Any Organization Can Add Solar To The Mix
How many reasons do you need to promote solar?
In the summer of 2014, the World Wildlife Fund selected Geostellar to administer a solar group purchase program to serve the employees of 3M, Cisco Systems, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly Clark and National Geographic across the country.
The program was so popular, we quickly added partners of all types and sizes, each with different missions, goals and requirements.
For example, Etsy is promoting solar energy to balance out the emissions associated with shipping and distribution. AAA is offering discounted solar energy as a benefit to members in North and South Carolina. The city of Ann Arbor, Michigan chartered the A2 Solar Club to increase clean energy capacity, and several health care systems have banded together to create Solar Clinic.
Over time, we developed technologies to allow many diverse organizations to offer solar in retail environments, online, through canvassing and out of call centers.
We found there are different types of campaigns, each of which needed their own compensation structure in order to succeed. Sometimes, a single organization could
- Represented. When a partner is represented by a solar professional, whether on the phone, canvassing, through social networks or in a retail environment, the partner requires higher compensation in order to appropriately compensate the representative. Our standard compensation for the partner is 8% of the base cost of a solar installation, with a recommendation that 6% be used for the representative commissions.
- Direct. Online transactions originated by email blasts, on Web sites, through social media or advertising requires greater support for customers by Solar Club, and less involvement by the partner. For this reason, standard partner compensation for installations originated in direct campaigns is 5% of the base cost.
- Channel. Some partners have access to organizations that can recruit partners, rather than direct access to customers. These include trade associations, religious denominations and B2B online platforms. These channel partners typically receive 2% of the base cost of the installation, which is added to the payment to the direct or represented partner.
Partners can also turn all or part of their compensation into member benefits, emission reductions, rewards points or charitable contributions.
The details are described in our Solar Club Partners Compensation Plan. We believe every organization in the country can find a way to benefit from the solar energy revolution by joining us as a partner.
