Interview with Hartman Hoel, Project Development Manager at Sunpeak

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.
Early momentum for the company came by leveraging international procurement channels, robust quality assurance practices, and by helping customers apply for grants and incentives that made projects financially attractive. The company has steadily grown over the last nine years and has become a trusted solar partner for many leading brands including American Family Insurance, Ashley Furniture Industries, SC Johnson, and Tyson Foods, among many others.
What do your customers appreciate most about your work?
Our customers appreciate that we go out of our way to educate them on all aspects of a solar project. Taking the time to help customers understand the many different options they can consider, including materials, financing, technical details, and other nuances of the project is critical for a customer to be fully comfortable with their purchase. We believe customer education is integral to customer satisfaction, and it is well worth the investment of our time throughout the project process.
Tell us about the different types of projects your company handles.
Our in-house EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) team installs ground, rooftop, and carport solar projects for commercial and industrial customers. Our largest solar markets are Wisconsin and Illinois, but we complete systems for customers across the U.S. We enjoy working with all types of businesses that want to use solar to meet their operational and sustainability goals. A typical customer installation is a behind-the-meter system between 100 kWdc and 2 MWdc, though some of our projects are much larger.
Tell us about making an impact in your community(ies). Is there an example project SunPeak has done that showcases the impact it had on a community?
We really enjoy opportunities to share our expertise and industry knowledge with students and local learners of all ages and backgrounds. One example is our long-established relationship with the Urban League of Madison (ULM). For many years SunPeak offered a steady career pathway for participants of ULM’s Foundations for the Trades course. SunPeak guest lectured, hired, and mentored many “second chance” workers; men and women who had significant barriers to obtaining gainful employment due to prior conviction or other life circumstances. This summer, we had the great honor of designing and installing a rooftop solar system for the new Black Business Hub for ULM. The system will be commissioned soon, and we will be taking students participating in ULM’s STEM Camp (grades 6-9) on a tour of the new solar system, talking about solar from both a project and career perspective.
To date, SunPeak has also completed two rooftop solar projects for UW-Madison at Gordon Commons and the Arboretum. Through these projects, we’ve developed an ongoing partnership with the UW Office of Sustainability. For each solar project, we have welcomed student participation from Helios (sustainability student group) members during the design process. We also regularly support on-campus sustainability events such as this year’s EmPOWERING Youth for a Brighter Future gathering, which brought together more than a hundred high school and college students to learn about sustainability topics from local industry leaders.
Lastly, we also provide multiple paid internships per year, providing students who have an interest in sustainability careers with the opportunity to explore and work in various facets of our business. Each intern completes a rotation within each of our core business areas (project development, field work, project management, sales, and marketing). We’ve hired at least three interns into full-time positions in the last two years, and many others have gone on to work in legislative offices or other renewable energy fields.
Tell us about the most interesting or unique system you have installed.
We installed a ~8 MWdc array for a commercial client in Leesport, Pennsylvania. This is already an impressive size for a commercial system, but what’s more interesting is that it was a rooftop array. The building itself was huge – the west facing edge of the roof was around one third of a mile long! At the time, the system was the largest rooftop array in the state of Pennsylvania and the fourth largest rooftop array in the nation.
The unique size of the system resulted in a complex utility interconnection process. In addition to utility upgrades, a new control system was implemented, allowing the utility to remotely communicate with and disconnect the system from the grid for safety purposes during maintenance activities.
What are your team’s focuses from one install to the next.
As an organization, we focus on constant process improvement. At the end of every project, we meet as a team to debrief, discuss, and document any feedback or lessons learned from each project phase. When applicable, we implement process improvements. By establishing a feedback loop and working towards continuous improvement, we support our ISO 9001 certification, which gives our customers confidence that we will deliver an excellent product every time.
What has been your experience with supply chain issues over the past year or few years?
Most of our supply chain issues have been related to non-solar electrical equipment, including CT cabinets, switches, and electrical panels. Some of these items can have lead times of multiple months. We alleviate these issues through proactive engineering and detailed knowledge gathering – combined, we can often procure electrical equipment early in the project process, which greatly mitigates impact to a project’s overall timeline.
Tell us about your company’s operations. How many installers, electricians, crews. How does SunPeak organize an install?
SunPeak’s project staff is split into two main departments – Development and Execution. Our Project Developers are responsible for the sale of a system to a customer, which includes customer education, proposal development, financing, incentive research, utility communications, site assessments, and preliminary engineering. Once a contract is signed, the account is led by the Execution department, which handles detailed engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance.
SunPeak has around 15 full-time office staff and up to 25 field staff. We typically have up to three field crews in operation, but we can accommodate more as needed. SunPeak is signatory to both the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). Being a union shop, we work closely with both unions to fulfill out staffing needs and use local talent whenever we can.
How many systems has SunPeak installed since it formed?
To date, SunPeak has completed more than 120 customer projects nationwide.
Perennial Cooperative
/in ProjectsLOCATION: Madison, Wisconsin | CAPACITY: 14.4 kW | COMPLETION DATE: February 2023
SOLAR CONTRACTOR:

Perennial Co-op is an 11-member housing co-op that provides permanent affordable housing on Madison’s south-east side of town.
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Pine Valley Community Village
/in ProjectsLOCATION: Richland Center, Wisconsin | CAPACITY: 179.8 kW | COMPLETION DATE: September 2023
SOLAR CONTRACTOR:
Pine Valley Community Village consists of a 80-bed skilled care facility, and a 16-unit Assisted Living facility.
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Installer Member Feature: Eagle Point Solar
/in Member InstallersInterview 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
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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Solar Grant Options for Wisconsin Businesses and Homeowners
/in Advice/Education, Financing SolarLegacy Solar Co-op helps our members and nonmembers navigate their project and financing options – and even write grants – through our solar consulting services.
There are several grant and incentive programs available federally and in the state of Wisconsin.
Below, we outline grant options available to Wisconsin businesses and homeowners interested in adding solar to their property.
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Inflation Reduction Act Updates
/in Advice/EducationAmid the 1,000’s of pages of official documents relating to the landmark legislation that was signed into law last August are a few very important provisions for folks interested in solar. LSC will continue to provide updates as they become available, but here is a quick guide for the solar provisions and a resource for a whole lot more. Tax-Exempt Organizations wanting to do solar can get our help immediately for your solar project in 2023 or 2024 or anytime in the next 9 years.
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Installer Member Feature: Sunpeak
/in Member InstallersInterview with Hartman Hoel, Project Development Manager at Sunpeak
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.
Early momentum for the company came by leveraging international procurement channels, robust quality assurance practices, and by helping customers apply for grants and incentives that made projects financially attractive. The company has steadily grown over the last nine years and has become a trusted solar partner for many leading brands including American Family Insurance, Ashley Furniture Industries, SC Johnson, and Tyson Foods, among many others.
What do your customers appreciate most about your work?
Our customers appreciate that we go out of our way to educate them on all aspects of a solar project. Taking the time to help customers understand the many different options they can consider, including materials, financing, technical details, and other nuances of the project is critical for a customer to be fully comfortable with their purchase. We believe customer education is integral to customer satisfaction, and it is well worth the investment of our time throughout the project process.
Tell us about the different types of projects your company handles.
Our in-house EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) team installs ground, rooftop, and carport solar projects for commercial and industrial customers. Our largest solar markets are Wisconsin and Illinois, but we complete systems for customers across the U.S. We enjoy working with all types of businesses that want to use solar to meet their operational and sustainability goals. A typical customer installation is a behind-the-meter system between 100 kWdc and 2 MWdc, though some of our projects are much larger.
Tell us about making an impact in your community(ies). Is there an example project SunPeak has done that showcases the impact it had on a community?
We really enjoy opportunities to share our expertise and industry knowledge with students and local learners of all ages and backgrounds. One example is our long-established relationship with the Urban League of Madison (ULM). For many years SunPeak offered a steady career pathway for participants of ULM’s Foundations for the Trades course. SunPeak guest lectured, hired, and mentored many “second chance” workers; men and women who had significant barriers to obtaining gainful employment due to prior conviction or other life circumstances. This summer, we had the great honor of designing and installing a rooftop solar system for the new Black Business Hub for ULM. The system will be commissioned soon, and we will be taking students participating in ULM’s STEM Camp (grades 6-9) on a tour of the new solar system, talking about solar from both a project and career perspective.
To date, SunPeak has also completed two rooftop solar projects for UW-Madison at Gordon Commons and the Arboretum. Through these projects, we’ve developed an ongoing partnership with the UW Office of Sustainability. For each solar project, we have welcomed student participation from Helios (sustainability student group) members during the design process. We also regularly support on-campus sustainability events such as this year’s EmPOWERING Youth for a Brighter Future gathering, which brought together more than a hundred high school and college students to learn about sustainability topics from local industry leaders.
Lastly, we also provide multiple paid internships per year, providing students who have an interest in sustainability careers with the opportunity to explore and work in various facets of our business. Each intern completes a rotation within each of our core business areas (project development, field work, project management, sales, and marketing). We’ve hired at least three interns into full-time positions in the last two years, and many others have gone on to work in legislative offices or other renewable energy fields.
Tell us about the most interesting or unique system you have installed.
We installed a ~8 MWdc array for a commercial client in Leesport, Pennsylvania. This is already an impressive size for a commercial system, but what’s more interesting is that it was a rooftop array. The building itself was huge – the west facing edge of the roof was around one third of a mile long! At the time, the system was the largest rooftop array in the state of Pennsylvania and the fourth largest rooftop array in the nation.
The unique size of the system resulted in a complex utility interconnection process. In addition to utility upgrades, a new control system was implemented, allowing the utility to remotely communicate with and disconnect the system from the grid for safety purposes during maintenance activities.
What are your team’s focuses from one install to the next.
As an organization, we focus on constant process improvement. At the end of every project, we meet as a team to debrief, discuss, and document any feedback or lessons learned from each project phase. When applicable, we implement process improvements. By establishing a feedback loop and working towards continuous improvement, we support our ISO 9001 certification, which gives our customers confidence that we will deliver an excellent product every time.
What has been your experience with supply chain issues over the past year or few years?
Most of our supply chain issues have been related to non-solar electrical equipment, including CT cabinets, switches, and electrical panels. Some of these items can have lead times of multiple months. We alleviate these issues through proactive engineering and detailed knowledge gathering – combined, we can often procure electrical equipment early in the project process, which greatly mitigates impact to a project’s overall timeline.
Tell us about your company’s operations. How many installers, electricians, crews. How does SunPeak organize an install?
SunPeak’s project staff is split into two main departments – Development and Execution. Our Project Developers are responsible for the sale of a system to a customer, which includes customer education, proposal development, financing, incentive research, utility communications, site assessments, and preliminary engineering. Once a contract is signed, the account is led by the Execution department, which handles detailed engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and ongoing maintenance.
SunPeak has around 15 full-time office staff and up to 25 field staff. We typically have up to three field crews in operation, but we can accommodate more as needed. SunPeak is signatory to both the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). Being a union shop, we work closely with both unions to fulfill out staffing needs and use local talent whenever we can.
How many systems has SunPeak installed since it formed?
To date, SunPeak has completed more than 120 customer projects nationwide.
Curative Connections
/in ProjectsLOCATION: Green Bay, Wisconsin | CAPACITY: 280 kW | COMPLETION DATE: January 2023
SOLAR CONTRACTOR:
Curative Connections is a non-profit in Brown County, Wisconsin that helps seniors and adults with disabilities navigate options that support their goals for independence through a proactive approach to care and a clear focus on individual needs. Founded in 1948, they are a mission-driven and values-focused organization supporting a culture of gentleness.
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Congratulating Emmanuel Community United Methodist Church in Menomonee Falls
/in Events, Project UpdatesWe congratulate Emmanuel Community United Methodist Church in Menomonee Falls as one of our newest projects to go solar this year. Installed by member installer Arch Solar, the church invited us to help them advise them on their project in 2021. Their system is within weeks of commissioning by WE Energies, but they couldn’t wait to celebrate the solar savings they will soon realize! LSC staff attended their ribbon cutting on May 7th.
Member Spotlight: Northwind Solar
/in Member InstallersInterview 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.
Tell us about the different types of projects Northwind handles.
Northwind works in both the residential and commercial spaces. When it comes to commercial projects Northwind focuses on small to mid-sized systems up to 500 kW. Residential work comprises their largest number of projects and as of the last two years an increasingly growing portion of these projects have included energy storage, EV charging and smart home electric panels, providing customers with resilience and a greater degree of control on how they use energy in their homes.
What do your customers appreciate most about your work?
We consistently see in reviews that our customers love our installation team. Our crews are professional, approachable, communicate very well and always leave a customer site clean and tidy. We are constantly thinking how we can improve our process to make the next job even better.
What has been your experience with supply chain issues over the past year?
Like everyone else we experienced significant supply chain issues in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, things seemed to get back to closer to pre-pandemic times. We have a very skilled and diligent procurement team that has kept our warehouse stocked in order to complete projects.
Not everyone is pursuing battery systems yet and they are a core part of what you do. Why do your customers opt to incorporate a battery with their solar array?
Over the last two years we have seen a tremendous attachment rate for energy storage systems on residential systems. Most of our customers are doing it for backup power in the inevitable event of a grid outage. One benefit that not everyone sees from adding an energy storage system is that you protect yourself from likely utility rates changes by being able to supply most of your home electrical needs from solar and your energy storage system.
Tell us about making an impact in your communities…
Northwind is proud to be part of our central Wisconsin community. We live and work here and can provide service that out of state and remote companies just simply cannot. We have partnered with many local non-profit organizations in our area including, Central Rivers Farmshed, The Midwest Renewable Energy Association, North Central Conservancy Trust, Schmeeckle Nature Reserve, Habitat for Humanity, Mid State Technical College, local churches, farms, and governments.
Tell us about the most interesting or unique system you have installed.
In our earlier days we installed systems from Madeline Island to Door County to Kenosha and to La Crosse. Some unique systems we have installed are systems for the Madeline Island Ferry Line and several locations for the town of La Pointe (on Madeline Island) as they work toward a microgrid for the island community. Recently we have helped many homes become almost energy independent (If only we could get the sun to shine more in December and January in Wisconsin!) by utilizing solar and energy storage. Additionally, we installed a 140 kW array at the City of Stevens Point Water Department that offsets 100% of the annual electric usage at their garage building.
Legacy Solar Cooperative Wins one of 25 prizes in U.S. energy competition
/in News(Distributed through the Tech Council News Service, a project of the Wisconsin Technology Council.)
MADISON, Wis. – Legacy Solar Cooperative, which has more than 280 members across Wisconsin, is one of 25 similar organizations in the United States to win a Phase 1 “Community Power Accelerator Prize” through the federal Department of Energy.
Part of a three-stage competition, Phase 1 winners such as Legacy Solar Co-op are enrolled in a 10-week accelerator program that trains, develops and supports new and continuing solar developers focused on community solar.
Community solar is a form of solar energy generation that allows all community members to access the meaningful benefits of renewable energy, particularly those with low-to-moderate incomes, renters and those for whom traditional rooftop solar is unavailable. Read more