There aren’t many businesses that claim growth of 250 percent in two years, but Green Solar Technologies can.

The North Hollywood company accomplished it largely by going where other solar companies have failed to tread — or have treaded lightly. Edward Harner, Green Solar’s chief operating officer, explains it this way:

Where opportunity exists

“Our growth has been fueled heavily by an expansion into the Midwest and into areas with smaller populations,” he said. “Places like Montana and Wyoming have small populations, but lots of sun. Most big companies don’t don’t work there, so we’re reaping the benefits.”

The strategy has paid off. Green Solar was founded in 2011 and the company is already doing business in 22 states with 472 installations currently underway or in the pipeline.

The company is also creating jobs. Green Solar employs about 200 workers at its 16,000-square-foot facility at 6400 Laurel Canyon Blvd. in North Hollywood and at another office in West Los Angeles. It has also hired 250 additional solar installers at markets throughout the U.S.

“What we do well is the financing aspect, as well as system design and procurement,” Harner explained. “Our logistics and back-office project management is what separates us from our competition. Plus, it’s our ability to find customers where others don’t. That’s our bread and butter.”

Green Solar’s energy-saving systems are for purchase only. About 97 percent of the company’s business is residential and 3 percent is commercial. Prices for the solar arrays vary as material costs and demand differ widely from region to region in the U.S.

“It also depends on a person’s living habits,” Harner said. “Some people will run their AC all day. In the Midwest, we do a lot of projects that range from $30,000 to $50,000. But in more mild areas the cost might be as low as $15,000.”

A growing trend

Advocates have long known the benefits of harnessing solar power as a clean and renewable energy source. As technologies improve and prices drop, a growing number of homeowners and businesses are tapping into solar energy.

California’s solar future is certainly looking up, as the state passed ambitious new policies in 2018, including a rooftop solar mandate for new homes and an expansion of the California’s renewable portfolio standard.

The rooftop mandate that takes effect in 2020 is expected to boost U.S. solar sales over the next four years by 14 percent, supporting thousands of new jobs, according to GTM Research. Senate Bill 100 will fuel additional employment growth. Passed in September 2018, it commits the state to 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2045.

Solar job losses in California

It’s not all smooth sailing.

A recent report from the Solar Foundation reveals that California’s solar industry shed nearly 10,000 jobs last year over uncertainty about the Trump administration’s tariffs on imported solar panels and state policy changes.

It was the second consecutive year of job declines in California but the Golden State is still home to about 40 percent of the nation’s solar capacity. And despite California’s losses, nearly 30 states saw solar job growth in 2018, including states with emerging solar markets.

Many U.S. solar companies that rely on cheaper, imported solar components have bemoaned the Trump administration’s move to levy a 30% tariff on solar imports. Green Solar is not among them, however.

Sticking with American-made products

“We made a decision early on to go with American made products,” Harner said. “There are a huge number of solar panel companies coming online that I never heard of before. This is a big purchase for most people, and to use panels of questionable origin … that would eventually ruin our brand.”

In January 2018, the Trump Administration levied a 30% tariff on solar imports to the United States. The tariff covers both imported solar cells — a key input to manufacturing solar panels — and solar modules, otherwise known as solar panels. The tariff will last for four years and will fall by 5% annually, dropping to a 15% tariff in 2021.

Non-residential solar installers in California have also faced uncertainties over the state’s energy rate structures.