SunCommon, Vermont’s largest solar company, has expanded by hiring new staff, including an executive leadership team. Tom Berry joins SunCommon as the new VP of Marketing and Sales and Jim Merriam as VP of Operations. The duo, with strong backgrounds in high-growth industries, is leading the energy company through the launch of several innovative products and programs to help thousands more Vermonters go solar.
“I want to ride the wave. Businesses that are at the forefront of a particular service or product present great opportunity for higher impact. SunCommon is focused on solving tomorrow’s energy issues and that mission fosters innovation,” said Jim Merriam, formerly of the Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC).
“SunCommon is becoming one of those iconic Vermont brands,” said Tom Berry. “I join high-growth companies because of the entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to be on the cutting edge,” said Berry. “I work to inspire change and SunCommon is trailblazing with a strong Vermont mission.”
Merriam and Berry joined SunCommon as the company prepared to expand its solar offerings to include a small business program, a new installation technology partnership and an innovative solar product: the Solar Canopy.
SunCommon is the state’s solar leader having now helped 3,000 Vermont households. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, “the 127 MW of solar energy currently installed in Vermont ranks the state 22nd in the country in installed solar capacity. There is enough solar energy installed in the state to power 22,000 homes.” With 1 out of every 100 Vermont homes working with SunCommon, the Waterbury-based company has contributed to 14% of the statewide total.
SunCommon’s mission is to repower Vermont with clean energy by tearing down the barriers to renewable energy. By making solar easy and affordable, SunCommon has built a market-driven solution to climate change. As one of Vermont’s pioneering Benefit Corporations, SunCommon is legally chartered to attend to the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.
“I believe business can be a force for good,” said Berry, formerly of Burton Snowboards and most recently Keurig Green Mountain. “I joined SunCommon to get back to a local, mission-driven company that is dedicated to Vermonters. The energy and passion here at SunCommon drives local innovation and has fostered a statewide solar movement, now 3,000 Vermont households strong,” said Berry.