Latest news with #ChrisKemper
Express Tribune
17-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
A first in the Solar industry: US company introduces affordable panels with zero upfront costs
Listen to article North Carolina-based clean energy company Palmetto is shaking up the solar market with its new 'LightReach' program, offering homeowners solar panel installation for no upfront cost. The innovative business model allows customers to lease solar panels through affordable monthly payments, with Palmetto retaining ownership of the panels and handling installation, maintenance, and insurance. The company guarantees customers will save money from day one. 'We're guaranteeing that the customer is going to save money when they lease with us,' said Nathan Healy, Palmetto's Vice President. The LightReach plan includes a 90% solar production guarantee and 25-year equipment protection. After assessing a home's solar potential through its online platform, Palmetto customizes an energy savings proposal. Once approved, the company manages the entire process—design, permits, installation, and activation—using its network of over 600 local installers. Backed by $1.2 billion in new funding, Palmetto has removed one of the biggest barriers to solar adoption: cost. The company reported $6.4 million in customer savings in 2024, its first full year of business under this model. CEO Chris Kemper calls Palmetto's mission 'the Apollo project of our generation,' aimed at driving mass adoption of affordable clean energy and achieving national energy independence. Beyond financial savings, solar adoption also reduces reliance on fossil fuels. According to the University of Michigan, residential energy use accounted for 9.2% of US carbon pollution in 2022. Solar panels offer a clean, emission-free alternative. Palmetto's platform allows users to monitor real-time energy usage and production via its app, making clean energy both accessible and transparent. With no-money-down leasing, guaranteed savings, and full-service support, Palmetto is positioning itself as a leader in democratizing access to renewable energy across the US.
Associated Press
09-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Foss & Company Secures Largest Investment to-Date with Palmetto
$250M Solar Plus BESS Portfolio to Drive Innovation in Clean Energy Solutions DENVER, April 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Foss & Company, a premier institutional investment fund sponsor, has entered into a $250 million tax credit transaction involving residential solar systems paired with battery energy storage. The deal represents Foss & Company's largest residential solar investment to-date and marks a significant milestone in the company's ongoing efforts to drive innovation and investment in clean energy solutions. The transaction between Foss & Company and Palmetto, a leading provider of clean technology products and services, marks a significant step in enhancing the nation's energy infrastructure. This transaction is based on a substantial portfolio of residential rooftop solar systems integrated with cutting-edge battery storage technology installations. By pairing residential solar with battery storage, this portfolio addresses two critical areas: boosting the production of renewable energy and providing supplemental capacity during peak demand or outages. This combination plays a pivotal role in improving energy stability and supporting the transition to a more resilient, sustainable energy future. 'This portfolio is more than just a major financial transaction—it's a key initiative in strengthening our nation's energy infrastructure,' said Bryen Alperin, partner and managing director, Foss & Company. 'This highlights the potential for large-scale, residential solar-plus-storage solutions to make a significant impact on energy security across the U.S.' 'This transaction with Foss & Company accelerates our shared mission to transform how energy is generated, stored, and consumed in the U.S.,' said Chris Kemper, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Palmetto. 'By coupling residential rooftop solar with battery storage at scale, we're not just delivering clean energy to more homes—we're building a more resilient, distributed energy future that empowers homeowners and supports the grid.' This milestone reflects Foss & Company's growing leadership in the clean energy sector. As Foss continues to build on its success with this portfolio, it is well-equipped to capitalize on emerging opportunities in renewable energy, contributing to a more sustainable energy landscape across the U.S. ABOUT FOSS & COMPANY Founded in 1983, Foss & Company is a national tax equity investor and fund sponsor that has deployed over $9 billion in tax equity on behalf of insurance, banking, and other large corporate clients into historic rehabilitation projects, renewable energy and advanced energy production facilities. Foss & Company is a full-service advisor with proven expertise in helping our partners navigate the world of tax equity investments. For more information about Foss & Company and its innovative transferable tax credit opportunities, please visit ABOUT PALMETTO Palmetto is an award-winning clean tech company dedicated to accelerating the transition to a clean energy future. By leveraging a cutting-edge technology platform, Palmetto simplifies the adoption of renewable energy for homeowners, fosters innovation among businesses and clean tech entrepreneurs, and drives scalable environmental impact. Palmetto's platform integrates digital tools, data assets, and actionable insights to create an end-to-end solution powering its consumer marketplace. The company operates as both a B2B and D2C provider, offering software, financial products, and support services that deliver competitive pricing and exceptional value to end consumers. Key offerings include the Clean Energy Operating Platform, LightReach Energy Plans, Energy Intelligence, and Asset Management Platforms for customer service, with more innovations on the horizon. Committed to making clean energy accessible to everyone, Palmetto's Get Solar, Give Solar program funds philanthropic initiatives to bring renewable energy to underserved communities worldwide. A triple bottom line company with team members across the United States, Palmetto prioritizes people, planet, and profit in every aspect of its operations.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This game-changing startup will help you install solar panels for no money down: 'Pay less to power your home'
If the upfront cost of solar panels is hindering your journey toward energy independence, the startup Palmetto has just what you need — and you can start saving cash with no money down. Palmetto is offering customers solar and battery storage leases with no money down. Made possible thanks to $1.2 billion in funding from corporate partners and financial institutions, the startup can assume the risk of installation costs while you begin saving money on electric bills. To get started, you first need to determine whether you are eligible for the program. To do this, you just enter your address and energy bill details into Palmetto's website, and the startup will confirm whether your home is a good candidate for solar. If it is, Palmetto will put together a customized plan detailing your estimated energy savings. You can choose whether you want one of the team's advisers to contact you directly or whether you prefer to peruse your personalized proposal via email. After that, the ball is still in your court. You can decide whether you want to buy or lease the panels and have them installed by one of the startup's 600-plus local trusted contractors. All in all, solar panels save homeowners as much as $1,500 annually on energy bills. Established 15 years ago, Palmetto is removing several key barriers limiting Americans from reaping the perks of solar energy: affordability and simplicity. For one, you'll have financial peace of mind during installation. If your panels don't perform, the cost falls on Palmetto. "If something doesn't work and the panels don't produce solar, then you don't pay us," Palmetto vice president Nathan Healy told The Cool Down. The company estimates it saved its customers around $6.4 million during its first full year of providing solar leases and power-purchase agreements. Following installation, you can continue to benefit financially and emotionally through the no-buy LightReach energy plan — which promises you will "pay less to power your home" after you lock in your "predictable monthly payments." Each plan also comes with 25-year maintenance and protection, and you'll have the flexibility to transfer your contract. Beyond these perks, solar panels and battery storage can help ensure your family has power during grid outages — boosting household climate resilience at a time when supercharged extreme weather is disrupting communities around the globe. What's the biggest factor stopping you from investing in solar panels? The cost The technology I'm a renter I'm already invested Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Palmetto CEO Chris Kemper told TCD that his company's mission is like "the Apollo project of our generation," in reference to the game-changing program that put the U.S. enviably at the forefront of lunar exploration and the first humans on the moon in 1969. He invited us to dream of a tomorrow where "our main energy sources are decentralized, renewable, sourced from the sun and wind right here in the USA … where individual citizens own their own energy production, protecting their homes and their families from blackout." Regardless of how you choose to get involved in a more independent energy future, it is clear people are excited about the future of non-polluting, low-cost power. "By switching to solar, we now have just one monthly payment and offset our costs by sending energy back to the grid," one solar owner shared with TCD. "Solar covers our energy use for most of the year, including cooling, electronics, yard equipment, and more." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
