Award-winning Cleantech Brand Ivy Energy Solves Solar Energy Woes for Renters
Good News for California Renters! Get Hassle-free Access to Solar even if you are Renting. (Sacramento, California): Ivy Energy was invited to speak at the 2020 EPIC Symposium held in October, where it won the “California Energy Visionary of the Year” award. An innovative technology called Virtual Smart Grid has been under development by solar industry expert Ivy Energy to help make onsite solar + storage a win-win for apartment landlords and renters. The technology enables a split incentive for the landlord and the residents through a data-driven cloud-based software application. The venture’s recognition at the event can be owed to its public popularity and the market transforming business model that their technology enables.
What is the EPIC Symposium? The symposium consists of three days of panels & workshops hearing from industry experts and government leaders such as California Governor Newsom, David Hochschild - Chair of California Energy Commission, Rohit Shukla CEO of Larta Institute, Janea Scott - Vice Chair of California Energy Commission, Genevieve Shiroma - Commissioner of California Public Utility Commission, and many more inspiring leaders helping California transition to a clean and equitable energy future. See the program overview here.
As the world transitions to clean energy there is a lot of collaboration required to get the job done. Connecting policy, technology innovation, funding, and fragmented market stakeholders is no easy task. That is why California hosted the 2020 EPIC Symposium (Oct 19-21st 2020). The event is premised around the Electric Program Investment Charge which is a public fund created to help new clean energy solutions reach market adoption. The program has the following initiative for Californians:
Expanding the use of renewable energy.
Build a safe and resilient electricity system.
Advance electric technologies for buildings, businesses, and transportation.
Enable a more decentralized electric grid.
Improve the affordability, health, and comfort of California’s communities.
Support California’s local economies and businesses.
Ivy Energy is one of 100+ companies incubated and supported through the EPIC programs wherein they receive assistance ranging from funding to business support and technical validation. Ivy Energy was accepted into 1 of the 4 accelerator programs that is funded by EPIC through SCEIN facilitated by Clean Tech San Diego. Out of these 100+ companies Ivy Energy was honored to be chosen as one of 15 companies to present at the 2020 EPIC Symposium. We’re excited to announce that by public choice the judges at the California Energy Commission’s sixth annual EPIC Symposium presented Ivy Energy with the inaugural California Energy Visionary Award for California Energy Visionary of the Year. During the symposium, Ivy Energy participated in a rapid-fire, cleantech pitch competition to spotlight how organizations are helping to shape a cleaner and brighter future for California.
Pitch sessions were judged by panels of clean energy experts who evaluated each organization on a variety of criteria, including exceptional market potential, positive impact to California ratepayers, innovative approaches to the market, thoughtful solutions to address market barriers, and opportunities to positively impact California’s disadvantaged communities. Also, symposium attendees had the opportunity to vote live for which pitch they felt should win the awards for the "Biggest Impact for Energy Equity!" and the "California Energy Visionary of the Year!" About Ivy: Ivy is a cloud based turn-key service powered by intelligent software providing shared solar access to residents and predictable returns to owners. By combining the Virtual Smart Grid software with a Solar Asset, property owners eliminate the complexities of distributing solar energy across multiple units while providing guaranteed savings to residents.
Pioneering the Future of Multi-Tenant Solar Energy Management
2024 was a trailblazing year for Ivy Energy, where we shattered barriers, redefined possibilities, and delivered innovative solutions to address the multi-tenant solar split incentive challenge. By driving product advancements, forging impactful partnerships, and scaling operational processes, we empowered multi-tenant properties to embrace clean energy with confidence.
A Year of Growth and Market Expansion
Ivy has grown its active project pipeline 450% compared to 2023, with a line of sight to clear +600% in active projects by the end of the year. Our tech-enabled solutions empower more communities than ever. With $18M in Series A funding (Read more) and the strategic acquisition of Glow Energy (Read more), we are poised for unprecedented growth and impact. This investment enables us to enhance our technology, streamline operations, and expand our reach into new markets nationwide.
Entering new markets with increased resources allows us to address diverse energy challenges and deliver tailored solutions to property owners and tenants. Additionally, the launch of our consulting arm provides expert guidance for our clients and partners to save money and enhance ROI while navigating intricate solar investments.
Meaningful Operational Updates
At Ivy, innovation isn’t just about technology—it’s about creating digital tools that empower our clients and their tenants:
PropTech Integrations: Partnered with RealPage, Entrata, and Yardi to automate rent roll syncing, move-in/move-out updates, and direct charge posting to resident ledgers. These integrations reduce monthly processing time by up to 2 hours per property while enhancing data accuracy and operational efficiency.
NEM Credit Delay Optimization: The Utility Coordination team adopted the CPUC informal complaint process to reduce delays in NEM activation after PV solar system commissioning. This improvement cut the average resolution time for delayed NEM credits from 123 days in 2023 to 49 days in 2024, allowing property owners to see Net Operating Income over two months sooner on average.
Platform Advancements that Lead the Industry
Our engineering team broke new ground, ensuring our platform stays ahead of the curve:
Migrated to a new infrastructure processing system for faster processing and further automation improvements across operational features.
Introduced IvyDual in response to regulatory requirements in California, which allows us to enter new markets where consolidated billing is not viable.
AchievedSOC 2 Compliance, reaffirming our commitment to data security. (Read more)
Built initial public API for Conservice integration and new utility data access pathways, strengthening our platform’s versatility and reliability.
Empowering Positive Experiences with CX
At Ivy Energy, our customers rely on us as true partners in their clean energy journey, helping them achieve long-term NOI growth while providing exceptional support for property owners and tenants. We consistently deliver this experience by simplifying complex utility processes and offering our white-glove service that ensures our clients feel supported, informed, and empowered to succeed. This year, Ivy’s Customer Experience Team launched two significant platforms:
Ivy Implementation Portal: A step-by-step, transparent portal that simplifies solar implementation for our clients and partners across multiple organizations. (Watch a walkthrough of the new portal here.)
Resident Help Center: Educate tenants about the solar program with helpful resources and offer direct support online or by phone. (Explore the Help Center)
Shaping the Future Through Thought Leadership
In 2024, Ivy Energy reinforced its position as an industry leader; our Virtual Grid 3.0 impressed the judges and earned first place in Solar Power World’s “Best in Show” award for large-scale solar innovation. (Read more)
Leadership team members Alex Dogan, Tanya Kuhn, and Sean Nam were celebrated in San Diego Business Journal’s Leaders of Influence in Technology 2024 for their contributions to advancing sustainable energy. (Read more) Ivy was also featured in Alt Energy Magazine (Read more), San Diego Business Journal (Read more), and on Solar Academy. (Read more)
Logan Carter showcased Ivy’s groundbreaking innovations in a main stage speech at Cretech NY (Watch here), an engaging appearance on the IMN Podcast (Listen here), and a deep-dive interview with Chris Moreno, also known as “Mr. PropTech.” (Watch here) Ivy’s policy team further expanded its influence by authoring a Model VNEM Whitepaper, a critical guide to enabling multi-tenant solar models nationwide. (Read the Whitepaper).
Measurable Environmental Impact
This year, Ivy Energy amplified its environmental contributions, with contracted units in implementation set to offset an astounding 109 million pounds of CO2. Meanwhile, active units have already offset 9 million pounds of CO2, demonstrating our ongoing dedication to reducing carbon emissions.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As we celebrate 2024’s successes, we are always looking to the future. In 2025, we’ll continue to push boundaries, deliver innovations that empower our clients, improve tenant experiences, and lead the multi-tenant housing sector toward a sustainable future.
A Message from Dover Janis, CEO of Ivy Energy
“2024 was a year of progress and adaptation. While utility-caused delays challenged our growing pipeline, our focus on agile problem-solving reduced their impact and kept the market moving forward. This is a testament not only to the dedication and focus of our team but also to the strong macro-level foundation that the onsite energy business model provides for real estate owners, even in the face of monopoly-driven resistance. With a large and expanding customer base and hundreds of projects, we have continued to validate the transformative potential of clean energy solutions for shared communities. I’m incredibly proud of our team—now among the most mature, knowledgeable, and experienced in the industry—as we trail blaze the path forward. The market is primed to grow and drive transformative change in local communities. I’m deeply grateful to our partners and customers, whom we have the privilege of serving every day as we continue to lead the way.”
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