Join Solar Power World and Top Solar Contractors as we have a roundtable discussion on the best business practices the installation community has adopted for energy storage systems, large and small.

The rise of extreme weather has many homeowners concerned about keeping the lights and refrigerators on through extended power outages. And with more utilities looking at energy storage to improve the resiliency of their grids, the storage market has finally hit its tipping point. Solar installers across all markets will describe how they’ve incorporated batteries into their service offerings along with the important installation considerations that come with storage systems.

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Live roundtable
Tuesday, April 20, 2021 at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT

Participants:

Brent Bergland, Energy Storage & Solutions Market Director, Mortenson
Brent Bergland is a 25-year veteran of Mortenson and the construction industry. Brent is the Market Director for Mortenson’s Energy Storage business and leads the energy storage team’s strategy, growth, and project operations. Brent has been dedicated full time to the energy storage industry for more than five years and has been directly involved with 13 projects in AL, AZ, CA, CO, NC, and TX, totaling 3,300+MWh. Brent’s role of Market Director has him responsible for setting/implementing the strategy and ensuring Mortenson’s business goals are achieved for their utility, IPP, developer, and system integrator customers.

2021 marks the beginning of Brent’s 20th year dedicated to renewable energy. Prior to energy storage, Brent dedicated 14 years to the wind industry in several leadership roles. His wind experiences included 6 years leading Mortenson’s project acquisition and positioning efforts in the Canadian market. In addition, Brent played a key role in Mortenson’s international diversification efforts in Australia. His experience building complex, utility-scale energy projects internationally has provided him a unique know-how in the industry.

Brent is a native Minnesotan, having grown up in Maple Plain, and currently resides in Saint Paul with his wife Raina and daughter Kensley. Brent holds a BS in Construction Management from North Dakota State University.

Molly Brown, EVP of Energy Development, GenPro Energy Solutions
Molly Brown is the EVP of Energy Development for GenPro Energy Solutions based out of Piedmont, South Dakota. Her background in quantitative economics has allowed her to see and create market opportunities in underdeveloped regions. After being promoted to VP of Energy Production in the Fall of 2016, GenPro has shot up Solar Power World’s Top Solar Contractors list and has a sterling reputation for best-in-class installations.

In Nebraska and South Dakota, Molly has been involved in many firsts. She developed and project managed the first municipal utility solar farm for the City of Lexington that was at the time the largest system (AC) in the State of Nebraska. She also oversaw the construction of the two pilot projects for Nebraska Public Power District’s SunWise Community Solar Program, a program which has since expanded and includes the 4.6MW AC system in Scottsbluff, NE that was placed online in 2020 and the first solar + storage project in Norfolk, NE that will begin construction in the Spring. In South Dakota, she developed a 960kW roof-top portfolio for Black Hills State University which with the combination of hydroelectric power from WAPA will allow them meet their goal to be 100% renewable.

Molly is actively developing projects in 10 states and 5 countries while managing EPC work for the GenPro service team. This year her team will construct systems in Nebraska, South Dakota, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Arizona, and The Bahamas.

Scott Maskin, Co-Founder and CEO, SUNation
Scott Maskin, CEO and Co-Founder of SUNation Solar Systems, began his career in 1980 as a skilled electrician, working as a stage production crew member for the next seven years on various music group tours. Later pursuing a conventional electrical path, Scott obtained his Master Electrician’s License in 1994, at which time he established his own electrical contracting business. He spent the next seven years growing this business before venturing into solar energy in 2001. At that time, Scott’s cousin and co-founder, Mike Bailis, was researching the solar market in California, discovering a projected untapped industry for the East Coast. Scott became certified for LIPA’s Solar Pioneer Program, and together with his wife and a friend, designed and installed one of the earliest systems built on Long Island, establishing the foundation for what would become “SUNation Solar Systems” two years later.

It is Scott’s belief that giving back to society and supporting the community is a corporate and social responsibility, and thus has incorporated philanthropy into the core of SUNation’s values. Scott established SUNation Cares in 2016 as SUNation’s non-profit corporation, providing free electricity for life to Long Island families in need. He proudly supports and sponsors the efforts of organizations such as The Family Service League, Last Chance Animal Rescue, HIA-LI, Make-A-Wish Foundation, United Way and Long Island Cares, many of which he is also a board member.  Scott’s dedication to goodwill has branded SUNation as a compassionate company dedicated to leaving an altruistic footprint on the world around them and distinguishes SUNation from others of its kind.

Moderator: Kelly Pickerel, editor in chief, Solar Power World
Kelly has been involved with publishing in the solar industry since 2011. She joined the Solar Power World staff in 2014 and enjoys working on contractor profiles and hearing about new projects. Her areas of focus include solar panel manufacturing, energy storage, the Contractors Corner podcast and the development of Solar Power World’s annual Top Solar Contractors list. Kelly graduated from Kent State University with a degree in magazine journalism and lives in Northeast Ohio.

 

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