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New Ways To Engage From A Solar Market Insider
With more than 15 years of experience in developing clean energy solutions, Kiran Bhatraju has a view of the market and its potential that is long and deep. Kiran founded Arcadia to offer innovators and consumers greater access to the data and clean energy they need to fight climate change. His insights on what we can do to forward solar growth should not be missed.
Below are three actionable takeaways from my recent interview with him at the Midwest Solar Expo.
Address public policy and market making to successfully grow solar
Clean energy businesses must devote time to public policy and market making.
Kiran tells me that Arcadia’s policy team works in tandem with their business development team because the future of clean energy is intimately tied to how states and cities respond. Almost 20% of their sales and go-to-market budget is devoted to market development.
“If you’re a developer not applying some amount of funds and effort engaging lawmakers, you’re doing the business a disservice.”
Clean energy businesses can activate millions of prospective solar customers to be proponents for expanding caps on solar so policymakers see that demand is there. “We're building projects and there are big pipelines. Customers want this, and I think policymakers need to continue to hear that,” he says.
Ultimately, Kiran believes that when you’re in clean energy, you must understand that you are the expert, someone that state legislators and PUC staff should be going to in order to understand exactly how projects get installed and how customers want things structured.
Actively forward the narratives that push clean energy
Have conversations with utilities, lawmakers, and consumers that forward renewables growth.
The biggest impediment is the incumbent utilities looking to protect the status quo. But Kiran suggests we shouldn’t let that stop us. Utilities look at community solar and other models and ask “Who owns these projects? Why are they on my grid?” And that, Kiran says, is the battle we all fight. The way to push back is to make the point that, at the end of the day, customers want our products.
“The utilities effectively are the platform, and that platform needs to be unlocked to allow us to install our projects and do the work we want to do.”
Lawmakers need to be engaged as well. They have to hear the narratives that counteract those of 1.0 energy from fossil fuels, the ones that say renewables don't work and community solar is dangerous because it brings unbridled growth.
Kiran states that as a company or individual looking to take civic action to forward clean energy you can approach your local lawmaker or their staff and tell them: “Here's what I do. Here are my products. Here's why consumers love them. And here are some of the challenges.”
Finally, consumers want clean energy, but it can be confusing. Simplify it so the value proposition is clear. Businesses and residents need to understand that renewables are superior to the incumbent because of benefits like resilience, clean energy, and economic development.
Kiran uses community solar as a potent example. It’s a market with enormous potential that needs conversations that help people understand it: “I’m going to be paying less, and I don’t have to do anything. No construction, no power plant to put on my roof.” We should stress that this lower rate comes without a contract or credit check. It’s just simple, easy access for lower and middle-income communities that have been left out.
“This is an unassailable message.”
Leverage your technology platforms to disseminate clean energy messaging
Think about how to use technology platforms to communicate messages. Tech can make it extremely simple to reach state legislators and public utility and public service commissioners.
Kiran points to several examples. When supportive legislation was being considered in Virginia last year, Arcadia created a prepackaged push-a-button for prospective customers to reach out directly to the Public Service Commissioner and tell them they wanted solar. Another time, when a utility failed to publish PDF versions of data Arcadia activated some of their customers to change that. Arcadia also uses tech as part of its strategy to uncap markets for growth, like in Maryland and Illinois.
“We are coming of age as an industry. And as this happens, we are realizing the kind of power we have. We can move the entire populace toward a more equitable distribution of electricity, something that is a right for all of us in modern society.” I couldn’t agree more.
Listen to my entire interview with Kiran to glean more inspiring insights about growing renewables from a true industry insider.
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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.
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