Good Sun

What Good Sun does

Good Sun is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 and headquartered in Carmichael, California, with an additional Grass Valley office. The organization designs, funds, and installs solar photovoltaic systems for low-income families, nonprofit facilities, schools, and underserved international communities, using a model centered on repurposing decommissioned but still-viable PV panels sourced through equipment donations. Its core technology is conventional solar PV (residential, commercial, grid-connected, off-grid, roof-mount, ground-mount, and battery storage) paired with regulatory expertise in California DTSC handling of end-of-life panels and relationships with recyclers such as Recycle PV and PVCycle. Good Sun complements installation work with NABCEP-certified solar consultancy, a solar panel testing service, a solar equipment resale ("solar thrift store"), and education/outreach programs for schools.

The business model is mission-driven rather than commercial: revenue consists of tax-deductible donations, U.S. Department of Energy grants (notably the $50,000 Solar In Your Community Challenge voucher awarded in 2017 and recognized in 2019), voluntary proportional donations for consultancy, and modest proceeds from reselling donated equipment. Installation labor is largely pro-bono through a ~20-person core volunteer base and partner solar firms (SunPower, Tesla Energy, SolarEdge, California Solar Electric, Byers Solar, Caiman Engineering). Distribution is direct: domestic projects flow through partnerships with Habitat for Humanity Sacramento and schools in the Sacramento and Nevada County regions, while international deployments route through local partners such as CTCD in Uganda and Barefoot Power in Kenya.

Strategic positioning combines three themes: landfill diversion of usable PV equipment, energy access for under-resourced communities, and clean-energy transition advocacy. The organization is governed by co-founders Eric Stikes (President & CEO), Eli Wahler (Marketing Director), Andrew Westerman (Technology Director), and Jarrod Genovese (Director of Materials and Building Science), with Scott V. Young as Chief Development Officer. Recent strategic activity emphasizes scaling the Habitat for Humanity Sacramento partnership from 9 to 40 homes, deepening the Uganda wildlife-conservation program under CTCD, and extending footprint into Kenya and Liberia.

Name

Good Sun

Legal name

Good Sun Solar

Website

https://goodsun.life

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Good Sun is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that repurposes donated solar panels into free installations for low-income families, schools, nonprofits, and underserved communities in California and East Africa, funded by grants, equipment donations, and volunteer labor.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Solar Installation and PV Recycling Services

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar End-of-Life, Recycling & Decommissioning (Panels, Inverters, Racking) (EUAMABAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)

Keywords

• Nonprofit solar services
• Solar panel recycling
• Residential solar installation
• Solar consultancy services
• Pv panel repurposing

Headquarters

HQ city

Grass Valley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Good Sun is a federally-registered 501(C)(3) public charity that generates revenue through donations, grant funding (including U.S. Department of Energy grants), and equipment donations. They receive tax-deductible donations of used solar equipment which they repurpose for charitable projects.
2. Consultancy Services: Good Sun offers professional, non-biased solar consultation services from NABCEP-certified professionals. They request tax-deductible donations for this service, proportional to the client's anticipated solar investment.
3. Solar Equipment Resale: Good Sun operates a solar thrift store model where donated used equipment is resold for other solar projects, generating revenue to support their charitable operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Good Sun is a nonprofit organization that provides free or heavily subsidized solar photovoltaic (PV) installation services to underserved communities, nonprofits, and schools, with a specialization in repurposing used solar panels diverted from landfills. Core offerings include residential and commercial solar installations, PV panel recycling and repurposing, a solar equipment donation program, NABCEP-certified solar consultancy, and solar panel testing and performance evaluation services.

Product overview

Good Sun is a nonprofit organization providing low-cost solar solutions. The core offerings consist of professional solar installation services for residential, commercial, and industrial properties, combined with a PV panel recycling and repurposing program that diverts still-viable solar equipment from landfills to underserved communities. Additional services include a solar consultancy program staffed by NABCEP-certified professionals, the Re-Power program for community solar deployment, and the Local Power Coalition volunteer initiative. The organization also operates education and outreach programs supporting hands-on learning labs and student internships in renewable energy. These programs work together to fulfill Good Sun's mission of deploying solar power to communities in need while helping to hasten the transition to a global clean-power economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Solar Installation Services Professional solar PV installation services for residential, commercial, and industrial properties covering grid-connected, off-grid, roof-mount, ground-mount, and battery storage solutions; delivered free or heavily subsidized to qualifying nonprofits, schools, and low-income households in California.
• PV Panel Recycling and Repurposing Program Program that diverts still-viable used solar panels from landfills and redirects them to underserved communities domestically and internationally, addressing solar waste while expanding clean energy access.
• Solar Equipment Donation Program Accepts tax-deductible donations of used solar equipment to support charitable solar installation projects for nonprofits and low-income households; also resells surplus equipment through a solar thrift store model to fund operations.
• Solar Consultancy Services Non-biased professional consultation on existing or future solar projects covering residential, commercial, grid-connected, off-grid, roof-mount, ground-mount, and battery storage solutions; provided by NABCEP-certified professionals with over 18 years of experience, with tax-deductible donations requested proportional to project size.
• Solar Panel Testing Services Testing and evaluation services for solar panels, including series resistance analysis and photovoltaic performance assessment, supporting panel reuse decisions and quality assurance for installation projects.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Habitat for Humanity SacramentocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2024Good Sun partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build and provide nine sustainable homes equipped with solar panels in Sacramento. This collaboration promotes renewable energy and affordable housing, aligning with Good Sun's mission of environmental stewardship and community support. Plans to solarize 40 homes for underserved families in Greater Sacramento area.
• California Solar Electric CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 February 2022California Solar Electric Company teamed up with Good Sun to install a 31 kilowatt solar PV system for South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL). California Solar donated installation labor while Good Sun donated solar panels and mounting hardware.
• SunPowercoreTechnology or IntegrationSunPower is a major sponsor and equipment donor for Good Sun projects. They provide solar modules for installations including Bitney Prep High School (Sunpower 350W modules), Yuba River Charter School (345W modules), and Hospitality House. SunPower is listed as a key partner sponsor.
• Tesla EnergycoreTechnology or IntegrationTesla Energy team members (Andrew Westerman, Adam Gutierrez) contribute to Good Sun projects as part of the Local Power team. Tesla provides technical expertise and labor for installations.
• CED Greentech SacramentominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCED Greentech of Sacramento provides affordable electrical materials for Good Sun projects, including the Hospitality House solar installation.
• California Green Energy ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal solar contractor providing labor and materials donations for Good Sun projects. Active contributor to Bitney Prep and other installations.
• Byers SolarminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal solar contractor donating labor and materials for Good Sun projects including Bitney Prep, Yuba River Charter School, and other installations.
• Caiman EngineeringminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProfessional engineering services provided to Good Sun projects. Major sponsor for multiple school and nonprofit installations.
• Integrative Roofing and EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDan King from Integrative Roofing and Energy serves as Business Development Advisor for Good Sun and has introduced international project opportunities in Nepal and Uganda.
• CTCD (Conservation Through Community Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGood Sun partners with CTCD in Uganda for wildlife conservation using solar energy as a catalyst for raising living standards in rural communities. CTCD involves around 60 active members including reformed poachers. Project has gained recognition from Uganda Wildlife Authority and World Wildlife Foundation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Habitat for Humanity International: Strategic installation partner and adjacent model organization; pairs affordable housing with solar for low-income families - the same end beneficiary as Good Sun's mission.

Direct peers

• GivePower: Nonprofit deploying solar energy systems and solar-powered water desalination in underserved communities globally; closely aligned international deployment mission to Good Sun's Africa work.
• GRID Alternatives: Largest U.S. nonprofit solar installer; directly comparable mission of providing free solar to low-income families and combining hands-on workforce training - the closest functional analog to Good Sun's deployment model.
• The Solar Foundation: Nonprofit advancing solar adoption through research, education, and workforce development; comparable mission-focused, donation-funded operating model and similar scale.
• Solar Energy International (SEI): Nonprofit providing solar education and hands-on installation training; aligns with Good Sun's Local Power volunteer and educator programs and similar mission-driven operating model.
• Footprint Project: Nonprofit deploying mobile solar power for disaster relief and underserved communities; comparable volunteer-led deployment of solar into low-resource settings.
• RE-volv: Nonprofit that develops community solar projects for other nonprofits through crowdfunding and donations; shares Good Sun's solar-as-charity model and nonprofit/nonprofit beneficiary structure.

Broad incumbents

• Sunrun: Large U.S. residential solar installer and lease/PPA provider; broad incumbent with overlapping mission-adjacent offerings to low-income and community solar markets.
• SunPower: Major U.S. solar manufacturer and installer that is a key equipment donor partner of Good Sun; broad incumbent with overlapping residential and commercial solar deployment.
• Tesla Energy: Tesla's solar and energy storage arm; contributes pro-bono labor to Good Sun's Local Power team and is a broad incumbent in residential solar with overlapping installation capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/goodsunsolar
• Facebookfacebook.com/good.sun.life
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/good-sun

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Good Sun