions. He also discusses how the company pushes innovation and recalls inspiring—and vexing—things he saw at SPI 2016.

Solar Speaks special edition: NEXTracker CTO Alex Au discusses tech innovation and solar trackers

February 2019: This month we talked with large-scale EPC Conti Solar about its work across the country. So many landfill installations!

Read our full story:   https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2019/02/contractors-corner-conti-solar/

Contractors Corner: Conti Solar

Working on utility-scale solar projects requires a lot of hands, and, depending on the region, it may be difficult to find enough help. Construction firm Primoris Renewable Energy has been able to hire skilled workers formerly in the oil and gas industries on its large solar projects in West Texas, but senior VP Kent James said it is more difficult to find people for foreman and other supervising positions.

In this episode of the Contractors Corner podcast, Solar Power World editor-in-chief Kelly Pickerel talks with James about how the public company uses its reputation to recruit and retain experienced engineers into Primoris' solar construction business.

Following the employment theme, we also have a bonus conversation with SPW associate editor Billy Ludt about solar representation in consumed media and how it can encourage new generations of Americans to get involved with solar.

https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2020/12/contractors-corner-primoris-renewable-energy/

Contractor's Corner: Primoris Renewable Energy

Contractor's Corner is part of the Solar Power World network of podcasts. Solar Power World is the premier media outlet for the U.S. solar market and has the largest solar installer, contractor and developer audience in the industry.  In this podcast series, Solar Power World editors talk with the U.S. solar industry’s biggest newsmakers.

Contractor's Corner by Solar Power World

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