Solar In Name And Deed For Hudson Firm
Mark Durrenberger found himself having one too many conversations with people he knew who would ask him: "How's the wind business?"
His company, New England Breeze Solar, got out of the wind turbine game in 2010. But its name was wasn't helping matters. So now, the Hudson-based solar panel installation and service firm is called New England Clean Energy LLC.
"New England Breeze was a great name for a wind company," Durrenberger said. "But it wasn't a great name for a solar company."
Employees began brainstorming a new name six months ago, and Durrenberger bought several web domains because he was not certain which name the company would settle on.
A new name isn't the only change for the firm, which has doubled its staff to 14 over the past year.
The company launched a new website this week: www.newenglandcleanenergy.com.
And Durrenberger and his employees recently moved to a new office in a refurbished mill on Broad Street. They had previously been housed in a business partner's garage.
"It's really nice. It's much more spacious," Durrenberger said of the office.
He particularly likes the conference room with high ceilings and wooden beams.
One could argue it's overdue. The company has more than a dozen employees, has installed more than 180 residential systems. Durrenberger was recognized by the Worcester Business Journal in February as a business leader of the year in the small business category.
New England Clean Energy's growth was largely driven by a contract it won a year ago from the town of Harvard through a state program run by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. The deal resulted in 72 new residential photovoltaic systems for his firm, a nice boost.
A similar program is now underway in Concord.
The majority of the systems New England Clean Energy installs are residential, though it recently switched on a 42-kilowatt system on the roof of Gould's Clothing in Acton.
Wind Flop
Why did Durrenberger's company stop pursuing the wind turbine market?
"Demand was a part of it, but there was also a lot of "not in my backyard," he said. "It's very hard to get them permitted."
Neighbors would show up to public hearings on permits and raise concerns about noise and a variety of other things, "ranging from the irrational to the rational," Durrenberger said.
The company built five turbines, which it still services, but is not taking on any new projects in that field.
State incentives for solar panels geared up not long after the company launched in 2006.
So New England Clean Energy's decision to focus on that market has worked out well. Solar credits in Massachusetts generate some of the highest prices in the country, which positively impacts the payback timeline on investments.
It has brought many newcomers to the market in pursuit of profits. MetroWest495 Biz readers may remember a story earlier this month about SolarCity, a national installer, opening an office in Marlborough.
Durrenberger isn't thrilled about all the competition, but he understands why it has happened. HE said his company had a strong customer base before the incentives were created and it plans to be selling solar systems long after the incentives die down.
The strategy sounds simple: keep the customer happy so they refer other customers to the company, be smart, and watch the marketing dollars closely, he said.
"We're here," he said. "I live here in Hudson. My kids are here."
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