General company/production description

1.Please describe the product/service your company provides?
Impact Power Solutions is a solar energy developer. We install rooftop solar arrays for commercial clients, offer community solar subscriptions for those that don’t have the roof space or upfront capital for on-site solar, and build the multi-megawatt community solar gardens that those subscriptions are tied to.
2.What is unique about your company or product/service?
We’ve served the Minnesota market for over 30 years, which gives us intimate knowledge of the intricacies of doing solar in this state. We’re also one of the few developers that does both rooftop projects and offers off-site subscriptions.  

Company History
1.When was the company started and who founded it?
Our company was founded in 1991 by Ralph Jacobson.
2.When have there been major changes to product line or expansions?
In 2014 the Minnesota Legislature passed legislation that created the state’s community solar program. The program allows those that don’t have the roof space or upfront capital for on-site solar to subscribe to a nearby ‘solar garden’ and receive credit on their electric bills for the energy it produces. IPS was one of the first companies to begin building solar gardens and offering subscriptions to its clients.
 
Renewable energy technology innovations move at a fast pace. Recent trends include the usage of bi-facial panels (that absorb sunlight through both the front and back of the panel) and the incorporation of battery storage into projects.
3.What is significant/interesting about the history?
When Ralph founded the company in 1991, Minnesota had practically no market for solar. He used his own money to finance IPS, and repeatedly put the company before himself in tough times. For over a decade, he took home essentially no salary in order to make sure his employees got paid and the business stayed afloat. Now, Minnesota’s solar industry trade group, MnSEIA, has named their lifetime achievement award ‘The Ralphie’ in recognition of the contributions he made to the state’s solar industry.
4.Who are current owners? Are you a corporation?
We are owned by New Energy Equity who is in turn owned by ALLETE, Inc.

Customers

1.Who are your customers?
Our customers are businesses, schools, non-profit organizations and municipalities.  
2.Where are they located? (regional, national, international)
We operate primarily in Minnesota, and have recently expanded our reach nationally.
3.Who do you want for customers?
We want to positively impact our customers on and off the balance sheet. We want to lower their monthly energy costs, help them achieve their sustainability goals, and give them opportunities to showcase their sustainable commitment to clients, partners, employees and the community.  
4.Who should prospects contact at your company?
Ilan Klages-Mundt
ilan@ips-solar.com
612-554-618

Current stats

1.How many people work at your company today?
We have 31 full time employees.
2.How many products/services does your company produce in a month/year, etc?
In 2021, we completed 31 rooftop solar arrays and 10 community solar gardens.
3.Current certifications?  (ISO, etc)
NABCEP
4.Other interesting stats?
In partnership with the nonprofit organization American Forests, we plant one tree for each kilowatt of solar we install. In 2021 that lead to us planting over 27,000 trees!
 

Future

1.Are there currently plans to expand or change?
We’re planning on continuing hire talented people and expand our service area across the US.      
2.What are the future goals for the company?
We have what we call our Gigawatt Moonshot. The goal is to install 1,000,000,000 watts (1 Gigawatt) of solar, create $1,000,000,000 in customer savings and offset 1,000,000,000 pounds of cardon dioxide per year by January 1^st, 2025. We’re currently 20% of the way there so we still have a lot of work to do.


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