Rutland Herald: New solar company has unique mission

By Gordon Dritschilo, Staff Writer

Duane Peterson said Green Mountain Power has been trying to get his company to come to Rutland for two years.

Peterson, co-president of the Waterbury-based SunCommon, gave the utility its wish Wednesday, announcing the expansion into Rutland County at a news conference at Small Dog Electronics on West Street. The company, which sells solar home installations at no up-front cost, will maintain an office in the back of Small Dog.

Peterson said the company plans to create 5-10 jobs.

“We have direct employees, but we also employ local contractors to install the solar home heating and cooling units,” he said. “We just started here, but we’re looking to dramatically expand our operation.”

Peterson said the company offers wages in the $30,000 to $50,000 range and a benefit package that includes single-payer health care.

“We pay the entire health insurance premiums for our companies and their families and we pay all their out-of-pocket expenses,” he said.

In two years, Peterson said, the company sold 1,000 systems around the state, following a model where it goes community by community.

“Rutland has set a meaningful goal to become the solar capital for all New England,” Peterson said. “We want to help.”

Instead of paying up-front, the company charges a fixed monthly payment. Leslie Caldwell, a SunCommon customer living in Castleton, said she had been “racking up” net metering credits with her system this summer.

“We have not paid a bill to GMP in months,” she said.

Steve Costello, GMP’s vice president of generation and energy innovation, said SunCommon was the latest company attracted by the utility’s effort to use solar power as an economic development tool.

“Companies all over the country are thinking about Rutland,” he said. “This place is becoming very famous in the energy industry for a lot of reasons. … SunCommon is what’s known as a B corporation. … They have a dual mission. Of course, they want to make money, but they also want to have a positive influence on the communities they’re in.”