Mark Durrenberger: President, New England Clean Energy of Hudson
PHOTO/EMILY MICUCCI
Mark Durrenberger co-founded New England Clean Energy, formerly New England Breeze, in Hudson in 2006. Focusing today largely on residential solar energy installations, the company has become a major provider of such systems throughout Central Massachusetts. Durrenberger, who lives in Hudson, has become a voice for the industry as a board member of the Solar Energy Business Association of New England, a position to which he was reelected this summer. Durrenberger shared his views on the industry, energy policy, and managing employees in a recent interview with MetroWest495 Biz.
What is your background and how did you get into renewable energy?
When I was in high school, I was impressed by President Jimmy Carter because he put solar panels on the White House, which I thought was pretty cool. I graduated with a degree in nuclear engineering from UMass Lowell. That was about 1980. I stayed a nuclear engineer for about five years. From there, I left engineering and went into information technology. Eventually I became a consultant. I was traveling all the time and I said I’ve got to do something different. I was just looking around and I … even looked at opening a Subway … but I couldn’t see myself doing that. At the same time, I got trained … doing Vice President Al Gore’s presentations (under The Climate Project). So I put two and two together … and thought, maybe I could make all that work together.
What was the industry like when you founded your company in 2006?
When I started I thought it was going to be a (wind turbine business). There were some pretty small incentives, like the state had this Massachusetts Technology Collaborative grant for doing small wind turbines and solar systems. The federal tax credits were still really small … so the incentives (for renewables) were pretty small; they existed, so it probably helped on the (public) awareness front.
Did you think these programs would be expanded in a few years?
I had no clue. (The Green Communities Act of 2008) was huge and I really wasn’t involved in that at all. I had no extra time at all to do anything political at the time. The rebates got quite good. I think a lot of what happened with me was right place, right time stuff.
How has the general public awareness of solar energy changed because of state support?
If you looked at the customers that I actually sold solar to back in 2007 and 2008, the vast majority were environmentalists. They were doing this because they wanted to make a difference planet-wise. … If you look at customers that we have now, the economics have been probably the major driver.
The governor has proposed raising net metering caps for commercial solar projects by two percent. But utilities have balked at the idea of lifting caps entirely. What's the long-term solution?
The utilities are trying to protect their monopoly business model. By me generating electricity, I’m cutting into their monopoly .... We, as a public, don’t like monopolies. The only way the utilities will agree to a cap increase is if they get other concessions. What those concessions are … I can’t speak to.
Solar has reached a certain maturity level in Massachusetts. How long are incentives needed?
Apparently the oil industry has needed them for 100 years, so I think the solar industry should have them for 100 years.
Did you know you wanted your business to be in your hometown of Hudson?
It would have to be close. I was not about to make a commute to Boston.
We have a good facility here, good location. It’s close to all the highways and close to home. There’s lot of people in the area, so there’s a good pool of possible employees.
You employ 34 people today. What’s your approach as a manager?
Work-life balance is really important to us. We insist on people using their vacation (time). ... If an employee comes to me and says, “I have to shuttle my kids to softball,” go ahead and shuttle your kids to softball. You’re going to be totally ineffective if you’re worried about whether your kids got a ride to some event.
This interview was edited for length.
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