We'd love if you'd leave us a 5 ⭐ rating & review and it's never been easier: www.ratethispodcast.com/suncast
Opening up new pathways on the frontier of equity in energy as a solar entrepreneur, Dana shares her passion and strategies for innovating solutions to the barriers the solar industry continues to face today.
Growing up in Pennsylvania, Dana first became aware of the damage fossil fuels have on the environment when she put some rocks from a river in a fish tank and all the fish died from the acidity. Experiences like these in her childhood lead her to passionately be on the frontlines of deploying clean energy.
Dana begins telling her solar industry journey in 2008 when she was working for others and experienced people being taken advantage of. This led her to create Solar Concierge, a business that addressed those issues by providing honest, ethical solar consulting services to homeowners and businesses. Through this experience of helping people, she gained inspiration to create Solar Stewards, a program that allows people to use solar as a learning tool and is designed to make renewable energy development for historically excluded communities easier to deploy.
In this episode Nico and Dana dive into best business practices for installing solar with positive social impacts, and how nonprofits aren’t the answer when looking to make a real actionable influence on marginalized communities.
“You're always dependent on something that the power dynamics just don't really lend themselves to the type of equitable systems that we're building. If we look at a social impact as something separate from business, we're always going to have the same problems with the business. It's got to be together. It’s not a charitable opportunity.” Redden says.
Listen in and find out the details on how Dana has scaled her businesses in energy while simultaneously breaking down systematic barriers, and creating societal benefits and success for investors.
Solar Stewards successfully used renewable energy credits (RECS) with a women-led solar development firm that partnered with a tax advisory firm to install a community solar project at a school in Baltimore. The school now gets a revenue stream from leasing its rooftop space and students gain education and field experience by participating in the project.
Dana walks us through the ins and outs of how RECS provides value and generates revenue in communities that have been historically excluded. Including an equity piece in environmental, social governance, or corporate social responsibility programs, not only creates value in working with the community but is valuable to the investor.
American Made Solar Prize winner, Redden breaks down her business strategies that have been developing opportunities for emerging markets and different business models in dual network platforms that create new equitable systems.
You can also find Dana’s work with the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) board, where she helps SEIA employ equity. In the end, she shares some tools to help individuals understand the systemic barriers that people of color have faced, and advice for those looking to embrace diverse teams.
NOTEWORTHY QUOTEs:
“The distinguishing factor with a social rec is it is procured from or serving a historically excluded community. Helping to add additionality for that solar on-site. Typically aggregates of distributed generation or cited solar, rooftop solar, if you will. And also priced at a rate and a term that achieves that.”
Thanks again to this week's sponsor, helping keep the podcast FREE to you!
SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow
ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 16-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.