Dodge County Housing Authority

Installer Member Feature: Midwest Solar Power

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Interview with Adam Schmidt, Project Resource Officer at Midwest Solar Power

Tell us more about Midwest Solar Power’s ‘origin story’…

Founded in 2009 by Rik Rosenlund and Tom Schlaefer who previously worked together in residential construction, the goal of MSP was to engage in more impactful prospects.  They wanted to bring together their expertise in construction, project management and customer service and soon realized that solar was a field they believed in and were confident they could improve. Over the years, they became experts and built a happy customer base. MSP was also strengthened by the additions of Michael Reuter and Adam Schmidt. Michael Reuter brought his renewable energy and architectural technology training from Madison College along with a passion for green building and renewable energy to MSP to help grow the business and has grown into an ownership role over the last 5 years. Adam Schmidt joined in Feb 2021 with an engineering background and an eagerness to address climate change.

What do you customers appreciate most about your work?

Midwest Solar Power makes sure every installation gets full attention to assure each customer has a positive experience. They solicit feedback from customers after an installation. Customers appreciate that they take the time to answer questions in detail, even simple ones, and not brush off any of their concerns. One consistent thing customers say is that they feel their company is very kind and respects the customer’s home and family during the installation – especially if going inside. They appreciate that the install crew has a positive disposition and cleans up after themselves after the job is done. Read more

Arch Electric Staff

Installer Member Feature: Arch Electric

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For our latest Member Spotlight interview to interview Andrew Holmstrom from Arch Electric. Arch Electric is a family-owned solar installer operating out of Plymouth, Wisconsin. The company is run by Ed and Mindy Zinthefer and has been a LSC member since 2016.

Arch Electric’s ‘origin story’
Essentially, Ed and Mindy started the concept and outline of what is now Arch Electric off the back porch of their farmhouse. Ed’s electrical contracting services were taking off and the couple envisioned a solar company where they could add value to a burgeoning market. Hear more about Arch Electric’s story here.

Tell us about Arch Electric’s operations
There are four different business units to the Arch Electric model: Commercial and Utility scale solar, Residential solar, Operations and Maintenance (of solar systems) and the electrical team that covers battery storage and electric vehicle charging. Andrew Holmstrom (Commercial and Industrial team) likes that the work environment is positive, close-knit, and dedicated to training and education. Read more

Michael & Maria Drews of Drews Solar

LSC Member Spotlight with Drews Solar

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by Peter Fiala, Vice President

For our latest Member Spotlight interview, we chose Drews Solar, a family-run solar installer located in Madison, Wisconsin. The company is run by Michael and Maria Drews and has been a LSC member since 2017.

How did Drews Solar get started?

When Michael graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering in 2005, he knew wanted to get into renewables. He started working with a small local company in Madison, then moved to Los Angeles to manage the Los Angeles branch of Solar City, a quickly-growing residential solar installer. California’s appetite for solar and electric vehicle charging kept Michael and his branch’s 60 employees very busy.

In 2016, Michael moved back to Wisconsin and decided to start his own solar installation company. Michael worked alone his first year, installing six projects. Maria joined Drews Solar for the 3rd installation season, and they added an installer to work beside Michael, helping grow the capacity of the company. Although they have been growing significantly, Maria and Michael don’t have the intention to grow their business beyond one installation crew. They prefer to keep a happy medium that balances work for their team with the ability to deliver excellent customer service and ongoing support. “I like the personal touch of dealing with the customers directly. Staying small allows me to give each project my attention and to make sure all of our projects are done to our high standards,” says Michael.

Describe your company. How does it work?

There are two full-time and two part-time installers during the solar season, in addition to Michael as lead installer and project coordinator and Maria as office and intake coordinator. Maria handles solar estimates and the initial back and forth with the client, answering questions prior to a site assessment. If the client is interested in moving forward, Michael completes a site visit with a formal quote. If the client wants to continue they sign on and the project begins.

What types of systems do you install?

Drews Solar specializes in a streamlined approach, incorporating system designs and equipment they know they can rely upon in residential or family farm settings. Their systems utilize string inverters and optimizers from Solar Edge to maximize solar production. Additionally, the racking system and choice of solar panel brand remains mostly the same throughout each season. This allows them to buy larger amounts of standard equipment which is efficient and keeps costs down for customers.
There are a lot of people that want to go solar and they know that they can help the most people if the installation team can move through residential projects fast, with precision and skill. As part of their streamlined approach, Drews Solar sticks to standard rooftop solar arrays and leaves flat roofs, ground mounts, and commercial projects to larger installers.

Making an impact

Drews Solar has demonstrated a commitment to giving back and has partnered with notable non-profits in the area. In 2021, Drews Solar partnered with a Habitat for Humanity family to provide a solar system with no labor costs. The family was passionate about going solar, but couldn’t afford the investment of the system upfront, which is a barrier for many lower-income families. Drews Solar partners with causes like this because they feel strongly about helping the people who need solar the most. “Everyone needs to switch to renewable energy,” says Maria, “but lower-income families benefit the most from the reduced electricity bills. We wanted to do our part to help this family make their dream of going solar a reality.”

Working with Drews Solar

If you are in Dane County or the surrounding area and are looking for a standard rooftop solar array, Drews Solar would be a great choice. Drews Solar is already full for 2022, but will be booking 2023 installs starting in September. Feel free to contact Maria Drews at mdrews@drewssolar.com with initial questions about your future system.