When Tillie Peterson came to Sunrun as our new Director of Operations, she already had a goal in mind. It’s a goal that many of us at Sunrun share. Tillie believes that processes work best when streamlined and efficient. Apply this to the solar installation process and homeowners can get solar panels up and running simply and quickly.
One major cost reduction opportunity is the removal of soft, non-technical costs. For example, Sunrun has put a ton of effort into reducing inconsistencies in the solar permitting process, which can run up the cost of a home solar installation by thousands of dollars. By streamlining this process, we can help homeowners pay less for their solar power.
It’s no small task, but after a stint planning and implementing the ideas behind Google Book Search, Tillie is used to dealing with complex problems and getting results. Then there’s the added perk of knowing that the more efficient our processes get, the more appealing solar can become, the more the planet benefits.
Ideas like this one were shared and spread at this year’s SunShot Grand Challenge. The SunShot Grand Challenge is an annual summit and technology forum leading the first in a series of Energy Department Grand Challenges that address the scientific, technological, and market barriers to achieving breakthroughs in national energy challenges.
We’re excited to see how the forum went this year, and look forward to debriefing later!
