Member Spotlight: InWave Renewables

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Based in Illinois, InWave Renewables is dedicated to making sustainable energy accessible to all. Its co-founders, Asfandyar “AK” Khan and Mohammad Najjar, have a diverse history in power and construction prior to starting InWave. This is an interview with Mohammad Najjar.

Tell us a little about your company and how it began. What were the motivations to start your company?

Growing up in places where energy was often unreliable — or entirely inaccessible — sustainable power was more than a challenge; it felt like a distant dream. […] Over the years, as we’ve worked in the renewable energy and construction sectors, one truth became undeniable: Energy is far more than just a resource, it is the foundation for resilience, opportunity, and growth. InWave was born out of this realization with a vision to make sustainable energy accessible to all.

What do you customers appreciate most about your current and past work?

One of our core values is to stay objective and prioritize the client’s vision. We approach every project through this lens, carefully considering each aspect to help our clients achieve their goals. This commitment is reflected in our work and is often what our clients appreciate most.

What has been your experience with supply chain issues over the past year or few years? 

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Member Spotlight: All Sky Energy

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Based in Baraboo, WI, All Sky Energy has over 20 years of experience in residential and commercial solar sectors, offering the grid-connected, off-grid and battery back-up systems. They joined the co-op in 2019.

We interviewed Lisa Kahlow, who, together with her husband, Keith Kahlow, owns All Sky Energy, to get an in-depth look at their dedication to renewable energy and their customers in the communities they serve.

Tell us a little about your company and how it began. What were the motivations to start your company? 

Keith has worked in the electrical field, both in residential and commercial settings, since high school for small shops and also for the union for many years. Keith has over 30 years of experience, has been a Master Electrician for 15 years and continues to stay up to date on the ever-changing codes and industry. In 2010 he made the decision to go out on his own and we started All Sky Energy together. He saw an emerging industry and wanted to have firsthand experience with his clients and seeing projects from start to finish. I worked for my parents and decided in 2013 that I needed to go full time with our solar business. Read more

Member Spotlight: Eco Resource Consulting

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Eco-Resource Consulting (ERC) is based in Stoughton, WI and provides science-based ecological consulting and sustainable restoration. ERC plans, implements, maintains, and monitors sustainable native plant communities within ground based solar installations. They joined the co-op in 2023.

Each ground mount solar installation has the challenge of what to do to manage the vegetation underneath it. Many options exist, including a weed barrier and crushed rock, simply planting grass, or planting native vegetation that will manage itself over time (with some help) and save time in the process.

We asked Kyle Duquaine from Eco Resource Consulting, how this is done….

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Installer Member Feature: Current Electric

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Tell us a little about how solar work began as part of your company? What were the motivations?

Our company president, Charles Smith, is a solar pioneer who, as young as he can remember has always been interested in direct-from-source energy creation for our use. He has found that photovoltaic (PV) solar electrical power has proven to be one of the most viable ways to capture that energy.

When Current Electric first started installing solar, the PV systems were cost-prohibitive, except to early adopters who believed in helping provide options for our energy source or understood long-term investments such as a farmer understands the long-term investment in their land. Those early solar customers found that their systems eventually paid for themselves, and proved to be satisfied with their solar PV systems. Due to rising energy costs and return on investment calculations, those systems have now paid for themselves and continue to produce power and pay on their investment.

Now, more than 20 years later, the tide has turned. The price of the solar modules is down over 1000%, which is 10 times less than the cost our pioneer customers paid for solar. With rising energy prices and decreased system costs, the time to install solar is now. Read more

Eagle Point Solar

Installer Member Feature: Eagle Point Solar

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Interview with Larry Steffen, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing, and David Pluym, Senior Solar Energy Consultant of Eagle Point Solar

Dave Plyum, Eagle Point Solar

Dave Plyum, Eagle Point Solar

Larry Steffen, Eagle Point Solar

Larry Steffen, Eagle Point Solar

Tell us a little about Eagle Point Solar

Founded in 2010, Eagle Point Solar is dedicated to providing renewable solar energy solutions throughout Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. We design, engineer and build systems of all sizes for residential homes, small businesses, large commercial facilities, agricultural operations, local governments, academic institutions and local utilities. Eagle Point Solar is one of the largest solar installers in the Midwest, and consistently ranked as a Solar Power World Top Solar Contractor and Solar + Storage Installer in the U.S. In addition to providing turnkey energy management solutions, Eagle Point Solar also offers; sales, design & engineering, permitting, utility interconnection, construction and service and support.

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Sunpeak logo

Installer Member Feature: Sunpeak

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Interview with Hartman Hoel, Project Development Manager at Sunpeak

Sunpeak Team photo

Tell us more about how Sunpeak began.

In 2014, co-founders Chad Sorenson and Karl Huber saw a unique opportunity to start a commercial solar company in the Midwest focused on quality, customer education, and project efficiency. By blending Chad’s engineering and business expertise with the extensive finance and renewable energy development experience Karl had gained in more mature solar markets overseas (Germany and Japan), they created and honed SunPeak’s process-based approach to solar engineering, procurement, construction, and maintenance. Read more

Northwind Logo

Member Spotlight: Northwind Solar

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Interview with Woody Bolton, Solar Design & Sales / Member-Owner, Northwind Solar

Tell us about your ‘origin story’…

Northwind Solar was founded in 2007 by Josh Stolzenburg and grew into several areas of focus including solar electric, solar thermal, small wind, and energy efficiency. Like the rest of the solar industry Northwind rode the “solar coaster” with unfriendly changes to utility rate structures, uncertainty around incentives and equipment costs. Through all that Northwind learned a lot and built internal capacities. This led to the transition in 2017 from an LLC to a worker owned cooperative and an exclusive focus on solar electric systems. Over the last few years Northwind has added in energy storage systems, electric vehicle charging and smart home panels.

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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. 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.
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