We had several pivotal moments throughout the year that contributed to the success of our Bass Connections project. Below is a chronological timeline of some of the key meetings and decisions we made as a group over the past 8 months.

1. August 2014: The First Meeting

We had our first meeting as a full team in late August, and we began to get acclimated to the people we would be working with for the next year. We then set our year-long goals. We planned to spend the first semester researching and publishing a scoping document evaluating the residential solar market in North Carolina and evaluating opportunities for an employee benefit program. Second semester, we would draft a development plan to be used as a framework for a future program.

2. October 2014: Preliminary Research

We spent a series of class periods presenting our research on the economics, policy, and technology behind residential solar in the US and North Carolina. The goal was for each team member to develop a level of baseline knowledge about solar. This also allowed the team leads to provide their expertise regarding matters that had an impact on the program.

3. December 2014: The Scoping Document

 In December, our team finalized and submitted a 30-page document synthesizing our work from the semester and setting the stage to develop the program plan in the spring semester. The document was broken into several sections. We looked at the university’s stake in and potential benefits from a residential solar employee benefit program, evaluated the solar installation process from an employee perspective, and summarized future policy and economic trends. Finally, we published our recommendations, which included the creation of a program that provided discounted rooftop solar to Duke employees.

4. January 2015: Local v. National Solar Program

We had one of our most important meetings of the second semester. Our team was at a crossroads, deciding between partnering with a national player in the solar field or creating our own local partnership with installers. It was more than simply listing pros and cons, and the process required us to ask hard questions to potential partners. We ultimately decided to work with Rob Pinder of NextClimate, Southern Energy Management, and YES! Solar Solutions, all of who were established players in the local residential solar market. We presented our decision to faculty, and began to move forward with development.

5. February 2015: Finalizing Program Details

 Another big meeting occurred in February, where we put together the timeline and details for the program. We wanted to maximize the benefits of the program to Duke employees, while streamlining logistics and program management and mitigating risk to the university. We agreed on a tiered pricing discount, where the number of employees signing up would directly influence the installation price faced by employees. This would incentivize program participants to spread the word to their friends and neighbors. We also agreed to not only limit the program to Duke employees, but also include anyone living in the surrounding area. While the program would still be branded as “Solarize Duke,” it would not be limited to the 36,000 Duke University and hospital employees. Finally, we made sure participants would be able to receive a free assessment, allowing people to participate in the program even if they were unsure if they were a suitable candidate for residential solar.

6. March 2015: Meeting with Duke

Once we had the bulk of the program in place, we sat down with university staff to craft legal and marketing documents be used during outreach. Our goal was for the university to benefit as much as possible while eliminating risk and liability. They were incredibly supportive and helpful with the outreach, and they continue to work with us on to promote this program and educate employees.

7. April 2015: The Kickoff Event

 On April 8, we hosted the first of two kickoff events. The lunchtime session allowed us to present our research and provide information about the program. Rob Pinder discussed his experience running similar campaigns, and YES! Solar Solutions spoke about the installation process. We were only expecting a dozen or so people to show up, but ended up with nearly 50 people in the room. It was incredibly successful and a huge testament to the work we put in to create a program that provides the maximum benefit to Duke employees.

We are all incredibly proud of our hard work and the resulting success. Hopefully, this program can serve as a model for future Bass Connections teams.