A Happy Anniversary
Yes Solar Solutions recently celebrated 15 years in solar with an anniversary party at one of Cary’s favorite local breweries, Bond Brothers. We held a raffle with prizes and launched the Yes Back to School program. The program is designed to enhance training opportunities for employees with paid time off for training and cash incentives upon completion. At the celebration, we also enjoyed photos encompassing 15 years of accomplishments, silly faces, cute four-pawed visitors, and many team events. It was a moment to reflect on how many people have passed through our doors in 15 years.
I still look around and see so many people that we helped get started in the industry. Over the years, we have seen employees get married, buy homes, start a family, and thrive due to the stability of salaries, good health insurance, and benefits. It is one of the many accomplishments we set out to achieve.
Our latest goal is offering structured training programs so that Yes Solar Solutions remains the premier solar installer in the state. Certified, trained employees are one of the advantages we have in being the only solar company of over 250 in North Carolina to be accredited by the National Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).
Growing a Solar Company
My husband Stew Miller, Co-Founder and President of Yes Solar Solutions, and I decided to start a solar business in 2008. We made it a mission to provide competitive salaries and use in-house employees. This put us at a disadvantage when competing against companies. They used subcontractors for sales and installation, paid no benefits or payroll taxes, and sent design plans to foreign countries. The long game won, and we received recognition as a reputable, high-quality company, picking up awards like the Sustainable Business of the Year Award.
Our participation in the Chambers of Commerce, downtown Cary business alliances, and the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA) established us as a local solar leader. Stew’s work with lobbyists, legislators, and utility companies has also paid off in policy and regulation changes. These changes affected more than just our local market. They have made a difference across North Carolina and across the country.
Hits and Misses
During the days of the 35% state tax credit (which ended in 2015) and Duke incentives, there was an influx of national solar companies which changed the complexion of the market. Canvassers went door to door, often misrepresenting solar cost and benefits, at prices three times what they should be. This misinformation was widespread, and frequently preyed on lower income neighborhoods. These new challenges required extra effort from local companies to differentiate themselves and overcome misconceptions in the industry. Many of those national companies left the market, went bankrupt or outright failed. It remains a challenge to reassure consumers of the value of solar. They can still make good decisions in their solar journey.
One of my favorite jobs across the years was conducting Customer Care visits with new customers. Besides explaining how to use their solar system, I was able to hear about their personal journeys. One woman’s neighbor crashed a car through her living room, resulting in a large settlement. She wanted to do something important with the money. Another couple saved their entire lives for a nest egg. They wanted to use clean energy as a legacy. One young parent wanted to raise their children with a sustainable life, and nurture a sustainable future. All were thrilled with their decision to go solar. I enjoy hearing about the result of each project. It has been fulfilling to say the least.
Solarize the Triangle
Another significant moment was winning the Solarize the Triangle bid in 2022 and then again in 2023. It gave us our two biggest years ever. This enabled us to increase salaries, add local jobs, and adopt innovative technology. As part of the Solarize programs, we also won the opportunity to install low-to-moderate income (LMI) homes. These solar journeys are very moving and reiterate just how vital our work is to the community.
Happy Tears
Due to the impact of the Solarize program, we also debuted our first ever employee profit-sharing program. One of our goals has been to improve employee retention and provide incentives . This allow employees to make decisions in favor of efficiency, customer satisfaction and quality. All these factors improve the experience for everyone involved. We promoted the profit-share all year, but the amount awarded was never disclosed until the day it was paid out. It was one of the happiest days of our lives and a memorable day for our employees. I saw tears. Folks calling home to share the news. There were stories how it would help pay for a new car, help with a wedding, or make life a little easier. It was more than anyone expected.
We have grown from just a few people to our current 44. All small businesses experiences highs and lows. There were years we made money and there were years we did not. As is life, there are good decisions and not as good decisions. We’ve learned a lot and Yes Solar continues to grow.
The Future
The next 15 years may provide additional opportunities for homeowners and businesses looking forward to more advancing solar technology. We have already seen an abrupt drop in pricing for solar panels and inverters, added advantages with energy storage, growing opportunity in electric vehicle chargers, new smart panels like SPAN, and all the yet-to-come new products.
Stew is always saying how we did not know how important energy storage was until 2017. This is when we became the first Tesla Powerwall installer in NC. Now almost all solar is accompanied by storage. Innovative technology can be a substantial risk. We have been fortunate enough to have the experience to make educated decisions that are best for our customers.
Stew and I have spent the last 15 years watching customers and employees expand their advocacy of solar. It has grown in ways that we never could have imagined. The work we need to do to see a more sustainable solar environment is taking off. We are excited for where it has yet to go. Nothing makes us more proud than hearing about solar advocacy by pushing innovation forward. Add solar to a home, driving an electric vehicle, or choose a career with Yes Solar Solutions.
The opportunity to support you has been our biggest reason to celebrate. Raise your glass with us in celebration of 15 years and many more!
Share a review if we have made a difference in your life over the past 15 years. You have impacted us, that is for sure!