Technology, Financing, Public Policy, Energy Education
In an innovative industry, Secure Futures has always worked to offer our customers the best value in technology for solar panels, energy storage and energy management and monitoring software.
Below is a timeline of some of the key innovations in deploying solar power technology to new types of customers over the last decade in our home state of Virginia and beyond.
We also include innovations beyond technology — financing, public policy and energy education — that have helped make solar power more affordable and more useful to more customers.
2010
Helped a municipal utility, the Harrisonburg Electric Commission, develop its first program for net energy metering to allow its customers to sell extra solar power they produced to the electrical grid at a fair rate
Helped the City of Harrisonburg develop and implement an ordinance to exempt solar power equipment from local taxes
Signed the first power purchase agreement (PPA) in Virginia with Eastern Mennonite University, which also became the first prepaid solar PPA not only in Virginia but in the whole United States
Largest Solar Energy System in Virginia in 2010
The 104 kilowatt solar array at EMU became the largest solar energy system at any location in the state of Virginia at the time, including any solar arrays operated by electric utilities
2011
Helped the City of Lexington, Virginia pass an ordinance exempting solar power equipment from local taxes
Signed the first agreement in Virginia to lease solar equipment to a commercial-scale customer, Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA
Largest Solar Energy System in Virginia in 2011
The 444 kilowatt solar power system at W&L became the largest solar energy system at any location in the state of Virginia at the time, including any solar arrays operated by electric utilities
2012
In partnership with the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, formed the Virginia Solar Alliance to advocate for public policy on the statewide level to make rooftop solar power more affordable at both residential and commercial-scale
2013
Developed a proposal that passed the Virginia General Assembly to establish a PPA Pilot Program in territory served by Dominion Energy Virginia
Signed the first Solar Self Generation Agreement (an alternative to a power purchase agreement) in the service area of Dominion with the United Church of Christ in Chesterfield County, VA
Signed the first Solar Self Generation Agreement in the service area of Harrisonburg Electric Commission with Park View Mennonite Church
2014
Successfully lobbied the Virginia General Assembly to grant a statewide exemption from local taxes for solar power equipment
2015
Helped develop and pass legislation in the Virginia General Assembly legalizing crowdfunding in the state of Virginia
Reorganized the Virginia Renewable Energy Association (VA-REA) and served as a founding board member of the organization
2016
Successfully lobbied the Virginia General Assembly for an exemption from state sales taxes for solar power equipment
Signed the first Solar Self Generation Agreement in the service area of Rappahannock Electric Cooperative with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Held the first Solar Barn Raising in Virginia at the Gift and Thrift retail store in Harrisonburg
2017
Gained intellectual property protection from the Virginia General Assembly for solar service agreements under an exemption to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act
Installed the first solar tracker array at a hospital location in Virginia at Carilion New River Valley Medical Center
Signed the first Solar Self Generation Agreement in the service area of Appalachian Power with Carilion
Launched the Adaptive Resource Management System (ARMS) to monitor and optimize both use of utilities and solar power production at its first customer site, Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA
2018
Worked with the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond to launch the RVA Solar Fund, a program offering grant funding to help public schools and non-profit organizations in Central Virginia go solar
Held the first Solar Barn-Raising in the state of Pennsylvania at the Mennonite Central Committee Material Resources Center in Ephrata, PA
Worked with partner organizations to reorganize the Virginia Distributed Solar Alliance
Signed the first lease of rooftop solar equipment where the customer co-invested with a solar developer in Virginia with InterChange Group in Harrisonburg, VA
2019
Launched “Throwing Solar Shade” in partnership with the Science Museum of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University to offer hands-on solar power and science education to students at two public school divisions, Richmond and Augusta County
