“Solar power is a part of the energy picture in California that isn’t going to change.” —Bill Stewart
“Last year was one of the best years ever for SolarCraft,” says co-founder Bill Stewart. “Solar is such a great investment for California property owners. We could have grown a lot more but our focus is on quality. We don’t want to compromise the level of quality and service we provide our customers.”Though SolarCraft expects some additional growth next year, it plans to expand only incrementally so it can continue to meet the demands of its current and new customers with the same stellar service that earned it the BEST Of ranking this year. “There could be some incentive changes coming in 2016. A federal tax credit is scheduled to expire, and we’re working to see if that can be extended. But solar has been a real bright spot in terms of growth and employment, so it’s unlikely anything will be done to stop the industry in its tracks,” says Stewart, noting our state has renewable energy goals and that solar fits quite well into helping meet the projections.
SolarCraft installs commercial, residential and winery solar power systems throughout California, but the bulk of its business takes place in the North Bay. “We don’t do aggressive marketing, such as telephone or door-to-door soliciting. Most of our potential clients are carefully considering a solar investment and come to us through word-of-mouth or referrals,” says Stewart.
Stewart joined the solar industry in 1978 and says, even back then, there was a huge awareness for the potential of using solar power. He and co-founder, Dennis Nuttman, got SolarCraft up and running in 1984 and the more recent tax credits and rebates in place have spurred a boom in an industry that was already well on its way to expansion.
There was a slight lull in business during the 1980s when oil got cheaper but, in 2001, the technology changed in solar electric and that market opened up. Since then, there’s been exponential growth in the state’s solar industry. California employs more than 65,000 people within the solar industry, more than all the other utilities combined. “Solar power is a part of the energy picture in California that isn’t going to change,” says Stewart. A drive around the North Bay demonstrates that it’s fairly standard to see solar panels on rooftops of homes, schools and businesses. The overall rate of solar use in the state weighs in at about 1 to 2 percent of energy use, but, in the North Bay, it’s probably twice that.
Stewart says SolarCraft owes NorthBay biz readers much appreciation for selecting it Best Green Company. “The North Bay has always been a good place to be in this industry, but there are some other excellent local solar contractors out there that have also been around for a long time, and the bar is high. For us to come out on top is an honor,” he says.
