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US: 3 solar companies "best for the world"

Three solar companies have been declared to be leading the pack in terms of the environment, their communities and their employees. The B Lab, a nonprofit organization that assesses companies’ impact environmentally and socially, highlighted three solar installers yesterday as leaders across three areas of assessment.

This solar-powered flower is one of the educational solar arrays that Southern Energy Management has been involved in.

Southern Energy Management

Declaring the companies the best for the world, B Lab announced that they are doing things differently. "These companies are leading a global movement to redefine success in business," said Jay Coen Gilbert, co founder of B Lab in a statement announcing the inaugural awards.

In its B Impact Assessment, the Global Green Energy Corporation, Namasté Solar and Southern Energy Management – all of which have solar installation as a key business segment – were highlighted as scoring in the top ten percent of companies assessed. The assessment looks at environmental impact and footprint, labor practices and diversity and benefits, training and support offered to workers.

Green building companies, which also incorporate photovoltaics into their designs, Re:Vision Architecture and Green Building Services were also highlighted by B Lab as having scored within the top ten percent.

The top ten percent score also means that they are 50 percent higher than the other 2,000 corporations that have completed the B Lab certification.

"Our two-part mission is to help reduce emissions that lead to climate change and build a triple bottom line company that values people, planet and profit," explained Southern Energy Management’s Co-founder and President Maria Kingery, in a statement reacting to the recognition. "To have an outside group recognize the effort we've made towards helping the world is incredibly humbling and a source of pride for our entire team."

For some of the solar companies recognized by the B Lab, it is not the first time their achievements have been highlighted. Blake Jones, President and CEO of Colorado-based Namasté Solar introduced President Obama during the signing of the American Recovergy and Reinvestment Act. The company has also been highlighted for company, workplace, innovation and growth awards since 2009.