Clean electricity for your home is an important step toward clean energy for your community. Want to do more? Making your home more energy efficient can be valuable, not just to the environment, but also for your wallet, home health and safety, and overall comfort in your home.

Groundswell, a local non-profit, helps residents make group purchases for home energy upgrades through the Strong Homes Program. By organizing with community members, Groundswell facilitates a competitive bid with local, participating businesses to negotiate group discounts -- on average 15 percent - on home energy services, in addition to rebates and tax incentives.
Your community can achieve group discounts on energy efficiency measures by organizing the members of your non-profit, congregation, neighborhood, or school group to start a Strong Homes Group.
Also, you can join a large network of others who are investing in their homes, reducing their energy bills, and living in a more comfortable home-all at a discount. Take a few minutes to watch the Strong Homes Program video to hear from community leaders and residents who organized a group in their community.

Starting a Strong Homes Group with your community is easy. After getting in touch with Groundswell, you'll be on your way to...

• Planning a Strong Homes Program Energy Meeting.
• Inviting others in your community to join your Strong Homes Group. 
• Taking advantage of group discounts, rebates and tax incentives on energy efficiency measures.

Will you start a Strong Homes Group in your community? Call or email Groundswell Field Organizer Peter Roquemore at 202-573-8361 or peter.roquemore@groundswell.org to get started.

 
Gary (right), Clean Currents President with Rich (left), Owner of wind powered Gryphon Cafe in Wayne, PA

The challenge of our times is finding authenticity in the midst of so much that's contrived or outright phony. From lip-syncing inauguration performances to "green" products pushed by polluting companies, consumers are bombarded daily by examples of inauthentic behavior and greenwashing corporations. It's so easy to throw up your hands and say "a pox on all of your houses." The harder route though is the one our children and future generations are relying on us to take. We need to understand and support authenticity in all of its forms.

Authenticity for a company starts from within. Look at who the founders are, at the people that make up the key positions. Do their backgrounds convey values that align with their company or don't they match the green shine on their logo?  Perhaps more importantly, authenticity comes from third party verification. It's not enough for a company to claim to operate sustainably. A company has to prove it is sustainable in a transparent, inclusive way.

Being certified as a B Corp is right now the best way for a company to prove its sustainability bona-fides. Look at the list of B Corps in your area and make them your top list of businesses to shop from. Green America certification is another good measure. At Clean Currents, we're proud to be both Green America certified and a B Corp. We started the company to show that business can be a force for good (in part due to the fact that our two founders - myself and Charles Segerman - come from environmental and sustainability backgrounds). We've built a culture at Clean Currents that attracts people who want to change the world while building a business.

Sometimes, though, good authentic businesses can get derailed after they are bought by a large corporation.  A recent legislative battle in California illustrates the importance of companies adhering to their mission, even when purchased in an acquisition. Health, environmental and consumer advocates joined forces to try to pass Prop 37, which would have simply required companies to disclose on a label if they use Genetically Modified (GMO) food. Kellogg food joined other big corporations in pouring millions of dollars into the effort to defeat this bill. No surprise there.

But the fact that Kellogg owns Kashi, an organic food brand that states on its Facebook page, "At Kashi, we believe in the power of positive change...." should make consumers think twice. Yes, the product may be organic, but if the company behind the product is killing bills that make for a better, healthier world, then maybe there are better places to shop.

On the other side, you have companies like Clif Bar, which create healthy products and donated money to support Prop 37. In the end, the mega corporations outspent supporters of the bill by about 6 to 1, and were able to defeat the measure in a close vote. The point is applicable to many kinds of industries.

In the clean energy world we have companies like Clean Currents, that walk the walk, supporting positive environmental initiatives, and we have some large corporations that make their money from fossil fuels, but create a shiny green product to market to consumers. The question these consumers have to ask is, "is my energy supplier as green as I am?" In most cases, with a little digging, the unfortunate answer is "no."  Discerning consumers can figure out the truth. It just takes a little more work.

Headquarters of Atlas Business and Energy Systems, a Ghanaian Solar PV Installer

Ghana* is a peaceful oasis in the often tumultuous West African region where the people are warm, the weather is hot, and the food is spicy! I recently had the pleasure of visiting this alluring country and the experience was truly unforgettable. Aside from my unique cultural adventures including the bobobo dance, trying fufu and goat stew, getting around via tro-tro, attempting to balance a water bowl on my head and mastering the handshake snap; I learned a great deal about Ghana’s energy infrastructure.

Ghana is one of the most developed and stable countries in Africa where the majority of the population enjoys access to all of the modern conveniences one would expect, including electricity. Although Ghana has abundant power sources (their hydroelectric facility generates the majority of the electricity supplied not only in Ghana, but throughout West Africa) the national electricity grid continues to experience inefficiencies. This has both positive and negative implications for their residential solar industry.

On the down side
There is no motivation to be energy efficient due to the lack of any meter-reading system. A flat monthly energy charge is determined for each building when it’s first inspected. This amount will not change from month to month despite acquisition of new appliances over time unless the utility is notified. Since there is no enforcement of penalties for not advising the utility, it’s no surprise that no one reports installing more lights, charging new cell phones, purchasing a refrigerator etc. The power outages make sense since the country is demanding more power than the utility even realizes!

On the up side
Frequent outages have motivated residents to explore off-grid solar options for their homes. Currently there are over a dozen successful Ghanaian solar companies dedicated to residential solar installation. The initial upfront cost, while reasonable by US standards, is still a major barrier because the average rate for a one-year loan in Ghana comes with 48% interest! But that’s a whole other story…

Given the country’s annual sun exposure, large-scale solar was a logical consideration in the initial plans to expand the country’s energy generation. But when oil was discovered off the coast in 2007 a national solar project took the back-seat in lieu of establishing offshore oil refineries. Solar is still in Ghana’s future and it looks like that may be sooner than later due to a partnership with Blue Energy of the UK to build The Nzema Project which could generate enough power for 100,000 homes annually.

Ghana is not only ideally situated for solar, but also for offshore wind. It is exciting to see a developing country like Ghana willing to explore their diverse energy resources and open to embracing new clean energy technology. It will be interesting to see what resources are prioritized in the expansion of their energy portfolio.

With any luck, they will leapfrog into a clean energy future at a much faster pace than the US is taking. While we are working hard to expand our use of renewables, it is difficult to shift into new sources given the infrastructure, jobs and culture around fossil fuels that we have built for decades. I believe establishing strong renewable energy infrastructure in countries as they develop will be the surest way towards a sustainable energy future for our planet.

Cape Coast, Ghana, a popular West African beach destination

*Ghana is a resource rich, coastal country located just above the equator and is about the size of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia combined.

Photo courtesy of B Lab

What happens to your favorite, socially responsible ice cream maker when a multinational corporation sets its sights on acquiring it? That is exactly what happened in the case of Ben & Jerry's, and they had no legal options but to sell to the highest bidder -- even if that company's values didn't align with their social mission.

So, how do socially responsible businesses hold themselves responsible to their stakeholders when corporate structures put shareholders and financial profit first? Enter Benefit Corporations and Certified B Corporations.

By providing legal structures that increase transparency, accountability, and performance, Benefit Corporations and B Corps are changing the way we do business.


Certified B Corporation vs. Benefit Corporation

There are two ways for companies to participate in the B Corp movement: Certified B Corporations are 3rd party certified by non profit B Lab and Benefit Corporation is a legal status administered by the state.  "B Corp" generally refers to either of these types of organizations.

Certified B Corporations are companies that have chosen to seek third-party certification that their business operations are accountable to their employees, the community, and the environment. Any business can take the free assessment offered by the nonprofit B Lab, if they pass rigorous social and environmental standards, can become a Certified B Corporation.  

Benefit Corporations on the other hand, integrate their commitment to the social good into their legal structure. Becoming a Benefit Corporation requires a change to the corporate charter that dictates the corporation's operating agreement.  Thirteen states have laws allowing businesses to register as a Benefit Corporation, with Maryland being the first. Learn about where the legislation stands here.

Why B Corps Matter

By becoming a Certified B Corporation and/or a Benefit Corporation, businesses show that they are committed to more than just financial growth and profitability. This classification helps businesses incorporate employees and community into their decision making processes and gives them a road map to becoming even more sustainable.

In 2010, Maryland became the first US state to pass legislation allowing Benefit Corporations and expanded this to allow for Benefit LLCs in 2011. At that time, Clean Currents was the first Benefit LLC to register in Maryland.  Today there are 688 Certified B Corporations and counting, including national companies like Patagonia, Seventh Generation, and Klean Kanteen.

B Corps make a tangible positive impact in society. For example, 95% of Certified B Corporations actively recycle at least one output material, compared to only 45% of all businesses. 87 % of Certified B Corporations cover at least some of health insurance premiums for individuals compared to only 26% of other business. Learn more here.

For us, being a Certified B Corporation and a Benefit LLC is a symbol of our commitment to our employees, customers, and community. It shows that we don't just talk the talk, but truly walk the walk. That's why we're sharing the B Corp love this month with stories on inspirational businesses, fun contests, and information about how to join the movement.

Related Links:
B Corps Take Over the World!
Clean Currents B Impact Report
Redefining Business
The Kojo Nnamdi Show: Rethinking the Bottom Line: Benefit Corporations featuring Gary Skulnik, Clean Currents President