How this CleanTech Unicorn is Simplifying Clean Energy Adoption and Empowering Homeowners

Global energy systems are in flux. The entire world is going through a decarbonization phase.  Energy costs are surging, and homeowners are searching for solutions. 

While demand for clean energy and whole-home electrification is steadily growing, there still exist some high barriers to adoption, namely around complexity and cost. 

Enter Palmetto, a technology company on a mission to break down these barriers and supercharge the adoption of renewables.

The company’s  approach is a digital-first consumer experience that provides data-driven energy insights, clean energy recommendations and consumer financing for clean energy solutions all built on a single technology platform that simplifies the transition to clean energy. 

Palmetto educates consumers on home energy insights, enables data-driven decisions, and promotes cost- and climate-saving activities. It offers financing, fulfillment, servicing of those activities, while empowering the consumers’ broader energy and awareness experience.

“We believe clean energy must be available and affordable by everyone, not just the wealthy few, which is why we also work in underserved energy communities and invest in community partnerships like Solar Sister, a female entrepreneurship program expanding access to clean energy across communities in Africa,” Chris Kemper, Chairman, Founder and CEO of Palmetto tells us.

Outpacing a Competitive ClimateTech Market 

With growing demand for energy, Palmetto’s ability to remain agile - build, measure, learn, and iterate with speed - is core to their competitive advantage.

Today, Palmetto offers products including solar panels and battery solutions, protection plans, EV charging devices, smart energy management devices (smart filters, etc.), and consumer financing options. 

The scalability and extensibility of their services and clean energy marketplace is entirely enabled through their software. 

For consumers, Palmetto delivers energy insights and products and services for purchase through an easy-to-use interface, so people can better understand their energy usage, receive recommendations on what products they need, and make purchases through Palmetto.

Growth through Partnerships 

“Partnerships have been key in helping us scale our impact and get clean energy into tens of millions of households across the United States. Our software is used by SMBs, Fortune 5000 companies and utility companies alike --- all of whom have consumers interested in saving money or have high energy expenditure in markets across the nation” explains Chris.

He gave us a recent example: “We have partnered with a firm in the single-family rental space to provide their entire communities with renewable energy and accelerate the adoption of clean tech on an aggregate level.”

The Rise of Whole-Home Electrification

Energy demand in the United States is growing, and so is interest in whole-home electrification. 

Palmetto is helping homeowners think about their energy ownership differently.

Chris tells us that “ we want consumers to feel empowered and excited about their energy use, and we want to be that partner for them in every step of that journey --- from data-driven insights about their home energy use, to clean energy products and services recommendations that would make the biggest impact for their unique household profile, to connecting with them to these products and services for purchase, financing, and ongoing operations insights.”

Measurable and Scalable Impact

“We measure our impact by how many households we’re able to assist in the adoption of clean energy, and the carbon offset of these households,” says Chris.

He explains: “This impact continues to grow as we leverage our technology platform to roll out more products and services that make it easier and cheaper for homeowners to switch to clean energy, like through our home energy management app and consumer marketplace of clean energy products.”

Palmetto plans to not only deepen services for existing consumers, but to also expand geographically: currently the company serves 30 states with a future outlook to grow internationally. 

Hear how Chris is planning to achieve this at the HackSummit in New York where he joins us for a fireside chat deep dive on how Palmetto’s technology is making it easier and more affordable for homeowners to source clean energy and make other energy-efficient home upgrades.