Solar Town Hall – January 27: Looking Ahead at 2021 (Episode 201)

Featured Guests:

Ajulo Othow, Esq., Founder and CEO of EnerWealth Solutions, LLC and Committee Representative at BOSS (Black Owned Solar Services), and Board Member at North Carolina Clean Energy Fund

Bryan White, Research Analyst at Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables

David Dunlap, Vice President of Operations at BayWa r.e. Solar Systems

Vikram Aggarwal, Founder and CEO of EnergySage

Defining federal policies will be crucial

Figuring out what this policy environment needs to be at the federal level will be crucial for divining practical possibilities, cautioned Ajulo Othow, Founder and CEO of EnerWealth Solutions and a returning Solar Town Hall panelist. “And unless there’s some regulatory and policy changes to facilitate more residential and C&I, we’re going to continue to see the money can go towards utility scale,” said Othow. “Everything sort of rolls back to capital, of course, but a Federal Renewable Portfolio Standard would be a game changer, I think, more so than a hundred billion dollars in additional financing, to be honest with you.”

What, then, are some practical areas where solar contractors can take action in this year?

A clear outreach and sales strategy is key, for one. “The companies that really suffered the most are likely ones that had a hard time adapting their sales and marketing to a digital platform,” mentioned Bryan White of WoodMack. “It’s hard to replace that face-to-face interaction, especially at a time when we’re still dealing with customers that aren’t very highly educated on going solar and what their benefits are. They need a lot of handholding to understand the economics and the actual process itself.”

“The good news is a lot of people want solar; the bad news is that their confidence in the industry is still low,” said Vikram Aggarwal. “They’re looking for more information. They’re looking for more transparency about the solar companies, about solar financing, about the equipment that they’re buying. And they they’re hungry for more information.” This is sentiment is particular true for rural and low-wealth regions, or areas where community solar is the optimal product. “It also helps to understand that there’s a whole segment of the marketplace that is currently not being served by solar, whether it’s geographic or in terms of income,” Ajulo Othow reminded everyone. “And so consider those as opportunities.”

Contractors should also be doing their homework when it comes to branding, financing, and planning.

“Brands do matter. Consumers want companies that they can trust. That stems from companies that are supplying the equipment, companies they’re working with to install the system on their house,” said Bryan White, who mentioned poorly executed lead generation as one potential area to revisit, given changing customer attitudes towards house visits or cold calls. “Installers and contractors need to be careful about the sales organizations that they are working with, as well as their own sales staff, and how they’re operating… not only just from a consumer education standpoint, but the customer perception of their business practices.”

The financial products landscape is also warming to solar’s growing stability, with new options and relationships to forge. “We’re seeing more banks and credit unions express interest in entering the space,” said Bryan White. “Some of these banks are also looking to perhaps enter directly with contractors themselves. So that’s a big opportunity for customers or for contractors of all sizes. Look at your local credit union or bank that might be having a pique of interest in solar, now that it’s a bit becoming more mainstream, and it has been proven out as a safer investment.”

Constant communication and planning is key

And with the continued flux in supply chain rhythms and ever-evolving shifts in new products and new systems configurations, constant communication and planning is key. “I think we all have to kind of agree that whatever we assumed we could do last minute is no longer the case,” said BayWa r.e. Solar Systems’ David Dunlap, regarding increased supply chain delays in manufacturer shipping. Contractors should shift their habits and expectations accordingly, especially for steps they do have control over, like the design-procurement-permitting flow. “How do we actually plan ahead for those changes and not just do the quick math in our head?”

Whatever headwinds or smooth waters our residential and commercial solar industry might face in this new year, one certainty is that contractors, distributors, and advocates can continue to learn from one another and share these emerging lessons as they come along.

“Let’s link arms. Let’s continue to build the community. We’ve got a lot of hope and optimism, and it’s going to be a challenging year still,” said David Dunlap as the last word for our January 27 Solar Town Hall. “We can get through it. We’ll get through it better, stronger — together.”

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