Throughout the 10-year term, Sungevity will work with UC Berkeley students across academic disciplines to develop careers in the new energy economy with internships in solar design, engineering, strategic planning, operations efficiency, marketing and finance.
To help Berkeley meet its carbon neutrality goal by 2025, Sungevity will partner with the Berkeley Energy and Resources Collaborative (BERC) on sustainability outreach and programming, and offer expertise to the campus' Office of Sustainability and Energy. Importantly, this partnership also focuses on reducing the regional carbon footprint by expanding renewable energy to the larger Cal community through innovative residential solar programs.
Sungevity is the first partner to launch UC Berkeley's University Partnership Program (UPP), which will provide campus units with the infrastructure to work collaboratively across the university to develop comprehensive relationships with business partners. The partnership with Sungevity, a renewable energy company, underscores the university's commitment to sustainability, delivering on the campus goal of integrating carbon-reducing energy technology on campus and to its extended community.
"Sungevity was the clear choice as UC Berkeley's solar energy partner. Not only do we share a rich history with many of its founding employees being Cal alums, but the company's authentic passion and commitment to UC Berkeley's sustainability ensures that our interests are strongly aligned," said vice chancellor for administration and finance, John Wilton. "Sungevity also is renowned for its industry-leading advanced technology platform, which mirrors our mission of advancing innovation for the benefit of future generations."
The new partnership also benefits the larger Berkeley community, providing faculty, staff, friends and family with an opportunity to save money on electric bills while also reducing pollution. Aside from the core sponsorship revenue, each time someone goes solar with Sungevity, the company will contribute a minimum of $750 to the university, which will be used to support strategic priorities for the university and participating campus units.
Beyond its residential offerings to the campus community, Sungevity also is developing its first campus project on Jacob's Hall, part of the School of Engineering and the university's new home for design innovation. Currently slated to open for the Fall Semester, the building is being outfitted with 286 solar panels that will generate approximately 114,000 kWh in the first year.
"Sungevity and Berkeley share complementary core values, both fundamentally dedicated to using innovative technologies to solve social and environmental problems," said Danny Kennedy, Sungevity's co-founder. "It's a union that almost feels predestined, with such rich Berkeley DNA woven right into the fabric of our being, and we're energized to be advising the nation's No. 1 public university on achieving its sustainability goals throughout the next decade."
Sungevity and UC Berkeley share a long history with its founding Remote Solar Design (RSD) employees those who developed the company's industry-leading technology, its proprietary RSD tool, iQuote, and Instant iQuote being university alumni. Since the company's founding in 2007, Sungevity has employed more than 100 Berkeley alumni and students in areas of marketing, finance, and engineering.
