The Independent Power Providers (IPP), started 1993 as an ad hoc committee of California Mom 'n Pop PV business folks who feel they are not being fairly represented by the existing solar energy organizations. These establishment organizations are heavily dominated by manufacturers and large distributors. Whether as a result of the utilities stepping into the off-grid market, Home Power's editorial in the last issue, or just an idea whose time has come, the concept of IPP is now a national movement toward free, independent ownership of the sun as an electrical power source.

Who We Are

IPP is a group of independent solar electric contractors, dealers, and system designers. Members of this group have pioneered the design and installation of most of the residential and commercial off-grid photovoltaic systems existing today.

Statement of Purpose

IPP is dedicated to furthering the growth of independent solar energy installations and applications in the USA and the world. We believe that a healthy and prospering network of independent photovoltaic power providers is vital to the continued growth of the solar energy industry.

Utility entrance into the remote and off-grid market will serve to restrict the growth of our industry, interfere with competition in the market for solar energy systems, and increase the cost of PV produced power to ratepayers everywhere.

Why We Need To Organize

As a group, we have been unrepresented during PV For Utilities (PV4U) discussions of the Utilities Commercialization Plan which recommends utility entrance into the off-grid business. IPP has been formed to give independent providers, the backbone of our industry, a voice in the future of the solar energy industry.

We oppose utility involvement with remote or off-grid applications of photovoltaics. The utilities have huge advertising, marketing, and legal departments in place. They have "name" recognition and ratepayer loyalty - after all, they've held a legal monopoly for decades. This publicly-granted monopoly confers an unfair marketing advantage to the utilities over the independents. The utilities hold no natural rights to the off-grid portions of their service areas. Utilities have never serviced the remote or off-grid markets.

What We Can Do

Join together. Organize on state and national levels to assert our voices as legitimate stakeholders in the renewable energy industry. If your utilities have restrictive policies toward acceptance of independently-produced on-grid power, use the media to inform the public about it. If their policies are encouraging, support them. If they haven't got a clue, teach them. Ratepayer-financed, on-peak power produced by renewables should be encouraged with net billing. If the utilities consider all the factors, including environmental and long term generation replacement costs, PVs on the grid look pretty good right now.

Networking

IPP is limited only by our imagination, energy, and sweat &emdash; three qualities with which all small solar businesses are familiar. It can act as a clearinghouse for information exchange. We need each other's help and input on where to go from here. We need volunteer lawyers' help in forming a legal organization. The one thing that all IPP folks have in common is our solid knowledge that renewable energy is the present and the future. Who owns the sun? We all do - let's keep it that way.

Go to our Membership page for how you can join the IPP.