ARRA, SGC, OPIC, SFS......OMG!

Standing on the hills of the mountains and dreams, telling myself it’s not as hard as it seems….

Do you like acronyms? Here are a few to warm up with:
I attended a meeting for the SEE Green Careers (SGC) group that targeted getting ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) money by way of Oakland’s WIA (Workforce Investment Act) and OPIC (Oakland Private Industry Council). Wow! Is that enough acronyms for you?
In other words:
*SGC= green jobs/solar training for underserved youth
*ARRA= Federal $/Obama Stimulus
*WIA and OPIC= distribution of Federal $ to green jobs programs
And here’s one more, Sun’s Free Solar (SFS)=me (Kevin Good), Joel Baron and Sheldon Norberg, owners and operators of a solar contracting company.
Actually, it’s hilarious, let me digress. I was at the meeting in Oakland City Hall (hosted by OPIC) to give public comment on how the WIA money would directly affect my group, SGC, and thus please consider fully funding the program. Man, this was a dysfunctional meeting. People accusing board members of giving favor to their pet projects and emotions flared….By the time it came to public comment, the meeting had run over by 30 minutes (like, it was supposed to be over half an hour ago). I was given the opportunity to address the board and all I could say was, “you folks in public service, you sure make my job look attractive”.
The Federal dollars did make it to SGC and what that means is Uncle Sam is going to pay the tab for the eligible young men and women to work for employers like myself this summer (8 weeks/24 hours a week @ $8+ an hour). Whatever your politics are regarding social programs is neither here nor there. The program is law, and, for better or worse, I have resolved to be a part of the implementation. So I went to the Spanish Speaking Citizens Foundation (SSCF, another acronym…sorry) to meet with the SGC collaborative members and the graduates from SGC. This was a job fair, in which I was going to interview the graduates individually and determine which one I could hire for the summer.
Ok, another digression. I had been sent detailed emails from the directors of SGC regarding the ARRA/WIA/OPIC program and the actual cost, BUT, because I can be very George Bush in my reading comprehension or lack thereof… I didn’t fully understand the Federal Government was picking up the whole tab. My take was that the Fed would pay half the cost per hour (which is another program piggybacked to the program mentioned above) and Sun’s Free Solar would pay the 50 cents on every dollar these guys and gals earned. So I figured I could reasonably hire one graduate and keep them busy for the 8 weeks.
You see? Hire one person for the summer, right? Wrong! I did the interviews and, I gotta tell you, some of the answers I got from my questions just blew me away. Like, Lewis responded to my question, “Why do you want to be a solar installer?” with, “to be a super hero…to let kids see what you can do… to be a role model”. This is true, every installer feels this. I then met with the other potential employers from the job fair to discuss who was going where. Rising Sun Energy, the East Bay YMCA and the SSCF were present and offering summer positions. Although several other solar contractors were invited to attend, I was the only one that showed up. All the graduates listed what would be their first, second and third pick. Nearly all listed Sun’s Free Solar as their first pick.
There simply weren’t enough positions in the trades (Rising Sun and Sun’s Free), so the YMCA agreed to take the balance of the candidates (six men and women I think it was). Well, in this post-interview confab it became clear that the entire tab was being paid by the Fed. I then volunteered to take six SGC grads. Six is the number of people I can fit in my ’87 Mercedes station wagon.
I just couldn’t see these people that wanted a life in the building trades getting further removed from the prize…gainful and fulltime employment as a skilled tradesperson. I knew I didn’t have nearly enough work on the books. I knew this was going to, in fact, cost us (my wife and me) quite a bit of time and money. And, I knew I really don’t have the skills to manage six young people while trying to make the living I have become accustomed to.
So here’s what I propose to do:
1. Bring on the six SGC grads for 8 weeks paid for by ARRA
2. Fill the work calendar with as many paying clients as possible
3. Compensate my crew for all work performed that generates revenue for Sun’s Free Solar an additional $4 an hour (totaling $12+ an hour).
4. Contact any and all clients from my former company (Well Grounded Electric) and potential clients that have asked us for proposals but haven’t signed the contract and let them know that Sun’s Free Solar will have 3 other human beings available (3 on the roof with Joel Baron and myself installing solar) for insulating their crawl spaces and attics, wrapping their pipes, adding weather stripping to doors and windows, or just about any punch list items that fall in the spirit of the ARRA program. This additional service will be provided “pro bono” for any client getting solar installed by Sun’s Free. If we are providing this service to a former client, the cost to the homeowner is only $4 an hour per worker!
5. Each worker provides me with the contact information of a friend or family member that could use the 7 of us rolling up to their house and putting in a day’s labor. This would be at no cost at all to the loved one (except lunch for the crew). Again, as long as our troops are learning professional skills, I believe we have done a great service to these young people and the community they live in.
6. The balance of their time midweek (Monday and Friday) they are contacting other contractors to get fulltime employment.
Now, anyone that has experience contracting will immediately note that this is a logistical nightmare, and they’d be right. But my partners and I have made a commitment to bridging the gap between green jobs training and employment. You see, quite honestly, you would be amazed at the flood of resumes we have gotten in the last year. Most of these come from white males with several years experience in the building trades. The rest of the resumes are generally from white males from the tech industry. How are my guys gonna compete with that? I plan on taking a very close look at each one of the SGC grads to find their strengths and what they bring to the table that is distinctly unique to their life experience.
As for our group and Sun’s Free Solar, what we really need is a couple commercial contracts. Large flat roofs with lots of time to get real jobs skills. If any of you reading this know of a property owner thinking of going solar, we can make that happen. Sun’s Free Solar will not charge any materials mark up and we will pass the savings on labor straight through to the client.

Letters in the Ether, " young people speak'n their minds..."

This is an email form SEE Green Careers graduate, Prem Karki. I asked Prem's permission to share this and future correspondences.


Hey Kevin how it is going?

Thanks for your email and also for your help and suggestion. You know, everybody will be happy to have this type of training and knowledge. I am very happy this training is not only for us but it is for whole world.

But when we talk about personal story, I think you know that we are from refugee camp in (NEPAL). Up to 17 years we were in refugee camp without electricity we used to read in moon and sunlight.So I hope to take electricity in that country. For my dream the support like yours will probably help. There were many personalities in graduation day but only you have praised us so far.

Thanks

Letters in the Ether, "Let fury have the hour, anger can be power. You know that you can se it"

Hello gang,

So, most of you guys were at the English Center last week (March 18th) to listen to Matt Malloon from the Electrical Workers Union, along with myself and Pam Bailey, speak. I had a lot of fun seeing all of you again and talking about our future together.

For those of you that didn’t make it, my company (Sun’s Free Solar), is partnering with the players that make up SEE Green Careers to find a way to put ALL of the graduating class to work on one single project. We are looking at one commercial roof in particular and things look pretty positive, nothing for sure… but POSITIVE!

I have said it to most of you, but one more time for the record, you guys changed my life the night of the graduation. It was more than a little disappointing (for me) to say I had no job openings when each of you asked for employment. I made a commitment that night to reexamine why I’m in business. I am totally committed to this project and, in turn, I am asking each of you to go further, work harder, and stay positive until we get things rolling.

In my blog, Kevin's Sun Blog, SPF 50, I write about you guys and where we are going. This blog is designed to reach out to anyone and everyone in order to generate support. I want you to read it. I want you to understand it. And I want YOU to use it as a tool to market our project. Please send this link to everyone you have in your address book (your friends, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, your 2nd grade teacher that made you feel like you were gonna be somebody some day).

Here are some other action items I want you to do:

1. Stay in touch with me. I need each of you. Email me at least once a week with your thoughts.
2. Help us name the project. SEE Green Careers is a separate entity. We need a name like “R.I.S.E- Resources Integrating Solar Employment” or something like that.
3. Be prepared to come with me to public events to help promote our cause. I want us to meet as many elected officials, property owners, and community leaders as possible in the next few weeks, and I want you to tell these people about your journey. YOU are our most powerful marketing tool. Need some examples?



Who doesn’t want to see Latinos, African Americans, women and young adults get a fair slice of the green jobs market? Virtually nobody. And those who don’t want us to succeed, they may present obstacles, but they won’t break our stride.

We also have four young men from Nepal, which is widely regarded as the spiritual capital of Asia (the Himalayas) and nowhere else on the planet are people more aware and interested in this culture than in the East Bay.

If you’ll forgive the sports metaphor, batting cleanup we have a young gentleman from Iraq that is a natural ringer. Our target is to influence people already sympathetic to the struggle and injustices of others. Anybody with half a heart is going to realize helping Iraq correct the devastation from the last 6 years of US invasion is in everyone’s interest.

4. Stay upbeat. This is not going to happen quickly. We will push it along as fast as we can, but there is a process and it takes time. You are going to get depressed and feel like this isn’t worth it. That’s when we will all need to be there for each other.
5. Make solar all you eat, drink, and sleep about. Read everything you can about solar. Go online and check out the hundreds of solar websites. Watch every solar/environmental TV show and movie that you hear about. Listen to public radio! Public radio is the only source of information that will really tell you what’s going on. You will need to know this if you want to stay employed in solar and advance to a higher position.

Do you follow me here? We are going to be approaching wealthy business owners and presenting a package that earns them money, helps save the environment, and puts your skills to work. There is nothing unique about installing solar panels. All poly and mono crystalline panels are basically the same. If a commercial property owner is going to install solar, his or her mind is already made up. It is OUR job to convince the property owner that we are the ones to do the installation. We need to let the people know it is in their best interest to have us do the installation.

Am I missing something? Did I leave something out or was I way off base about something? Let me know either way. I don’t care how good or bad your spelling or grammar is, I need your story. I will use your story and make it OUR story. I will then “shop” our story to everyone that will listen until we get another job, and then another and another.

Thanks for your time and please get back to me soon.

Sincerely yours,

Kevin Good

INTRODUCING LETTERS IN THE ETHER

LETTERS IN THE ETHER, “DO YOU HERE MEEE??? DO YOU CARE? WHAT ARE WORDS FOR?”


I’ve taken to a letter writing campaign. It started a couple years back when I wanted a local legendary surfboard shaper, Ward Coffey, to make me a custom board. I wrote the letter in my best penmanship and described my dream board, but alas, I never sent it off.

Since then I have written a dozen or so letters (a lot for the email generation) to people I knew or wanted to know, and only one or two, at best, made their way to the mail box. There has always been a common theme in my correspondences, “I want something from you”.

Well, I’m on a new quest for fire, and there really isn’t time for the omission of spell check, so electronic formats will have to do (to be honest, I always felt my hand written letters would be perceived to have come from a cantankerous curmudgeon). In fact, I will be posting on “Kevin’s Sun Blog” nearly all of my
letters to the people in positions of power to promote my purpose (sorry, I couldn’t resist).

The series is called “Letters in the Ether” because you know who writes me back? No one. There’s really no way of knowing if these letters make it to the desk of the person I’m writing to. So this may seem like me just whining a little, but it works for Andy Rooney…..My intent is to chronicle the events of the last year while highlighting the leaps forward and minor setbacks.

Anyway, please read and I encourage you to critique.

Kevin Good

Letters in the Ether, "We just get by, however we can. We all gotta duck...."

To the good people at Alameda Municipal Power, April 2, 2009

As most of you know, in January of 2009, I was contacted by Marie Spark (Board of Directors from the Alameda Food Bank) regarding a proposal to have Solar PV installed on the Food Bank. The broad strokes, as I understand it, of the original proposal are the following:

• AMP has funds available to supply materials for a Solar PV system.
• Sun’s Free Solar would design and install the solar array, raceways,solar collection panel, disconnect, and EG meter “pro bono”.
• Norman Sanchez Architects will provide system drawing “pro bono”
• Jack Rafferty Engineering will supply P.E. “pro bono”
• AMP will use its resources in PR generation to promote the installation for community collaboration and promotion of Solar Electricity on the Island.

Currently, the project is either derailed or slated for another building (not related to the Alameda Food Bank). I have been given reasons for the “plug being pulled” (forgive the pun) for the Food Bank project and the position taken by AMP and the City of Alameda is largely logistical.

What I’m being told is, the building cannot support solar on the roof. From the information I have gathered, the structure has 2x4 rafters @ 24” on center, just like thousands of homes with solar in California. I have personally contacted our distributors and their suppliers regarding the structural issues and I have been assured there is nothing unusual about this installation.

Another counter position to the project is the temporary nature of the Food Bank. This seems ideological rather than logistical. There will always be a need for a Food Bank in Alameda. In the event the Food Bank is relocated, there is nothing unusual about dismantling the solar equipment and reinstalling the equipment at the new location. All this, of course, is based on an assumption that the Food Bank is subject to relocation.

Sun’s Free Solar prides itself on being the only locally owned and operated Solar contractor. Sun’s Free has partnered with SEE Green Careers (SGC) to enlist the latest graduated class of Solar PV installers to perform this installation. SGC provides training to underprivileged youth, primarily Latino and African American (but in this class there were 4 Nepalese and 1 Iraqi refugees).

So you see, we are ready and willing to get moving. Let’s not delay another moment. I believe we are doing much more than helping the Food Bank and the Environment, we are showing the City of Alameda and surrounding communities the power of Public and Private collaboration.

Sincerely,


Kevin Good

Oh say, can you SEE Green Careers?

An invitation to a graduation ceremony for solar installers came to me in the mail. I noticed Oakland City Council person, Rebecca Kaplan, and Vice Mayor, Ignacio de la Fuente, were announced to be in attendance, so I made sure to be there. I wanted to talk with Oakland officials about creating added incentives for people to go solar. I was there 40 minutes early and kinda scratching my head, so I chatted up everyone I could and just pretty much made myself at home.

In fact, I am here to make rain, so I couldn’t help but engage the young people I was there to celebrate with. Big smiles and an unmistakable sense that something very big was happening filled the room. The people hosting this event were beaming, the graduates were beaming, and I felt an extra spring in my step by the overwhelming sense that tonight was very special.

Here’s the back story, SEE Green Careers is a Pilot Program collaborative initiative designed to train 26 young adults (ages 18 to 23) for certification as Solar Installers, and, subsequently, place the graduates in entry level jobs. The collaborative partners include Spanish Speaking Citizens’ Foundation (SSCF), The English Center, YMCA of the East Bay Urban Services, Rising Sun Energy Center, and SunEnergy, Inc. . These are just the groups that are credited with making this thing come together, there are many PEOPLE inside and outside the collaborative that have made this happen.

Why is this a big deal?

Right? Why is it a big deal? I guess the testimony given at the ceremony spelled it out pretty clearly. Every one of the 26 grads was encouraged to address the audience upon receiving his or her certificate. Some gave a few words of thanks while others laid it out plain and simply. The common refrain “you grow up believing your future is selling drugs, going to prison or dying young”, “somebody believes in me”, “I feel like I have a future”. Those words “believe” and “future” I heard over and over. It affected me.

Afterward, during the mixer, Veronica Sanchez-Casian (Workforce Development Manager/SSCF) solicited all of us contractors to go into the adjacent room and meet these guys and gals, get their resumes and talk about the job market. I took time to listen to each of them. Each candidate had the same question, “can I work for you”? The answer was a pat “let’s put your resume on file and set up an interview”.

Well, maybe Sun’s Free Solar could hire one or two installers from SEE Green Careers (and that’s something), but what if Sun’s Free hired the entire class? How about all 26 young men and women on one roof, getting real work experience and getting a real check?

I realized we could go back through the commercial proposals we submitted in 2008 that were marked “cold” in our lead tracking program, slash the price and call back the property owners with the new pitch. Yes, you’d be helping the environment, sure you’d be able to take advantage of the amazing rebates and tax incentives, BUT, let’s put these young people to work! Let’s get a PR campaign around this event! Let’s make history!

As it happens, there is just such a potential client. And we are preparing a new proposal for her. And, although this woman has a long history of community leadership and consistently invests in Bay Area philanthropy, we know she is no stranger to “Return On Investment”. And that’s really what it’s all about.

It is now our goal to seek out commercial, municipal, and nonprofit organizations and present them the project. AND, we have to do this again and again and again. Our goal is to have projects running in succession. The next graduated class will need to transition on to a “working project” while the former class is putting in (3) eight-hour-a-day work weeks and dedicating the balance of the week to finding fulltime job placement with other local solar contractors.

When I say “we have to do this again and again”, who do I mean by ”we”? Well, I mean Sun’s Free Solar, of course. And I mean the original partners of SEE Green Careers. But this will also require a lot of help from lawmakers, civic leaders, people that have forged the way for green jobs like Green For All, and just about everyone that reads this blog. My friends and family are now enlisted to promote our group and open as many doors as possible.

If you are reading this, this means you. I said earlier, we are making history here and I mean it. Whether Sun’s Free Solar is the first to come up with this angle at Green Jobs or the third or whatever, that’s neither here nor there. Let’s just get this thing moving.

I will be posting our progress regularly so please stay tuned.

All the best,

Kevin Good

March 14, 2009. “and it was good”

Kevin’s “Sun Blog” spf (Sun’s Practically Free) 50

March 14, 2009. “and it was good”

Welcome to my Blog! This is the first installment after enough nudging from my business partner, Sheldon Norberg. I realize some major events are taking place in the world, in our country, in California, in the Bay Area AND at Sun’s Free Solar, and it is time to chronicle the events before they slip away.

There are some major things brewing at Sun’s Free Solar, but I have to give the back story. Here is a brief history of our company, just for the record. Then I hope to bring you into the world I have been experiencing over the last year and what looks like an amazing 2009 for GREEN JOBS, GREEN ENERGY, and a GREEN ECONOMY!

How Sun’s Free Solar got started

I started Sun’s Free Solar after several years servicing the island of Alameda as the electrical contractor, Well Grounded Electric. The market for quality installations had shifted to a “quicker, cheaper” economy and I am neither. The focus of electrical contracting for me was to perform all the work myself or with an apprentice, thus have absolute quality control.

I found myself being asked to provide estimates to young couples buying a home in our town that needed the antiquated wiring removed and replaced. “we are told you are the best electrician in town, but your estimate is 20% higher than the others” was a common refrain.

It’s true, my proposals did come in higher than those of other local contractors, but all my costs were front loaded. I could tell from having the opportunity to review some of the others, that there were several items omitted and the client was going to have to fork out a good deal of extra cash to finish the job.

Also, I use commercial grade devices (switches, plugs, metal junction boxes) exclusively. This really only adds a small percentage to the overall cost, but the net result is an installation that will endure many years of use.

But really, what the client is paying for is having the owner of the company perform the installation. The guy that has gone to school for this, the guy that has a very high standard for a quality installation, the guy that goes to our local parks, grocery stores, ice creamery, schools etc…with his kids and doesn’t ever want someone to have a bad word to say about his workmanship or integrity.

The market was shifting as was the economy. As we all know, the environment continued to shift radically. My wife, Jen Abbe, had done the admin for Well Grounded from its inception and was raising the kids, Greta and Vera, and doing just about everything to run our household. Jen knew it was a big risk, but she supported my decision to start a new company.

I read Yvon Chouinard’s “let my people go surfing…the reluctant businessman’s guide”. Yvon chronicles the genesis of the Patagonia clothing company. He explains the value of investing in your employees, providing a work environment that allows their team to have a life outside of work. He espouses a company policy that ensures environmental protections built into the product (thus reducing our impact on the planet) and gives to organizations that support like causes. I then based the original business plan for Sun’s Free Solar on this book. (I can now admit I was not then, nor am I now qualified to write a business plan with any real legs.) Sun’s Free Solar’s business plan has since been majorly overhauled, but the principles of social and environmental responsibility remain well stated in our current doctrine.

So, what does it take to start and run a solar contracting company? Well, I knew the electrical side, but I was very concerned about the liability of penetrating people’s roofs. In fact, I had been contracted by two of the larger solar contractors to perform “service upgrades” to interface with their new solar arrays, and I was shocked to see the industry standard of fastening the equipment to those roofs. These guys were using (and still are) “L” feet, lag bolts and (get this) a “50 year” caulk!

Well, there is no such thing as a “50 year” caulk, especially on a breakaway surface like composite asphalt shingles. So, at first I was disheartened, but then I did some research and found a flashing product that was designed and engineered to allow mounting hardware to fasten to a roof with a completely watertight approach. The magic material is Quickmount PV. They are an Emeryville based company and Quickmount is why I’m in business today!

No man is an island

With a basic set of tools and work van, an electrical contractor can set up shop and be sustainable in a small window of time. This does not hold true for a solar contractor. I knew I would need a business partner if Sun’s Free Solar was going to be a real player in the Bay Area solar market. I had run the idea of going into business with me by a great client of mine, Sheldon Norberg. He and I spent the majority of our time together (while I was upgrading the electrical in his office) talking about our similar world view and walk of life.

Sheldon is an amazing person. He is incredibly dynamic and a hopeless romantic. He left his well paying gig and joined with me to develop our logo, business plan, website, company brochure and establish just about every logistical course we have taken. I can’t say enough about Sheldon and how grateful I am to have him in our team. His working title is “Nexus” and he is a full 1/3 partner in Sun’s Free Solar.

Which brings me to Joel Baron, Sun’s Free Solar’s other 1/3 partner. Although I have a history to support the building trade side of solar contracting, I was on a mission to find a seasoned pro at commercial and industrial construction. This is exactly the tradesman I found in Joel Baron.

I first heard about Joel through the local coffee shop “Julie’s Coffee and Tea Garden” on Park St. in Alameda. Julie’s is the East Bay Express’ “best coffee shop” and Julie and Joel are married and their son, Luke, goes to Alameda High. I had been hearing about Joel Baron Solar and Electric for a couple of years and friends would tell me we are “really alike”. Joel has a resume a mile long. He has owned and operated a successful contracting business based primarily on word of mouth, and his integrity as a professional is second to none. He told me at our first formal meet and greet (a bbq hosted by him and Julie) that Yvon Chouinard is one of his heroes. He then showed me photos of him rock climbing shear vertical walls hundreds of feet high.

I could hardly contain myself, I wanted Joel to come aboard our team so badly that I became socially inept that night and only wanted to talk about our future in business. Luckily, Sheldon was there to calm me down and, even better, Joel said he was really excited to work together.

We brought in Pamela Bailey, a.k.a. “Swifter”, and the design and implementation of our goals are…well, swifter and better and smoother. I can’t tell you what Pam’s resume is like because she has told me several times and I still have no idea what she is talking about. She works around the clock, she owns and operates tinytechjobs, and she is a dedicated environmentalist. Most importantly, Pam makes me feel safe, as if she is so well tapped into her feelings, she can easily read me. The synergy between Sheldon and Pam is off the charts.

That was how we got started. 2008 was all about business development. Tradeshows, street fairs, solar expos, sales workshops, outreach, outreach, outreach….We completed seven residential installations in a year’s time and were team leaders for Grid Alternatives’ and Habitat for Humanity’s solar extravaganza in Alameda.

Sun’s Free Solar is working on something HUGE right now. This project has totally consumed me and I think it is going to change the way solar and the Green Jobs Economy is approached. The details will be in my next post.