Technology, Financing, Public Policy, Energy Education
In an innovative industry, Secure Solar Futures has always worked to offer our customers the best value in technology for solar panels, energy storage and energy management and monitoring software.
Below is a timeline of some of the key innovations in deploying solar power technology to new types of customers over the last decade in our home state of Virginia and beyond.
We also include innovations beyond technology — financing, public policy and energy education — that have helped make solar power more affordable and more useful to more customers.
2010
Helped a municipal utility, the Harrisonburg Electric Commission, develop its first program for net energy metering to allow its customers to sell extra solar power they produced to the electrical grid at a fair rate.
Helped the City of Harrisonburg develop and implement an ordinance to exempt solar power equipment from local taxes.
Signed the first power purchase agreement (PPA) in Virginia with Eastern Mennonite University, which also became the first prepaid solar PPA not only in Virginia but in the whole United States.
Largest Solar Energy System in Virginia in 2010
The 104 kilowatt solar array at EMU became the largest solar energy system at any location in the state of Virginia at the time, including any solar arrays operated by electric utilities.
2011
Helped the City of Lexington, Virginia pass an ordinance exempting solar power equipment from local taxes.
Signed the first agreement in Virginia to lease solar equipment to a commercial-scale customer, Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA.
Largest Solar Energy System in Virginia in 2011
The 444 kilowatt solar power system at W&L became the largest solar energy system at any location in the state of Virginia at the time, including any solar arrays operated by electric utilities.
2012
In partnership with the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, formed the Virginia Solar Alliance to advocate for public policy on the statewide level to make rooftop solar power more affordable at both residential and commercial-scale.
2013
Developed a proposal that passed the Virginia General Assembly to establish a PPA Pilot Program in territory served by Dominion Energy Virginia.
Signed the first Solar Self Generation Agreement (an alternative to a power purchase agreement) in the service area of Dominion with the United Church of Christ in Chesterfield County, VA.
Signed the first Solar Self Generation Agreement in the service area of Harrisonburg Electric Commission with Park View Mennonite Church.
2014
Successfully lobbied the Virginia General Assembly to grant a statewide exemption from local taxes for solar power equipment.
2015
Helped develop and pass legislation in the Virginia General Assembly legalizing crowdfunding in the state of Virginia.
Reorganized the Virginia Renewable Energy Association (VA-REA) and served as a founding board member of the organization.
2016
Successfully lobbied the Virginia General Assembly for an exemption from state sales taxes for solar power equipment.
Signed the first Solar Self-Generation Agreement in the service area of Rappahannock Electric Cooperative with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Held the first Solar Barn Raising in Virginia at the Gift and Thrift retail store in Harrisonburg.
2017
Helped pass legislation for crowdfunding in Virginia. Learn more here. At a future date, to be determined, Secure Solar Futures is developing Solar C02 Credits™ to benefit solar projects in Virginia, while also helping individuals and organizations to reduce their carbon footprints.
Gained intellectual property protection from the Virginia General Assembly for solar service agreements under an exemption to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
Installed the first solar tracker array at a hospital location in Virginia at Carilion New River Valley Medical Center.
Signed the first Solar Self Generation Agreement in the service area of Appalachian Power with Carilion.
Launched the Adaptive Resource Management System (ARMS) to monitor and optimize both use of utilities and solar power production at its first customer site, Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA.
2018
Worked with the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond to launch the RVA Solar Fund, a program offering grant funding to help public schools and non-profit organizations in Central Virginia go solar.
Held the first Solar Barn Raising in the state of Pennsylvania at the Mennonite Central Committee Material Resources Center in Ephrata, PA.
Worked with partner organizations to reorganize the Virginia Distributed Solar Alliance.
Signed the first lease of rooftop solar equipment where the customer co-invested with a solar developer in Virginia with InterChange Group in Harrisonburg, VA.
2019
Launched Throwing Solar Shade® in partnership with the Science Museum of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University to offer hands-on solar power and science education to students at two public school divisions, Richmond and Augusta County.
Launched Solar Bond™ crowdfunding program. Learn more here.
2020
Launched Resilient Solar + Roof Restoration® offering to help schools and other customers perform backlogged repairs to their roofs as part of a solar power installation without the need for the usual capital expense on roofing work.
With an alliance of solar advocates, Secure Futures successfully lobbied the Virginia General Assembly to pass Senate Bill 629, which established a shared solar program that allows customers of Dominion Virginia to purchase electric power through a subscription in a shared solar facility.
Partnering with local advocates for economic development, workforce education and clean energy, Secure Solar Futures started the “Securing Solar for Southwest Virginia” initiative to plant and cultivate an economically sustainable solar power industry in the coalfield region.
Arranged for high school students from the Throwing Solar Shade® educational program to present research findings to a national audience as part of the Solar Decathlon sponsored by the US Department of Energy.
2021
Collaborated with the Science Museum of Virginia to publish results of research on the urban heat island effect as experienced in the city of Richmond, VA.
With an alliance of solar advocates, Secure Solar Futures successfully lobbied the West Virginia legislature to pass House Bill 3310, making West Virginia the 29th state to legalize power purchase agreements that allow customers to get on-site solar power with no upfront capital cost.
