When Merline Furze decided to purchase solar panels, she thought the process would be simple enough. Buy the panels, get them installed and save some cash. But what she didn’t consider is how inclement weather could pose a challenge.

“One of my friends across the street had it and she recommended the solar to me,” Furze said.

The Windsor resident says a salesman with Sunrun convinced her to buy the panels. So, she signed a 20-year contract to get the service in 2016.

“He talked to me and told me how I’m going to save energy and all that stuff and I said okay,” Furze said.

Furze said she noticed significant savings on her electric bill after the solar panels were installed. Then in February 2017, high winds damaged her roof and the company removed the panels two months later.

“I’m frustrated. I’m angry,” she said.

Furze told us once the contractor finished the roof repairs, she waited nearly a year for someone from Sunrun to come out and replace the solar panels after calling the company repeatedly.

“I waited months and months and nobody came and nobody called me,” she said.

Sunrun disputes that claim, stating that Furze initially requested not to have the panels re-installed.

Sunrun put the panels back up in April of this year. But from April 24 to May 24, Furze said the solar panels weren’t working and she said her electric bill nearly doubled for that month.

So, she contacted Sunrun again and when Furze couldn’t get the issue resolved, she reached out to NBC Connecticut Responds.

A Sunrun spokesperson explained that Furze had an outstanding bill while her roof was being repaired.

“Upon further investigation, we discovered that the panels were removed due to a non-solar related windstorm issue… following that experience, Ms. Furze requested that the panels not be re-installed. In May 2018, Ms. Furze allowed us to re-install the panels; however, there was still an outstanding bill from when Ms. Furze’s roof was being repaired.

Ms. Furze [sic] roof issue was not related to Sunrun’s solar panel performance, service response, or other concerns within the scope of our agreement. Despite this, we have gone ahead and reimbursed Ms. Furze’s account for the $156.20.

Giving households freedom of choice when it comes to their energy future is integral to our mission..”

And with this resolution, Furze said she couldn’t be happier that NBC Connecticut Responds stepped in to help her.

“I’m grateful. I’m thankful to you.”

July 27th, 2018 by Jake Richardson 

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Sun Exchange, a solar micro-leasing marketplace and Powerhive, a rural mini-grid solutions provider, have partnered to provide solar power to 175,000 Kenyans.

Proceeds from sales of the Sun Exchange SUNEX digital rewards token for pre-financing of solar power installations are expected to raise $23 million dollars in order to install 150 solar power projects in Kenya to provide clean, renewable electricity.

Both Sun Exchange founder and CEO Abraham Cambridge and Powerhive founder and CEO Christopher Hornor answered some questions for CleanTechnica.

1. Why did Sun Exchange partner with Powerhive and how did the partnership come about?  

Abe Cambridge: Sun Exchange’s goal is to ‘connect people to the sun’ and there is no more powerful way of achieving this than enabling anyone in the world to own solar panels powering developing regions previously without energy access. In 2017 and 2018 Sun Exchange member surveys, rural solar-powered mini and micro-grids were by far the most desired project type. We’ve since been scouting the market to identify the ideal project partner — one with a good track record, great ethos, and with happy customers. As the leading off-grid mini-grid developer in Africa, Powerhive met that criteria.

2. Why did you decide to help install more solar power in Kenya?

Chris Hornor: Bringing clean power to rural communities achieves greater social, environmental and economic impact than anything else as it provides access to education, healthcare equipment, and energy for productive use. Being on the equator, Kenya has ideal conditions for solar power, yet there are so many communities going without basic electricity access. Providing utility-grade solar power to communities provides access to clean and affordable power and all of the opportunities that come with it. This reduces urban migration which can cause slums and informal settlements to expand which often results in the loss of cultural heritage and sustainable, traditional farming practices.

3. How do you decide exactly where in Kenya to install the solar power systems?

Chris Hornor: Powerhive has built a very powerful software tool which utilizes Google Earth to scan villages and communities to find optimal locations for the sites. Powerhive’s proprietary mini-grid site location tools combine powerful GPS tools with on-the-ground scouting and community engagement. Sites are measured against a rigorous set of criteria including willingness and ability of communities to pay for electricity, and proximity to the national grid, before being approved by Powerhive management for development.

4. Where will you source your solar panels?

Chris Hornor: When it comes to generation assets, Powerhive is technology agnostic and will select the best hardware to meet the needs and geography of the site. Many of our solar panels come from our strategic partners, like First Solar, though we make purchasing decisions based on quality, price and availability. Solar panels are sourced from top-tier manufactures, mainly thin-film panels by First Solar, or crystalline solar panels by Canadian Solar or similar organizations.

5. Will local people be used when possible to install the solar arrays?

Chris Hornor: Empowering local people is at the core of Powerhive’s mission. In each village, local residents are trained to help construct the grids as well as maintain the equipment and are also employed for ongoing operation, maintenance and customer service work. But Powerhive actually goes further and helps to create income-generating opportunities for customers, such as the popular Kuku-Poa (Better Chicken) program, which connects customers to poultry rearing equipment, training and market access. Green collar job creation is one of the biggest social impacts of solar development in Africa.

6. When will the fundraising part of the project be completed?

Abe Cambridge: The Sun Exchange SUNEX Token sale ends on the 31st of December 2018.

7. When will the solar power systems be installed?

Chris Hornor: 20 sites are already in operation. Each site takes a couple of months to build, and we are targeting 10,000 sites within the next 5 years.

8. Can backers of your project expect a certain rate of return after buying in?

Abe Cambridge: The rental income earned by backers of our projects (Sun Exchange members) will amount to at least a return of 10{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} IRR.

9. Does your system run on Ethereum?

Abe Cambridge: Our SUNEX token is an ERC20 standard cryptocurrency on the Ethereum blockchain. It is a gamified rewards currency and can be used to get discounts and bonuses when using Sun Exchange and can even be staked into our solar project insurance fund. They can be earned through our platform or bought in our token sale, the purchase of which also contributes funds to Powerhive’s new mini-grid projects.

10. How much could a Kenyan household without electricity save by getting a home solar power system instead of using kerosene?

Chris Hornor: Powerhive doesn’t provide individual home solar systems but rather connects homes in off-grid communities to utility-grade (AC) power, versus most small solar home systems in the African market, which provide DC power. With a Powerhive connection households are able to purchase and draw electricity from the grid in the same way that people in cities do. Customers do not purchase energy assets outright, but rather pay a connection fee and then variable usage fees which change depending on demand, just as most electricity consumers in ‘developed’ countries

Currently, 81 percent of Kenyan households don’t have access to electricity. Rural Kenyan households spend an average 26{0b7da518931e2dc7f5435818fa9adcc81ac764ac1dff918ce2cdfc05099e9974} of their income on kerosene, which is expensive, has been increasing in price year on year, and has high levels of associated fire and respiratory health risks (source). When households get a Powerhive connection, they also cut their spending on diesel, batteries and travel costs associated with having to go elsewhere to charge their phones or get other energy sources. Add to that the support for productive energy use provided by Powerhive and you’ve set the stage for local economic development to thrive in a way that it couldn’t before. So, the goal is to not only enable households to save money but to actually earn more.

11. If your first effort is successful, will you attempt another?

Chris Hornor: The Powerhive model has already proven to be successful, the innovation now is integrating with cryptocurrency in order to scale, to give regular people the opportunity to invest in these life-changing clean electricity assets and to basically create a new model for financing electricity access in emerging markets. We’re optimistic that it will be successful and then we’ll do thousands more!

12. Can solar power pull a Kenyan household with no electricity out of poverty?

Chris Hornor: Powerhive provides a productive electricity connection, and not small roof-top home solar systems. With that being said, having access to electricity can absolutely pull a Kenyan household out of poverty because it provides access to a wealth of opportunities. Powerhive also offers customers internet access, which opens doors of possibility to participate in broader economic activities, to communicate and collaborate with others, and to access a global network of information which can empower people to learn new skills.

Abe Cambridge: Powerhive also offers what it calls the Kuku Poa program, which provides the skills and knowledge to people in newly electrified homes to run chicken hatcheries using electrical equipment such as incubators and lighting systems. This initiative opens new revenue streams for households, providing them with additional income which they can use to improve their living conditions and to purchase more electricity. This is a truly symbiotic relationship between Powerhive and households. Incorporating Sun Exchange into the equation as the finance mechanism for these projects further adds to a mutually beneficial three-way relationship.

13. Will your solar systems be grid-connected?

Chris Hornor: Powerhive’s off-grid utility solutions are designed for grid-interconnectivity, though they are currently primarily being deployed where productive power is needed most, further from the national grid. Furthermore, the ‘smart’ functionality of Powerhive’s ‘Honeycomb’ operating system enables national grid operators to have more stable and resilient ‘nodes’ of power at the so-called last mile of the electricity grid. The ideal situation is that Powerhive grids can be deployed now, quickly, to get rural areas online and then if/when the national grid arrives Powerhive can plug and play and create a more stable national grid.

14. Will they be paired with energy storage?

Chris Hornor: All Powerhive mini-grids have battery banks into which unused solar energy in the day time is stored to be used at night-time. The Honeycomb cloud-based energy management system then enables the very efficient (and remote) management of electrons from the generation and storage assets to the end-user. One of the beautiful things about Powerhive’s modular solution is that we can see when a certain community may be approaching maximum load/capacity of the mini-grid and we can easily go in and expand the system as needed. Of course, we’d love to see a situation where all of our customer communities use so much clean power that we have to expand all of our sites.

Image Credit: SunExchange and Powerhive

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Tags: blockchain, energy storage, Kenya, Powerhive, Sun Exchange

World Business Academy’s Powering Paradise Program Helps Property Owners in the Tri-Counties Go Solar

When President Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris climate treaty, Fred Hunter was so angry that he took money from his retirement savings and bought a solar system for his small home in Santa Barbara with assistance from the World Business Academy’s Powering Paradise program. The free program offers consultations, contractor referrals, and project assistance to help homeowners and commercial property owners pursue their renewable energy goals.

“I have been wanting to go solar for decades. I decided to put my money where my mouth is and do something positive for the environment,” said Hunter. “Otherwise, what kind of retirement am I saving for?” Hunter also considers installing solar panels to be a good investment. “Having solar is an asset that increases the value of my home,” he said.

Hunter’s six-panel system powers his entire house; he has a zero energy cost most months, which will save him thousands of dollars over the life of his solar system. The excess power his solar panels generate during high production days are stored in the electric grid as credits, which he uses at nighttime and when his panels are generating less power.

For Hunter, saving money wasn’t his main goal, even though every solar system saves money over time. “I was motivated because of my values. For me it was about the happiness it gives me to look at the app on my phone and see how much power I’m generating,” he explained. “It just feels nice to know I’m neutral on my use of electricity from the grid and there are no fossil fuels going into the energy I use.”

“It’s really satisfying to know I am powering my world and doing my part for the environment,” Hunter concluded. “Having solar has made me more conscious of the energy I use and even more conservation minded than I was before.”

Powering Paradise is a free public service program of the World Business Academy. The program educates people about solar energy and backup power, and refers them to local resources so they can go solar or acquire an emergency power system for their home or business. Project Director Cynthia Wallace provides one-on-one consultation, and then refers people to local solar electrical contractors who provide free energy consultations and project estimates. The World Business Academy assists throughout the project to help keep things on track and make sure people receive high-quality service. The program is available in the Tri-Counties.

“When you install solar energy, you are reducing your carbon footprint and helping to fight climate change and global warming,” said Wallace. “It’s one of the best things you can do as an individual to help the environment and generations to come. For example, an average 4.5-kilowatt solar system generates enough power in its lifetime to prevent about 120,999 pounds of coal from being burned in a power plant.”

Sun Pacific Solar Electric, Inc., based in Santa Barbara, designed and installed Fred Hunter’s solar system. They have been in the solar business for more than 15 years, and a Powering Paradise affiliate for over two years. “We are proud to partner with the Powering Paradise program,” said Cecilia “Ceci” Villaseñor Johnson, Sun Pacific’s President and CEO. “The World Business Academy shares our goal of helping people understand their renewable energy options so they can make informed decisions about installing solar energy and backup power systems.”

“When you consider your choices, it just makes sense to go solar. It’s the right thing to do for your pocketbook and the environment,” Johnson said. “There is no other appliance you can purchase for your home that starts saving you money as soon as you turn it on.”

To participate in the Powering Paradise program, register at PoweringParadise.com. For more information, contact Cynthia Wallace at 805-892-4600 or email [email protected].