Solar Industry

Guidelines for communicating the solar aspect of a green marketing program

By Glenna Wiseman, Vice President, Marketing, HelioPower

At HelioPower we help our clients tell their solar story.  We work with commercial, community and utility clients creating communication programs to herald their new solar power installation.   Our efforts help them weave the aspects of a solar installation into an overall green marketing message that supports their brand.

Solar is an exciting addition to an organization’s environmental efforts.  In fact, a solar power system assists on multiple levels of a Triple Bottom Line approach benefiting the company’s people, its profits and environmental efforts (the planet).

Having successfully completed several affiliate marketing programs for HelioPower clients, this information is designed to contribute to the industry’s knowledge base and guidelines for successfully telling a client’s solar story and thus contributing to their overall green marketing message.

Nearly all of our commercial and public sector clients have worked through the normal list of “reduce your energy and energy use costs” before they adopt solar.  Way before the solar conversation starts they have harvested the “low hanging environmental fruit” of recycling, green purchasing, etc.  Past this phase, they move to implementing energy monitoring to determine peak demand usage and reduce it, and energy use overall to create cost reduction programs. Out of this information comes the use of energy efficiency technologies including lighting, motors, HVAC, etc.  Solar is not generally where they start or where they should start, unless they are building a new U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) structure. Then solar power technologies should be part of the design from the initial stages of the development.

Once solar is part of the client’s overall green building, thus environmental strategy, HelioPower works with them to communicate the role solar plays in these efforts and thus the environmental aspects of their brand.

A marketing / communication program for a HelioPower solar client becomes appropriate when we can implement the following guidelines:
• Assist our clients to communicate environmental benefits of solar
• Optimize strategic partner alliances
• Involve the community, green building, local and state government
• Utilize Internet and social media to provide transparency & communication
• Educate stakeholders
• Work as a team

Each solar promotion program will have its unique opportunities and challenges.  In order for solar promotion program to be successful we have found that it is essential to meet all of these objectives. 

HelioPower assists our clients to communicate environmental benefits of solar.  Part of our responsibility as an organization’s solar power partner is to help them gather the information needed about their solar installation.  We assist them in developing a full understanding of their solar power system, how it works, energy generation data, environmental offset data, how to explain it to their constituents and whatever information they need to communicate their solar program. 

We provide information online about the client’s solar power installation on the HelioPower website.  Our efforts are coordinated with the client’s to create information that is easy to access and captures all the correct data about the solar project. 

Affiliate marketing programs must optimize strategic partner alliances. At HelioPower we have

Bill Nye, the "Science Guy" shines light on Bob's Big Boy solar event, supported by Canadian Solar, SMA and sponsors

the distinct pleasure of working with some of the industry’s great brands and high profile clients.  Any program that we participate in or spearhead for one of our clients must involve strategic partners in the industry and those affiliated with our client.  Communicating the solar story would not be complete without involving the solar power panel manufacturer, inverter partner, and potentially the energy performance monitoring company.  It can also involve brands that do business with the client as was the case with the Bob’s Big Boy campaign we implemented last fall.  The key is to involve those within the industry who have participated in the solar installation by way of product and those who do business with the client.

Involve the community, green building, local and state government.  One of the very exciting aspects of taking on a communication program to highlight a solar installation is involving the stakeholders in the community. 

Community groups gather to support Porsche solar panel dedication

We are all obviously familiar with the solar “ribbon cutting/ throw the switch” ceremony.  These are important celebrations of the commitment the client has made to solar power generation.  This type of event is the most valuable when it is an opportunity to reach out to stakeholders in the community and give them a chance to support the client. 

In the construction phase of a solar celebration or marketing program, it is our job to identify community, green building, local and state governmental groups and leaders who should be involved in a program.  And you don’t need to stop here.  You can reach out to a loyal customer base, supporters, local charity groups, and any other organization whose contribution to the program will enrich all parties involved.

Utilize Internet and social media to provide transparency & communication. Marketing messages regarding environmental strategies must be transparent and easy to find online.   This upholds the integrity of the message. 

It is critical to strategize the online aspects of a client’s solar marketing program.  The effort may be as simple as identifying the best media distribution source and insuring the joint press release is supported with accurate online information about the solar installation.  It may be a more comprehensive approach that involves a program-specific website.  Each effort is unique.  Insuring opportunities for an online program are investigated and maximized as needed is essential.

Educate stakeholders.  Telling a solar story must include programs to educate the client’s constituents.  Programs typically include communication to employees, investors, media and press, community members, etc.  When you are considering a program, think about what groups are involved with your company or client and what aspects of the solar installation would hold meaning for them.  Within a particular solar story, different themes and information will hold meaning for each distinct constituent group.  Thinking through all these “story lines” will create positive communication and honor the many groups that support or are involved with the client, and thus have some level of involvement with the solar installation.

Work as a team.  Our renewable energy industry is filled with talented, positive professionals who are a joy to work alongside and truly are impassioned by their mission within the industry.  We have the distinct pleasure to assist our clients in communicating their solar story.  Thus we work to create a team approach for each marketing program, from a relatively simple press release to solar ribbon cutting events and more elaborate affiliate marketing programs. 

It takes a dedicated team of client and solar installation company individuals to successfully design and install a solar power system. So too the best programs to tell a client’s solar story, within the auspices of their brand message, also involve a team effort.

You can reach me at gwiseman@HelioPower.com.  I welcome your comments, insights and observations.

A recent Harris Poll shows only 1 in 10 Americans knows much about the source(s) of their electricity. While Congress debates the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, much education is needed to enhance public knowledge, understanding and interest in various sources of electrical power, their associated benefits and risks and the value of becoming more energy efficient.

According to a Reuters report the poll said, "When it comes to renewable sources of energy and natural gas, the public overwhelmingly indicates that the benefit of the source outweigh the risks. At least two-thirds of Americans believe that when used, the benefits of solar (82%), wind/turbine (78%), hydroelectric (water) (73%) and natural gas (66%)outweigh any risks associated with the different sources.

Coal, which provides approximately half (49%) of electrical power production in the United States and is the most heavily used source of energy, is perceived differently. Two in five Americans (42%) say the risks of using coal outweigh the benefits while 36% believe the benefits outweigh the risks.

So What?

With limited knowledge and interest in the topic, as the debate over the Energy bill rages on, public opinion can be based on incomplete or inaccurate information about the various sources of energy and their perceived benefits and risks. Significant room exists to educate the public on the pros and cons of
each source of energy, including factors such as; current and future use of each source, reliability, cost, environmental impacts and ways to become more energy efficient. Much work is needed by Congress, energy companies and communities to engage consumers in the dialogue around this new energy economy.

“We’ve never seen solar module prices so low. With the rebates still relatively high and the federal tax credit at 30%, there’s never been a better time to go solar,” said Scott Gordon, Vice President of Residential Sales at HelioPower.

According to a Yahoo! Finance report yesterday, August 10, “Technology, Tenacity Drive Down Solar Power Costs,” solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has changed little since the energy crisis of the 1970s, but it's finally getting cheaper.

The report goes on to say:  Large-scale rollouts of solar farms in Europe in the past few years have virtually commoditized PV as an energy source, and huge installations on the way in the United States and China will cement that process.

Edison International (NYSE: eix) subsidiary Southern California Edison got the go-ahead last month from California's energy regulators to build and manage 250 megawatts of solar power generation and contract for another 250 MW from outside developers within the next five years, making it the largest solar PV program ever undertaken.

Independent solar industry consultants Solarbuzz estimates that worldwide solar PV installation hit almost 6,000 MW in 2008, nearly double the 3,000 MW of 2007.”

In its August review of solar photovoltaic modules, Solarbuzz states “This month we have good news for solar electricity consumers and also for the solar industry.

The first area of excitement for PV end-customers is the rapid fall in solar module prices. The August 2009 survey set two records – the largest number of price declines in one month and for the magnitude of the monthly decline in both the US and European price indices.

There were 176 price declines this month. In the eight years of this survey, there has never been anything close to this number of moves in a single month. The previous high was 126 declines in May of this year. In past times when prices were rising, the largest number of price rises in a single month was 142, back in August 2005.”

More from the Yahoo! Finance report: The economic downturn has lead to a collapse in the price of silicon, a key ingredient in the making of solar cells, and short-term drop in demand for modules.

State-level renewable portfolio standards (RPS) have mandated that an increasing amount of renewable energy be generated. There is also a national RPS-like mandate currently in the Markey-Waxman energy bill making its way through Congress. And an array of tax credits and renewable energy mandates have also subsidized solar PV to bring its cost per kilowatt hour more in line with that of "brown" power, usually coal-fired in the U.S.

Finally, the efficiency of the solar cells themselves has improved. Early this year, researchers at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems created a solar PV cell that's 41.4% efficient, beating the record held by the Colorado-based National Renewable Energy Laboratory by almost percent.

The cost of solar energy production on a kilowatt-hour (kwh) basis, with all government subsidies netted out, has dropped 8 percent from a peak of 22.04 cents/kwh in January 2002 to 20.40 cents/kwh in July 2009.

That efficiency is trickling down the supply chain to customers.

Solarbuzz estimates that the "customer price" of an average, flat-roof-installed, 500-kilowatt solar energy system – a size typically used by an industrial user that includes the panels, inverter and grid connection hardware – dropped by 0.7 percent alone from June 2009 to July 2009, to about $2.4 million.

Manufacturers and installers of solar modules are looking for new ways to decrease costs, lower prices and attract customers, at a time of rising demand; that race for profit could be seen at the second annual Intersolar 2009 trade show, was held in mid-July in San Francisco.

In addition to silicon ingot, wafer and solar cells makers like Canadian Solar, (NASDAQ: csiq) there were firms like Applied Materials (NASDAQ: amat ) and Alcatel (: aclu), which are intent on squeezing efficiency out of the process of making solar PV modules.

All of these gains in efficiency could see solar energy reach the key goal of parity with coal within the next few years.

Right now, consumers, businesses and community building owners can purchase solar power systems at an all time low.

SolarPlaza.com June 24, 2009 Interview: Sue Kateley, Executive Director, CALSEIA
CALSEIA’s mission is to expand the use of all solar technologies in California and establish a sustainable industry for a clean energy future. CALSEIA’s biggest challenges for 2009 and 2010 is to expand the market for PV, notably in the untapped distributed generation market and to expand the market for distributed solar thermal for commercial and residential water, heat, cooling, and industrial processes.

What is the strategy of your organization and what is your biggest challenge for 2009 and 2010?

CALSEIA’s mission is to expand the use of all solar technologies in California and establish a sustainable industry for a clean energy future. CALSEIA’s biggest challenges for 2009 and 2010 is to expand the market for PV, notably in the untapped distributed generation market and to expand the market for distributed solar thermal for commercial and residential water, heat, cooling, and industrial processes.

Do you expect the market volume of new installed PV power in California in 2009 to grow compared to 2008? What are your estimates for 2009 and 2010 in MWp per year?

We don’t make these kinds of estimates.

Which PV market segment (residential, commercial, utility) will perform best in 2009 and 2010 to your opinion?

I hope that all market segments perform well. And I hope that we get going on solar thermal this year too. All of the markets are poised to improve. As our financial markets recover and our economy gets moving again we should see an uptick in residential and commercial sales and installations. The distributed solar utility segment is a new market segment – I think most of the activity is scheduled to occur in 2010. Southern California Edison’s new program was approved by the State Public Utilities Commission yesterday, which will create 250MW of utility-owned solar generation and 250MW of privately developed solar generation.

What system price development do you expect to see for this and next year?

I think the industry’s challenge on price is complicated and certainly this industry has made great strides to reduce costs at all levels (components, installation, etc.) – particularly impressive to accomplish while other industries are raising prices. On one hand, the industry is expected to lower its installed cost ($/kWh or $/therm) to be competitive with traditional energy deliveries. However, the manner that we calculate the future cost of energy deliveries is not straightforward, where customers pay separate fees for energy and transmission/delivery (T&D). Solar technologies have energy, T&D, local emission reductions, climate change, and environmental values that are frequently not counted in the equation when estimating solar energy costs.

Will thin-film technology see a break through in 2009 or 2010 in residential or commercial applications in California?

Demand for all of the solar technologies in California appears ready to grow to greater levels, particularly in light of announcements from our utilities to procure solar energy generation (500 MW each: Pacific Gas and Electric and Southern California Edison and 77 MW in San Diego Gas and Electric. Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has also announced an aggressive program to increase renewable generation). I suspect that we will see more of all of the various solar technologies deployed in California.

It was written that California's government risks a financial "meltdown" soon. Do you believe that financial incentives for solar will be secured?

California’s state incentive program in the retail energy market is through a ratepayer subsidy. The market for utility scale solar is driven by several factors: the need to meet renewable energy procurement targets, greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, and a genuine effort by the utilities to procure more renewable generation. It is not part of the State budget process. We see the economic activity and jobs for in-state solar projects as part of the State and local government budget solutions.

What is needed now to spur market growth in California?

I think the biggest issue we have facing us in California is a need to bring the policymakers together to ensure that the policies they adopt and enforce are synchronized. I think our permitting challenges are well described in many venues: we have significant and costly permitting barriers. Some are difficult to comprehend; one county has a proposed ordinance to require solar equipment be painted a camouflage color. Within homeowner’s associations, they come up with all kinds of unusual requirements or simply attempt to ban the installations altogether. These kinds of things can raise the cost of solar so high that it can’t be built at all, just the opposite of what the California is trying to accomplish.

Where will your organization be in 5 years time?

CALSEIA will be advocating for high-quality, long-lasting, solar products installed by professionals with the highest ethical standards. These principles will ensure a growing market for solar products that deliver clean, reliable solar energy to its customers.

Thank you for the interview!

Sue will be one of the experts speaking at The Solar Future in California conference on 14 July 2009.

More information and registration for The Solar Future in California Conference: www.solarenergymarketcalifornia.com

Out on the wires this morning, comes a major announcement from Citi and Helio Micro Utility…

Citi and Helio Micro Utility Announce

the Green Energy Community Investment Fund ^™

Initial Phase of new Fund will Power up to Four Megawatts of Commercial and Public Sector

Solar Energy System Installations

New York, NY and Berkeley, CA, August 14, 2008/ Citi Community Capital, a division of Citi, and Helio Micro Utility today announced the creation of the Green Energy Community Investment Fund to initially finance up to four megawatts of solar electricity production this year.  Through this new initiative, solar power systems will be installed on qualifying commercial and public sector facilities throughout the U.S., with an emphasis on underserved communities.   Helio mU, headquartered in Berkeley, CA, provides solar electricity to commercial, residential and not-for-profit customers with little or no initial capital outlay through long term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).

The first of its kind in the clean energy sector, the Green Energy Community Investment Fund™ puts a special focus on commercial, non-profit and public entities in low and moderate income areas.  The Fund will follow the same model as the established Helio Green Energy Plan™, enabling qualifying entities to buy the power generated from a solar installation rather than the panels themselves, thus providing upfront savings and smoothing the path to solar adoption. 

“Energy is a major concern in the everyday operation of businesses and organizations across America,” said Andrew Ditton, Managing Director of Citi Community Capital.  “This Fund is an excellent opportunity for us to expand the mission of our community development efforts to bring affordable green energy solutions to facilities primarily in low and moderate income areas. It also supports Citi's 2007 announcement of $50 billion in investment and financing over 10 years to address global climate change. We are pleased to work with the Helio Micro Utility team on this vital environmental and economic initiative.”

Helio Micro Utility Chairman, Ian Rogoff, explained “we created Helio Micro Utility in order to introduce innovative renewable energy finance and supply chain offerings to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy solutions.  With the Green Energy Community Investment Fund, we have partnered with Citi to combine their environmental and community goals, and global financial strength, with our first-of-their-kind financial products for dramatically accelerated solar power adoption among traditionally under-served markets.”

“We are delighted with Citi’s support, and especially proud to work with them to expand the use of solar energy to help our planet while also serving local communities,” said Mo Rousso, President & CEO of Helio mU.   “With budget cuts, rising energy and gasoline prices and economic pressures, it is more crucial than ever for businesses, schools and non profit organizations of all types to receive assistance now.  With this support from Citi Community Capital, we are able to offer much needed help to reduce and stabilize energy costs and reduce dependence on brown energy.”

In 2007 Citi Community Capital (CCC), formerly Citibank Community Development, provided up to $5 billion for affordable housing and community revitalization projects in locations around the country.  The Green Energy Community Investment Fund is part of Citi’s U.S. initiative to support business and community improvement with programs that also include environmentally positive objectives.

The Green Energy Community Investment Fund was created to support the installation of solar electricity systems on commercial and public sector buildings. Ideal criteria for participation in this new program include:

• Solar projects that can be completed prior to the end of 2008 so that the benefits of the Federal Incentive Tax Credit (ITC) program can be applied to the solar power system installation cost.
• Customer sites that are owner occupied or have more than 10 years remaining on the building lease.
• Sites that have adequate roof space for a solar electricity system capable of generating at least 50 kW, or approximately 9,000 square feet of space.
• Sites that have unobstructed sun exposure year round.
• Sites that are paying over $2,000 per month in electricity bills.
• Sites in California, New Jersey, or other states with existing state-level solar incentive programs

Tom Millhoff, Vice President of Business Development for Helio mU will lead the qualification process of facilities for the fund.  “We will move quickly to evaluate building sites and install solar power systems this year. We encourage interested customers to contact us, particularly for projects that can be completed by the end of this year.  In addition to end customers, solar power integration firms who have non-residential projects which might qualify for support from the Green Energy Community Investment Fund™ should contact us immediately,” said Mr. Millhoff.

For more information:

Citi Community Capital

The community development division of Citi was created to fulfill the diverse community development lending and investment activity in one distinct business unit. The business, now called Citi Community Capital (CCC), was launched in 2000.  In 2007, CCC merged with the Affordable Housing unit of the Municipal Securities Division which made available an even wider array of financial products that can be structured to fit our clients’ objectives.

CCC helps community development financial institutions, real estate developers, national intermediaries and non-profit organizations achieve their goals through a broad, integrated platform of debt and equity offerings.  Within CCC is a dedicated investment team that specializes in renewable energy, New Markets, and other community development oriented investing.  For more information, please visit www.citi.com/citigroup/citizen/community or contact Danielle Romero-Apsilos at 212-816-2264.

Citi
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Citi's major brand names include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Citi Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.  
 

Helio Micro Utility (Helio mU) 

Helio mU is a green power pioneer, selling solar energy without the upfront cost of panels.  The Company provides solar electricity to commercial, residential and not-for-profit customers with little or no initial capital outlay through its Green Energy Plan ^TM.  The Helio Green Energy Plan guarantees customers receive cost-effective and predictable energy pricing and maximum system performance over the life of the agreement. Helio mU is headquartered in Berkeley, CA.  For more information please visit: www.HeliomU.com and www.BuyPowerNotPanels.com or call toll free at 1.866.862.2806.

News Update: CNNMoney.com report today:

NEW YORK (Associated Press) – Solar energy stocks jumped Friday as analysts said one of the sector's leaders is well positioned for revenue and earnings growth.

PacificCrest analyst Mark Bachman, in a client note about SunPower Corp., said domestic demand is "running ahead of expectations set just three months ago, attributed to the possible lapse of the investment tax credit. U.S. customers are pulling projects into 2008 to avoid the uncertainty."