We had the opportunity to interview Gary Skulnik, CEO and Founder of Neighborhood Sun. Your friendly clean energy provider with affordable and clean electricity.
 

Q:  Can you tell us a bit about yourself and Neighborhood Sun?
A: I am the founder and CEO of Neighborhood Sun, which I created in 2016 after passing community solar legislation in Maryland in 2015. I have a long career in clean energy, as an entrepreneur of an advocate at both the national and local level. My previous venture was Clean Currents, a retail energy supplier that grew to $22mm in revenue.

With Neighborhood Sun, I’m building a powerful community solar brand that provides an online platform to acquire and manage thousands of customers for various projects. To date, we’ve filled up more than 25 megawatts of projects in Maryland, with the equivalent of 4,300 households, and are now expanding into New Jersey and other markets. Our Sun Engine software platform, which we just unveiled is a leader in the space. Our senior management team has decades of experience in direct sales and IT development in the green energy space.

Q: How did you get the idea for Neighborhood Sun?
A: I had always been driven by the idea of clean energy combining with local energy as a way to not just fight climate change but to keep energy dollars local. I was not able to do this at Clean Currents because the proper framework was not in place. When I worked on and then passed the community solar bill in Maryland, I finally saw a framework that would incentive local clean power.

Q: What makes your company different from others in your space?
A: First, experience. Our senior management team has decades of experience in clean energy, IT development/management and direct sales management, a powerful combination. Next is our brand credibility. We are a B Corp with the highest score of any community solar company and a goal of 100% customer happiness. This shows in our Google rating of 5 stars and our BBB score of A+. Finally, we have developed a software platform that is unlike any others in the industry, allowing sales and marketing teams to plug in and rapidly scale up with a fully customizable and trackable portal.
 

Q: What is the main benefit that your company provides to the clean energy world?
A: We open the door to solar power for the 80% of the market that can’t get rooftop solar. Even more importantly, we enable low and moderate income residents to join the solar revolution by participating in a community solar project.

Q: Did you hit any roadblocks that almost caused you to throw in the towel?
A: The biggest roadblock we’ve faced is raising sufficient funds to execute on our plan. We’ve had success in bringing in new investment, but are looking to take it to the next level so we have the ability to grow the company rapidly.

Q: What is the installation process for Neighborhood Sun?
A: There is no installation. A customer instead subscribes to a share of the output of one of our solar farms. Every month when that solar farm produces power, the customer gets credits on their electric bill just as if they had a rooftop system but it’s all virtual.

 

Q: Is Neighborhood Sun similar to rooftop solar?
A: It’s only similar in the sense that it’s clean energy and saves money. Rooftop solar requires an upfront payment, panels installation, and a good quality roof. With community solar through Neighborhood Sun there’s no installation, no upfront payment, and anybody who has an electric bill can enroll.

Q: Which utilities do you work with that help support the community solar program?
A: In Maryland, the utilities are BGE and Pepco, which are owned by Exelon (EXC), as well as Potomac Edison, which is owned by First Energy (FE). In New Jersey, it’s PSEG (PEG).

Q: How has creating Neighborhood Sun changed your life?
A: Creating Neighborhood Sun has brought me a lot closer to the issue of social and environmental justice than I had previously been. I’ve been a clean energy leader for two decades, but am just now finally working mainly on helping disadvantaged communities get local clean energy plants and financial savings.

Q: Are you looking for additional funding or have a crowdfunding campaign?
A: Yes, we are currently running a crowdfunding campaign on Wefunder and are up to almost $600,000 raised. For details and terms, please visit our crowdfunding page here and view our video below:
 

Q:  Is there any advice you'd give to other aspiring entrepreneurs?
A: The hardest thing is to keep an even keel during the many ups and downs of the entrepreneurial journey. Just be persistent and learn to take advice from everyone.