MISSION
& VALUES
We reenergize communities with solar - one brownfield at a time.
We are committed to leading the clean energy transition by transforming brownfields, landfills, and other compromised sites into renewable energy assets that lower carbon footprints and create lasting environmental and economic benefits.
Our work is guided by a deep respect for the land and a commitment to responsible stewardship. By integrating thoughtful land management, collaborative community engagement, and transparent practices, we aim to complement environmental remedies with solar solutions that maximize the value of each site. Every project is a testament to our belief that sustainability thrives when we work in harmony with the land and the communities it serves.
VALUES
OUR WORK GLOWS
We hold our work to the highest standards of quality and thoughtfulness. The intention, care, and craft we put into our work inspires others to raise their game. We give intention to detail.
GROWTH ENERGY
We believe that growth is an energy unto itself. A growth mindset is required for the dynamic, ever-changing world we live in. Every challenge we face supports our growth as people, and as a team.
STEWARDSHIP
Each of us plays a critical role in the well-being of our company, our community, and our planet. We take on the responsibility to leave things better than we found them.
CHARACTERS WITH CHARACTER
We look for, and bet on that rare human who knows how to have funwhile living and working from an unshakable moral and ethical foundation. Integrity is everything.
CURIOUS & CLEAR
The quality of our communication determines the quality of our life
at work. We try our best to remain open, and use curiosity to find our path forward. Feedback helps us improve and grow.
GROUNDERS
AC Power’s Grounders are a collection of 30 values and guiding behaviors we practice every day and which support us in carrying out our mission.
Each week, we highlight a Grounder internally that is particularly resonant for us in our work at the moment and discuss how we can ensure it shows up in our duties. We encourage you to incorporate these into your own work and let us know what stands out to you!
Honor Commitments
There’s no better way to earn people’s trust than to be true to your word. Do what you say you’re going to do, when you say you’re going to do it. Be reliable and consistent. This includes being on time for all phone calls, appointments, meetings, and promises. If a commitment can’t be fulfilled, notify others early and agree on a new timeframe to be honored.
Practice Blameless Problem- Solving
Apply your creativity and enthusiasm to developing solutions, rather than pointing fingers or dwelling on problems. Identify lessons learned and use those lessons to strengthen the team, and to improve ourselves and our processes so we don’t make the same mistake twice. Get smarter with every mistake. Learn from every experience.
Be Relentless About Continuous Improvement
Regularly re-evaluate every aspect of your job to find ways to improve. Be open to constructive criticism. Don’t be satisfied with the status quo. Always consider whether there’s a better way. Look for the root cause of challenges rather than simply tackling the symptoms. It’s better to invest time in developing a long-term solution rather than simply putting on a “Band-Aid.”
Keep Things Fun
Work hard and play hard. Remember that the world has bigger problems than even the most difficult challenges that make up our daily work. Keep things in perspective. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laugh every day.
Be Curious, Ask Questions
In the search for the best solutions, challenge and question what you don’t understand. The quality of the information you get is directly related to the quality of the questions you ask. Be interested in understanding another party’s point of view. Listen to hear, don’t just wait to respond.
Go the Extra Mile
Be willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish the job... plus a little bit more. Take the next step to solve the problem and see issues through to their completion. Don’t make excuses. Even if it takes doing something that is not in your job description, it’s the extra mile that separates the average person from the superstar. Be the superstar.
We Don't Have Problems- Only Opportunities
What others call problems, we call opportunities. Every so-called “problem” has within it the seeds of a valuable lesson. We take advantage of these lessons to grow in to better, smarter and more effective team. In fact, the greater the challenge, the bigger the opportunity for growth.
Be Passionate and Positive
Your attitude is contagious. Spread joy, passion, optimism and positive energy. Demonstrate your passion and embody that we are a mission-driven company. Make the most of each day by approaching every task with energy, focus, purpose, and enthusiasm. Keep your foot on the gas.
Have Each other's Back
We each play important roles in the interdependent chain of tasks required to meet our goals. Be there for each other and willing to help when that’s what’s required to get the job done. Help each other succeed.
Set up the next person in the chain for success by producing quality work. We win and lose as a team.
Pay Attention to the Details
From sending out a cold email, to filling out a permitting application and gathering MIPA documents…. Details matter. Be fanatic about accuracy and precision. Double-check your work-dot your “I”s and cross your “t”s. get the details right.
Celebrate Success and Show Gratitude
Recognizing people doing things right is more effective than pointing out when they do things wrong. Regularly extend meaningful acknowledgement and appreciation –in all directions throughout the company. Use the #GSD Teams channel generously!
Check The Ego at The Door
It’s not about you. Don’t let your ego or personal agenda get in the way of doing what’s best for the team. Worrying about who gets credit or taking things personally Is counterproductive. Make sure decisions advance company goals and support the team. No job is too small for anyone.
Make Quality Personal
Take pride in the quality of everything you touch and everything you do. Always ask yourself, “Is this my best work?” Everything you touch is a statement of your integrity and has your signature. Sign in bold ink and make sure it’s a statement of excellence.
Get Clear on Expectations & Purpose
What are we doing and why? Create clarity and avoid misunderstandings by discussing expectations upfront. Establish mutually understood objectives and deadlines for all projects, issues, and commitments. Ensure activities align with our strategic plan. End all meetings with clarity about action items, responsibilities, and due dates. Let’s get on the same page.
Speak Candidly and Straight
Speak professionally and honestly in a way that moves the action forward. Make clear and direct requests. Be willing to ask questions, share ideas, or raise issues that may cause conflict when it’s necessary for team success. Address issues directly with those who are involved or affected.
Follow up, Follow up, Follow up
Record a follow-up date for every action and take responsibility to see that it gets completed. Persistence is often the difference between success and failure. Solar projects don’t develop themselves!
Maintain a Healthy Work/Life Balance
Stay happier, healthier, and more productive by balancing your time between work, family life, emotional/spiritual development, community activities, and physical fitness. Be a lifetime learner outside of work. Growth only happens when we stretch.
Get the Facts
Don’t make and work off assumptions. There is always more to the story than it first appears. Gather the facts before jumping to conclusions or making judgments. Having a complete picture ensures we are working efficiently and saves time in the long run.
Look Ahead and Anticipate
Solve problems before they happen by anticipating future needs and addressing them in advance. Work with the team to fully understand all potential problems that a project might face and work to mitigate the risk early on. Preventing issues is always more effective than fixing them.
Create Win/Win Solutions
Appreciate others’ perspective. Understand everyone's needs and, when possible, find a way to help them meet those needs while also fulfilling your own. Win/win solutions are always more effective and longer lasting than win/lose solutions. Building enduring relationships is our goal and will ensure mutual success and future opportunities.
Embrace Change and Growth
Solar development is art as much as science. Get outside your comfort zone, rather than stubbornly hanging on to old ways of doing things. Encourage and expect healthy and vigorous debate. Respectful, constructive conflict is vital to our company’s health. Be excited by the possibilities that change, and growth bring. Be flexible.
Take Ownership
See what needs to be done and do it. Be resourceful and show initiative. Take personal responsibility for making things happen –somehow, someway. If there is something that needs to be done that you can do, do not wait, go for it! Respond to every situation by looking for how we can do it, rather than explaining why it can’t be done.You are empowered and encouraged to take the ’ball’ and run with it.
Use the Science to Make Art
Make decisions by relying on facts and data, and the reality in which a project will live, but understand that this is an ever-evolving market. No two projects are alike no matter how similar they look on paper. Be sure to also consider unquantifiable data and personal experience. Use the data but add your responsible flourish when working on a project.
Practice the "Human Touch"
Our relationships extend beyond the office. We genuinely care for and about each other. Every conversation, phone call, e-mail, letter and even voicemail, sets a tone and creates a feeling. Be thoughtful in every interaction and be sure you’re setting a tone of friendliness, warmth, and helpfulness. Whether it’s a kind word during a tough stretch, a friendly smile each morning, or a helping hand in stressful times, show your compassion.
Assume Positive Intent
Work from the assumption that people are good, and that the intent behind their actions is positive. Set aside your own judgments and biases, give people the benefit of the doubt.
Likewise, act from a place of positive intent.
Do It Right the First Time
The goal is to get things right, not simply to get them done. While we always want to work with a sense of urgency, sometimes we need to slow down in order to speed up. Double-check your work. Taking the time to get it done right the first time will always save time in the long run.
Listen Generously
Listening is more then simply “not speaking.” Give people your undivided attention. Be present and engaged. Quiet the noise in your head and let go of the need to agree or disagree. Create space for team members to express themselves without judgement. Be a sponge. Above all, listen to understand.
Communicate To Be Understood
Know your audience. We work with a wide variety of stakeholders and want each one to feel comfortable and confident in our abilities. Write and speak in a way that will convey that feeling to your audience. Use internal lingo, acronyms, and industry jargon where appropriate.
Be Obsessive About Process and Organization
Effective, repeatable processes build good habits that produce consistent results and successful organizations. To be efficient you must be able to manage multiple issues, tasks, and promises. Maintain a clean and orderly work area. Use an effective task management system for prioritizing and tracking outstanding issues and responsibilities.
Give Back to The Community
We’re committed to making our communities better places in which to live and work. We demonstrate this commitment with both our money and our time. We are working to be good stewards of the earth by contributing on the micro and macro level. This principle impacts our personal and professional decisions.