PowerMarket launched its new website, which aims to have the most trusted marketplace for people to buy their power from local sources like community solar. Users will experience a redesigned marketplace of clean energy projects to help them select and enroll in a local project in minutes, along with updated news, team, and FAQ pages. On the homepage, users will also see a unique banner image and a list of partners that are tailored to their local geographic region.
“When subscribers see the effect community solar has on local organizations and jobs, they become immensely proud,” said Eric Dahnke, co-founder and CEO. “We honor that sense of pride by prominently featuring the communities where we work, our partner organizations, and the stories of the people in them. Our commitment to building the leading clean energy software platform for customer acquisition, billing, and management brings us one step closer to helping connect every utility account in the U.S. to cleaner, cheaper energy alternatives.”
As of this rebranding, PowerMarket manages nearly 300 megawatts of community solar, small hydro, and fuel cell projects and employs 24 people up from 13 at this same time last year. It is positioned for the next stage of growth expected as more states, such as New Mexico most recently, launch policies that support the development of community solar.
News item from PowerMarket
Solarman says
The community solar PV projects of the past have had some glitches, like, when condos and apartments in a service area, the residents buy into the community project. It has been customary in the past, each registered resident, buys so many panels in the project and offsets or erases a monthly electric bill. If you move out of the region, you would have to find a new “buyer” or walk away from your investment in the project. Another problem is damage of solar PV panels from weather or vandalism. Is the insurance rates part of the cost of the system? I believe there was an article here a while back that pointed out a utility scale solar PV plant in Texas that lost about 2/3 of its panels to a large hail event around $70 million dollars of damage, how does one address this at the local level? Does the contractor over build the local system in the proposition it can sell (all) electricity and create an escrow account to take care of O&M, insurance and repairs over the years of use of the project?