Solarize Toolkit

Gather a volunteer team

• Review volunteer roles to see what you’re signing up for
• Gather a team of 4-8 people, plus a list of others you could call on to help with specific tasks (e.g. painting a sign, baking for an event)

Explore partnerships with neighboring towns

• Partnering increases the number of potential customers and volunteers
• Towns should be contiguous so your partner installer can easily manage the territory

Contact your local electric utilities

• Do they offer net metering? What are the terms?
• What are their requirements and process for connecting a home solar system to the grid?
• Do they offer any financial incentives?
• What else should a homeowner know about going solar with them?

Make a list of solar installers within reach of your community

• Do your best to identify ALL installers within a certain range of your community (we recommend focusing on installers within a 75-minute drive)
• Gather contact information for each installer – you’ll need it later on

Set up a team folder in Google Drive

• Contact SolarizeToolkit@Gmail.com to request a template Solar Campaign Folder for Google Drive, pre-stocked with campaign resources (see Google Guide page for more info)

Meet to review time commitments and assign volunteer roles

• Use this template agenda to guide your meeting
• Bring copies of the following documents, as recommended in the agenda:
  • Solar Campaign Timeline and Monthly Checklist
  • Volunteer Roles
  • Campaign Goals (look up demographic information prior to meeting)
  • Installer Selection Timeline and Monthly Checklist

Set solar campaign goals 

• You should have discussed this at your team meeting

Reach out to your list of solar installers

• Describe your campaign and ask if they’d be interested in participating
• Collect information for a local solar installers list, including their experience and services. Offer this list as a resource for residents during and after the campaign. (template) (example)
• Ask for a specific contact person who should receive the Request for Proposals (RFP)

Installer selection committee finalizes the RFP template and Installer Proposal template to send to your installer list

• Visit the Installer Selection section below for more information

Send the Request for Proposals (RFP) and Proposal Template to installers

• Email your completed RFP and Proposal Template to your entire installer contact list
• Share the RFP with any relevant organizations that can help spread the word (e.g. industry group)
• Allow any installer to apply, even if they’re not on your original contact list – the more options you have, the better

Begin planning your outreach campaign

• How do people in your community find out what’s going on? Be visible there
• Develop a list of local media (e.g. newspaper, magazine, radio, TV, online) to share your solar campaign story with – and collect their contact information for later on
• Visit the Outreach Library section below for inspiration and templates

Connect with community partners

• Look for opportunities to make presentations, table at events, get your news in community newsletters, and more
• Find places to hang banners and signs

Compile a set of resources to use throughout the campaign

• List of local solar installers (template) (example)
• Solar Financing (template) (example)
• Energy Efficiency (template) (example)

Select your partner installer

• Your Installer Selection Team will take the lead, but all volunteers should be welcomed to offer feedback and ask questions about the proposals
• Visit the Installer Selection section below for more information

Plan the basics of your Kick-Off Event

• Determine your date, time, location, and logistics (e.g. projector, screen, chairs, refreshments)
• See the Kick Off Event section below for more detail

Create a campaign website

• A Facebook page is a good way to share frequent updates about your campaign

Encourage all volunteers to set up a Google account and learn the basics of Google Drive

Meet with your partner installer

• Your entire volunteer team should be at this meeting – this is your chance to get to know your partner installer before your campaign goes public
• Use this Template Meeting Agenda
• Bring copies of the following documents, as recommended in the agenda:
  • Request for Proposals (ask your selection committee to bring a copy of the final version)
  • Proposal from your chosen installer (ask your selection committee to bring a copy)
  • Ground Rules for Campaign Partners
  • Solar Campaign Timeline and Monthly Checklist
  • Kick-Off Event Guide

Begin gathering a contact list of interested residents

• As you talk with friends and neighbors interested in your solar campaign, enter them into your People Tracker on Google Drive

Start using your online site visit sign-up form

• Make sure your website and Facebook page include links to your live site visit sign-up form

Promote your kick-off event

• Use banners, posters, and postcards to advertise in strategic locations
• Table at existing events to get the word out
• Send a press release to the media sources you identified, and get your event into community calendars
• Visit the Outreach Library below for inspiration, templates, and examples

Plan outreach for the first month of your campaign

• Plan at least one outreach event and announce it at your kick-off event
• Visit the Outreach Library below for inspiration, templates, and examples

Host a Kick-Off Event

• Visit the Kick-Off Event section below for more information

Focus on getting new site visit requests

• Visit the Outreach Library below for inspiration—we suggest tabling and sending messages out through community newsletters
• Collect new site visit requests on paper at events (template form), or direct people to sign up online using your Google Site Visit Sign Up Form
• Make sure your Google Site Visit Request Form is prominently linked on your website and Facebook page

Host follow-up events

• Solar open houses, driving tours, happy hours, and more are fun ways to get more people interested in going solar
• Visit the Outreach Library below for inspiration

Plan future outreach tactics

• Focus on outreach that will generate new site visit requests in Months 6 and 7
• Visit the Outreach Library below for inspiration

Focus on getting new site visit requests

• Visit the Outreach Library below for inspiration

Create and display a progress meter

• Decide what data you want to display and how (e.g. tiers, number of households) (examples)
• Identify a public place where the progress meter can be displayed throughout the campaign
• Make a plan for updating the meter as new contracts are signed

Focus on getting new site visit requests

• Contact People Tracker members who have not yet scheduled a site visit
• Visit the Outreach Library for inspiration

Help homeowners with solar proposals get off the fence

• Reach out personally by phone or email to offer resources and encouragement
• Plan an event (e.g. happy hour, open house, Q&A, financing session) – visit the Outreach Library below for examples

Announce last call for site visits

• Find out the latest date your installer can receive requests and still complete the process before the deadline
• Share this date with members of your People Tracker list and make a public announcement

Focus on celebrating progress and highlighting the campaign deadline

• Update people on what discounted pricing tier you’ve reached
• Visit the Outreach Library below for inspiration

Help homeowners with solar proposals get off the fence

• Reach out individually to check in
• Host a drop-in event with the installer for people who have questions or want to deliver their contract in person

Program deadline

• Typically the last day of the month
• Ask your installer to tell you how they will draw the line with respect to accepting contracts on the day of the deadline

Tally and share campaign results

• Send a message to your People Tracker contacts, make a public announcement, and send a press release to local media

Survey participants (optional)

• Take this opportunity to learn more about what outreach methods were effective, what motivated customers to go solar, what other energy issues interest people in your community, and more
• You can create a survey using Google Forms

Celebrate and reflect

• Host a meeting with your installer to celebrate your accomplishments and discuss how the campaign went (consider making this a potluck)

Announce your next steps as a team and promise to keep your contact list in the loop

• Is your next project focused on weatherization? Modern wood pellet heating? Electric vehicles?

Check in monthly with your installer until all jobs are complete

• Find out which installations are completed and which are on deck
• Discuss any concerns or challenges

3-4 volunteers, including one “installer liaison” (see Volunteer Roles)

Installer Selection Resources

• Installer Selection Timeline and Monthly Checklist
• Solar Campaign RFP Template
• Solar Campaign Proposal Template
• Installer Selection Criteria and Due Diligence
• Installer Interview Kit
• Solar Energy Vocabulary

Reach out to local solar installers – are they interested?

• By this point, your volunteer team should have generated a list of solar installers in your area

Download and customize the RFP (Request for Proposals) Template

• Seek input from the rest of the volunteer team as needed

Download and customize the Solar Campaign Proposal Template

• Seek input from the rest of the volunteer team as needed

Send RFP and Proposal Template to installers

• Allow at least 3 weeks between sending the RFP and the deadline for receiving proposals
• Save RFP as a PDF before sending
• Send Proposal Template as a Microsoft Word document (and remind installers to send it back to you as a PDF)
• Send both documents together to your list of local installers AND to any relevant renewable energy trade associations who can post the RFP for you

Receive proposals from installers

• Installer Liaison collects and distributes to the selection team

Selection team meets to review proposals and choose which installers to interview

• Allow time for everyone to read the proposals prior to meeting
• Don’t reinvent the wheel—use the Selection Criteria and Due Diligence guide

Invite installers to interview

• The date of interview day will be announced in the RFP
• Send interview invitations with specific interview times at least two days in advance of interview day
• Don’t reinvent the wheel—use the Installer Interview Kit 

Interview 2-3 installers

• Use the Installer Interview Kit as a guide

Call Installer References

Choose a partner installer

• Let other installers know they have not been chosen—email templates included in the Installer Selection Kit

Schedule a meeting with the volunteer team and the installer

• Hold meeting at least 3 weeks prior to campaign kick-off (agenda template)

Create a list of “why we chose this installer” talking points and share with the rest of the volunteer team

• Poster (Template)
• Postcard (Template)

Primary Handouts (place on every chair so every attendee gets a copy)

• Event Handout (Template)
• Site Visit Sign Up Sheet (Template)

Secondary Handouts (available at Resources Table)

• Energy Efficiency (Template) (Example)
• Solar Financing (Template) (Example)

Tabling (setting up a table or handing out materials at an existing location/event)

• Sports event
• Farmers’ market
• Parade
• Transfer station
• Grocery store
• Polling location

TIP: Tabling is most effective for bringing in new participants.

Host an Event

• Q&A session with the installer and/or other experts
• Solar financing night (invite lenders to present)
• Panel and Q&A with solar homeowners
• Potluck with solar presentation
• Solar open house (sign-in sheet template) (talking points template)
• Solar driving tour (multiple open houses on a planned route) (sample tour map)
• Solar happy hour at local restaurant
• Solar food drive (ask attendees to bring donation)

TIP: Target both new and existing participants. Plan at least one event per month.

TIP: Invite solar home owners to your events and give them stickers so attendees know who they can learn from.

What local organizations could help you get the word out, and how?

• Outreach to local employers (email template)
• Presentations to and collaboration with local civic and religious groups (e.g. Rotary, Lions, churches, schools)
• Display in library including solar campaign information, books about solar energy, etc. (examples)
• Outreach through community mailing lists (e.g. school newsletter, church bulletin)
• Notice in community tax bills (example)

Contact local newspapers, radio and TV stations, news websites, and other places where people in your community get their news.

• Press releases to announce kick off and final results (tips and template) (example – kick off) (example – results)
• Personal invitations to media contacts to attend events
• Volunteer-written articles (e.g. shadow a site visit and provide photos and story) (example)
• Letters to the Editor (example)
• Calendar listings for events (example)
• Paid advertisements (example 1) (example 2)

• Email to solar campaign contact list (e.g. event invitations, deadline reminders) (sample invitation) (sample weekly update)
• Messages to community email lists (e.g. Front Porch Forum, “listservs”) (example)
• Solar campaign Facebook page (example) (Facebook tutorial)
• Information on official community website (examples)

• Door-to-door canvassing (sample handout) (sample map)
• Phone calls to solar campaign contact list (sample script)
• Postcard to everyone in community (example)
• Postcard targeted to people with promising sites (example)
• Letter to second-home owners in the community (example)

• Electronic road signs (example)
• Progress meters (updated as more people sign up) (examples)
• Yard signs (order online at sites like signsonthecheap.com, or check with your local print shop) (example)
• Posters in public places and at local businesses (example) (template)
• Large signs/banners in strategic places (order online at sites like staples.com, or check with your local print shop) (examples)
• Bookmarks (bookmark example) (display example)
• Bumper stickers (example)
• Car magnets (example)
• Refrigerator magnets (example)

• Ads on Wheels (this example is from a parade in Enfield)
• Poster Contest (have local students design yard signs or posters for your campaign)
• Custom Cookies (these cookies were baked by a volunteer for an event)
• Solar Stories (created videos and articles about people in your community who have gone solar already)