Haverhill’s All-Pro Solar is Leading the Way

The University of Massachusetts/Lowell prepared a report last December entitled: “Clean Tech - An Agenda for a Healthy Economy” to help the Merrimack Valley region engage in the clean technology economy. The Clean Tech project identified specific economic opportunities within five areas - safer alternatives, green buildings, emerging materials, clean energy, and materials reuse. This article addresses an emerging eco-system of the trades, research and development, manufacturing and workforce development that is spawning green building in our region.

While we constantly listen to stock market reports about the exciting new technologies that are driving the green and clean economy, the local trades are quietly playing a key role in this emerging global industry.

All-Pro Solar, a Division of All-Pro Electric in Haverhill, is an electrical contractor who has transformed into residential and commercial solar installation contracting over the past couple of years. Its business-savvy President, Michael Harrington, had the foresight to establish a wide variety of partnerships, mostly within the Merrimack Valley, to forge ahead in this brave endeavor that now provides 10% of company revenues with a projection to double that in the next year. The company currently has 65 employees.

Dave Turcotte, Senior Program Manager, Center for Family, Work and Community at the UMASS/Lowell believes that increasing demand for green building in the Merrimack Valley is a key enabler to take the green and clean economy to the next level. And that’s exactly what Mr. Harrington intends to do. According to the All-Pro President, the value proposition for going solar is strong. “Now is the time to take advantage of the generous residential and commercial rebates being offered as an incentive to go solar. In addition, the government is offering substantial tax incentives. And you can help protect the environment,” he said.

So how does an electrical contractor migrate to solar power, with wind turbines next in line – by establishing many partnerships. All-Pro installs solar panels from several manufacturers, including Evergreen Solar of Marlboro, who recently expanded into the Devens eco-industrial park.

Mr. Harrington also hooked up with Solectria Renewables of Lawrence that designs and manufactures premium efficiency, high reliability power electronics and systems for renewable power generation. Most notably, All-Pro uses Solectria’s photovoltaic inverter which changes direct current (DC) from a solar cell array to alternating current (AC), synchronizes with the public utility grid and feeds the energy back into the grid. This is very cool stuff - home grown in the Valley.

All-Pro, a fully certified solar energy installer, established a key partnership with the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) Renewable Energy Trust to leverage State and Federal government incentives, including State rebates for small and large solar systems, and State and Federal tax incentives.

As an example, MTC’s incentives enabled the rooftop solar installation at Osgood Landing in North Andover which featured Evergreen solar modules and Solectria’s inverter. According to MTC, it is expected to produce 117 MWh of electricity per year and to pay for itself in about 4 or 5 years and will further provide decades of free electricity.

In order for All-Pro to continue to prosper it must continuously train its workforce to keep up with green and clean technology trends. It relies very heavily on vocational schools such as Whittier Regional Vo-Tech and Greater Lawrence Regional Vo-Tech to be their farm system. In fact, All-Pro currently employs two interns from each of the schools.

While the Vo-Techs feed the installation contractors, UMASS/Lowell, Merrimack College and Cambridge College are pumping out scientists and engineers for research and development companies like Solectria, and Northern Essex Community College is preparing the technicians needed in manufacturing companies such as Evergreen.

With the addition of financiers, you now have an emerging green building eco-system in the Merrimack Valley which relies on the trades and companies like All-Pro that are operating under the radar in the global economy.