Maineri home, complete with ground-mounted solar. (Images courtesy of ReVision Energy)
George Harvey
It seems that hardly an issue of Green Energy Times goes to press without some mention of ReVision Energy. That is only partly because ReVision is one of the largest solar installers in New England. The company is also a prominent leader in more issues than solar-powered energy and resilience.
ReVision Energy was formed in 2003 by people who all wanted to make the world a better place. They did not set out to grow big, like other companies, but to give quality products to customers and let growth take care of itself. ReVision also became a Certified B-Corp in 2015. It says at its website, “As a B Corp, we are challenging ourselves to build a better world.”
The owners’ next step must have come in stealth mode. Its employees were surprised when they were told in 2017 that ReVision Energy had become 100% employee-owned. And in 2020, ReVision Energy co-owners formed their pillars of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Readers may wish to browse them at . ReVision’s guiding values are, “Be kind. Be responsible. Be excellent. Be clear. Be curious.” ()
In a time of rapid expansion of demand for solar installers and technicians, ReVision trains its own employees. It runs a four-year paid electric apprenticeship program along with apprenticeships in design, sales, and customer support. ReVision’s support for employees has paid off with employee loyalty.
ReVision Energy has five offices, two in Maine, two in New Hampshire, and one in Massachusetts, though it is soon to have a second office in Massachusetts. It also does business in Vermont. It offers solar energy for homes, businesses, municipalities, and non-profits, offering charging stations for electric vehicles, backup batteries, water heating, heat pumps, and community solar systems. In addition, it offers customers help in finding financing.
With ReVision’s five offices, it employs about 400 people. So far, ReVision has completed over 15,000 installations. The October 2023 issue of G.E.T. had an article, “IRA Incentive Programs Make Solar Possible for Non-Profit Organizations,” which included a discussion about converting St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in New London, New Hampshire, to solar power. Many churches now qualify for direct funding, as a result of the Inflation Reduction Act, and ReVision Energy knows how to help with that.
One good example of a customer is in New Hampton, New Hampshire. Francis and Karen Maineri decided to make their home all-electric, powered as much as possible by the sun. That meant heat, cooling, hot water, and battery backup, along with the usual electric devices and appliances.
The Maineri household was heavily dependent on propane, which fueled their heating system, dryer, and stove. The propane also powered a generator, in case the power grid went out. With the dependence they had on fossil fuels and grid electricity, they wanted to change as completely as possible to solar power.
Maineri ground mounted solar system
The conversion was handled entirely by ReVision Energy. Their electricity now comes from a 9.5-kilowatt ground-mounted array. It supplies power to new heat pumps for heating and cooling. It also supplies power for appliances. A pellet stove and the generator were retained, in case they were needed, but a year after solar installation there had not yet been a need. The Maineris have lived through three grid outages and say the thing that made them notice the outage was the sound of neighbors’ generators starting up.
They are still grid-tied, but they are supplying electricity to the grid most of the time. “I’ve been tracking costs through the Eversource bills we get every month,” says Francis Maineri. “I’m unbelievably pleased by always having a negative amount. … I’m really happy with the way that has worked out.”
ReVision has received honors. But Phil Coupe, one of the four co-founders, commented on this when he was asked why ReVision decided to become a B-Corp. “Imagine if every company were operating for the benefit for human kind and the planet.”
We should mention that ReVision Energy has started a community solar program for New Hampshire that is similar to its successful program in Maine. We expect to cover that in our next issue.
ReVision Energy’s website is https://www.revisionenergy.com/
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