In Wisconsin, the potential of solar energy has yet to be fully tapped. As costs come down for consumers, the popularity of solar energy increases. Catie Malcheski, project manager at SunVest Solar, says business is booming. “There’s been a really dramatic decrease in the cost of the panels,” she says. “Maybe the price of labor hasn’t come down, but the laborers are much more efficient based on their experience, and the technology has gotten easier to work with, so they are able to work faster, and the technology itself has increased in efficiency.”
In 2017, SunVest employed 10 people and constructed 67 projects, for a total installed capacity of 5,023 kilowatts. So far in 2018, it employs 20 individuals and has constructed or is currently working on 69 projects, for an installed capacity of 10,464 kilowatts. Founded in 2009, SunVest is one of a handful of solar energy design-build contractors in Wisconsin and is one of the oldest.
