365 Pronto and SRECTrade Help Massachusetts Solar System Owners Stay Ahead of 3G Sunset, Preserve SRECs
Massachusetts ranks among the highest solar-producing state in the country. With more than 118,000 solar installations spanning commercial and residential use, it produces more than 3,380 megawatts of energy—accounting for nearly 20 percent of all energy output.
A large part of the Cape Cod State’s success with solar can be attributed to its robust solar renewable energy credit (SREC) program. Several state governments—including Massachusetts—currently offer this renewable energy initiative for individuals and businesses that install solar systems on their homes and buildings. Each quarter, solar owners earn an incentive based on the energy their solar system produces. While the value varies by state, SRECs are a critical tool to incentivize solar adoption—and a key engine for return on investment for solar owners.
For Solar Owners, a Different Kind of Sunset
SRECs are a reliable part of solar owners’ bottom lines; however, an upcoming sunset stands to threaten their quarterly payments. As early as February 2022, major telecommunications companies will phase out their support for more than 22 million 2G and 3G devices nationwide. This includes mobile phones, smart-home devices, electric vehicle charging stations, and the meters that monitor and communicate solar system output.
For solar customers—as well as the organizations that track and package SRECs—whose solar output monitoring devices work on 3G networks, this sunset presents a critical issue for the return on investment on their systems. Without a way to monitor and determine the value of their solar production, they could miss SREC payments—leaving hundreds of dollars of incentives on the table at each minting. The only way for these customers to guarantee that their systems continue to communicate with their SREC broker is to replace the outdated solar meters with ones that communicate over 5G networks.
With shipping containers still sitting at ports around the world, pandemic-related workforce concerns, and increased demand for cleantech devices, the current worldwide supply chain issues create an added layer of urgency for solar customers. Meters may not be in stock—or could spike in price—by the time the 3G sunset arrives, and many businesses lack the purchasing power to coordinate a large shipment of meters to keep prices in check.
A Reliable Partner When the Stakes Are High
SRECTrade is one of the industry’s largest SREC transaction and management firms, having facilitated more than $600 million in environmental commodity transactions across North America. Currently, SRECTrade provides SREC transaction and management services across 9 different state markets.
The 3G sunset presented SRECTrade with a need for a technology and logistics partner to guide the massive solar meter replacement project for its Massachusetts SREC market customers. SRECTrade needed the project to be done quickly and efficiently, and to minimize the financial impacts on its customers, so it enlisted 365 Pronto to help.
365 Pronto’s cutting-edge platform has helped customers in Massachusetts and across the country access a network of local and certified technicians to service their solar systems, EV charging stations, and related battery storage and Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices.
As SRECTrade’s logistics and technology partner for their solar meter replacement program in Massachusetts, 365 Pronto worked closely with SRECTrade stakeholders, customers, and local solar technicians to provide a full-service solution.
Delivering High-quality Customer Service, Preserving Trust
A change of this magnitude—especially close to the winter holiday season—could be unwelcome news for many customers. 365 Pronto and SRECTrade took great care to build a program that minimized the impact on customers and maintained SRECTrade’s excellent relationship with its customers. The integrated communications, technology, and logistics solution included:
- Wraparound communications consulting, featuring customer-facing information available at multiple entry points, such as email, post cards, on SRECTrade’s public-facing website, and behind the log-in of its customer portal. The sophisticated email campaign was designed to inform customers about the upcoming sunset and encourage them to reserve their meter while there was still supply and a guaranteed price. This effort resulted in conversion rates twice the industry average, and with rapid customer action.
- A custom landing page and secure place for SRECTrade customers to purchase their meter replacements easily and securely.
- Close partnership with SRECTrade’s customer service team to support potentially tens of thousands of inbound and outbound questions from residents seeking information about their meter.
- Management of ordering the replacement meters and delivering to the service providers for installation.
- Coordination with 365 Pronto’s network of local, certified, and on-demand service providers to install the meters when they arrive.
The 2G/3G sunset was out of SRECTrade customers’ control; however, by getting ahead of the sunset, SRECTrade continued its track record of exceptional customer service. Now, customers can navigate the 3G sunset with the confidence that their solar systems will continue to communicate output and provide a critical return on investment for years to come.
For more information about how to leverage these industry-best results and get ahead of the 2G/3G sunset, contact mediarelations@365pronto.com.
ABOUT 365 PRONTO, INC: 365 Pronto, Inc. is the world’s first predictive platform that uses proprietary technology to match cleantech asset owners with local, on-demand, certified service providers. This cutting-edge, user-friendly solution is revolutionizing cleantech operation and maintenance—all without contracts, membership fees, obligations, or bidding. Service made simple. Additional information is available at www.365pronto.com.
