Here Comes the Sun: Are You Ready to Talk About Solar? by Jared G. Dovers, WordSouth
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I spend a large portion of my workday interviewing both employees and customers of electric distributors. However, the other day, I had the rare experience of being interviewed myself about some topics in electric utility communication.
In the middle of the interview, the woman asking the questions paused and said, "I know this is off topic, but can I ask your advice? What do you know about these solar panels and big batteries that people are buying? Is that a good deal?" She had been
approached by a salesman and was considering buying.
She’s not alone. According to recent surveys, about 30 percent of your customers are either planning on or considering purchasing solar power in the next two years. As with anything, there are right ways to go solar, and there are wrong ways — which could end up being dangerous.
You’ve probably heard horror stories of these less-than-reputable solar companies who do expensive installs of cheap equipment, and oftentimes leave the purchaser in a lurch. As interest grows, this is going to continue.
A little education can go a long way, and as an electric distributor, you are in the unique position of trusted advisor. When it comes to energy, the distributor needs to be a resource their customer can count on.
How can you do this?
1. Start the dialogue now. If you don’t already have a strong communications program to reach your customers, now is the time to start. Posting an occasional outage alert on Facebook is simply no longer enough in today’s hyper-connected world. As a municipal electric system, you’re already doing great things for your community every day, from awarding scholarships to sponsoring little league teams. Start telling people your story, and when the time comes for them to ask questions, they’ll know to ask you.
2. Create a resource center. Your website and your office need readily available information on solar power, battery storage and more. Customers need to be able to find this information easily, and it needs to be accessible as well as balanced. Not everyone in the electric distributor world is excited about renewable energy or the regulations from Washington, D.C., that are forcing changes in our energy mix. That’s understandable, but people need to trust that you’re not biased. Present all the information clearly, factually and at a level customers can understand.
3. Give your employees the education first. For every communications initiative, your most important audience is your employees. Make sure they know about solar power options — and that they are on message with your utility’s position.
Jared Dovers is VP, Electric Division, of WordSouth — A Content Marketing Company, serving electric and telecommunications providers since 1996. Jared can be reached at jared@wordsouth.com.
JARED DOVERS
Chief Operating Officer
Vice President, Electric Utility Communications
WordSouth.com
256-638-5394
In the middle of the interview, the woman asking the questions paused and said, "I know this is off topic, but can I ask your advice? What do you know about these solar panels and big batteries that people are buying? Is that a good deal?" She had been
approached by a salesman and was considering buying.She’s not alone. According to recent surveys, about 30 percent of your customers are either planning on or considering purchasing solar power in the next two years. As with anything, there are right ways to go solar, and there are wrong ways — which could end up being dangerous.
You’ve probably heard horror stories of these less-than-reputable solar companies who do expensive installs of cheap equipment, and oftentimes leave the purchaser in a lurch. As interest grows, this is going to continue.
A little education can go a long way, and as an electric distributor, you are in the unique position of trusted advisor. When it comes to energy, the distributor needs to be a resource their customer can count on.
How can you do this?
1. Start the dialogue now. If you don’t already have a strong communications program to reach your customers, now is the time to start. Posting an occasional outage alert on Facebook is simply no longer enough in today’s hyper-connected world. As a municipal electric system, you’re already doing great things for your community every day, from awarding scholarships to sponsoring little league teams. Start telling people your story, and when the time comes for them to ask questions, they’ll know to ask you.
2. Create a resource center. Your website and your office need readily available information on solar power, battery storage and more. Customers need to be able to find this information easily, and it needs to be accessible as well as balanced. Not everyone in the electric distributor world is excited about renewable energy or the regulations from Washington, D.C., that are forcing changes in our energy mix. That’s understandable, but people need to trust that you’re not biased. Present all the information clearly, factually and at a level customers can understand.
3. Give your employees the education first. For every communications initiative, your most important audience is your employees. Make sure they know about solar power options — and that they are on message with your utility’s position.
Your customers love the idea of choice, and in an industry that is a regulated monopoly, sometimes choices are hard to come by. Beyond saving money, the allure of solar panels, battery technology and other options that allow your customers to "live off the grid" is the idea that somehow these items can make your customer more independent. It’s up to you to guide them toward understanding the realities of these technologies.
Jared Dovers is VP, Electric Division, of WordSouth — A Content Marketing Company, serving electric and telecommunications providers since 1996. Jared can be reached at jared@wordsouth.com.
JARED DOVERS
Chief Operating Officer
Vice President, Electric Utility Communications
WordSouth.com
256-638-5394
