The swathe of destruction Hurricane Ian left in Florida is shaping up to be one of the worst the state has seen. But some homeowners may have a quicker time recovering thanks to Tesla Solar Roofs, says local contractor Kelly Roofing.

Hurricane Ian brought with it winds reaching nearly 160 mph and a life-threatening storm surge, hitting Florida’s southwest coast before making its way across the state to hit South Carolina. Among the communities hit was Naples, where Kelly Roofing is based.

In a tweet shared by Kelly Roofing, the 2019 Residential Contractor of the Year, the company shows the aftermath of a home that features the Tesla Solar Roof and Powerwall.

“Tesla Solar Roof stood up to Hurricane Ian with 155 mph winds and a 10’ storm surge,” the company wrote. “This Powerwall was underwater for hours and is still working perfectly.”

Kelly Roofing installs the solar tile roofs as one of the first authorized installers in the country. The company even published a white paper on the Tesla Solar Roof product.

"Our Tesla partnership was eye opening. For the first time in our company’s history, roof owners are deciding to replace their roof because they want to, not because they need to," said Ken Kelly, president of Kelly Roofing, in the white paper.

Even with these glimpses of hope amidst the damage, there is a ton of work to be done in Florida. Estimates say insured losses could reach up to $60-plus billion. That is why Kelly Roofing is seeking a veritable army to help with the effort.

Kelly Roofing announced it was looking to hire 500 people to help with Hurricane Ian recovery efforts. Anyone interested can click here to apply.

“Please sign up and let’s put Florida back together,” said Kelly.

GEORGETOWN, Texas — Rep. John Carter was joined by Georgetown, Texas Mayor Josh Schroeder and other community leaders on Aug. 26 to celebrate the groundbreaking of GAF Energy’s new 450,000-square foot manufacturing facility in Georgetown.

"Texas' 31st district continues to grow because it's a great place to live and work, and today we see more of that growth," said Carter. "I'm proud that GAF Energy has chosen our great community to call home and create hundreds of new manufacturing jobs right here in Georgetown. GAF Energy is a shining example of the American spirit of innovation to meet the needs of today, while focusing on the future. I welcome them to my district and look forward to their continued success in their new home."

GAF Energy, a Standard Industries company and a leading provider of solar roofing in North America, is building the facility — the company’s second — to meet growing demand for its award-winning Timberline Solar™ roof. Introduced earlier this year, Timberline Solar features the world’s first nailable solar shingle and is the only roof system to directly integrate solar technology into traditional roofing processes and materials. Construction is on track to be completed summer of next year, with full-operation by the end of 2023. Portman Industrial is the owner and developer of the building and ARCO/Murray is the construction partner.

"One of the reasons I was drawn to work at our parent company, Standard Industries, was their commitment to U.S.-based jobs and manufacturing," said Martin DeBono, president of GAF Energy. "We’re thrilled to be building the future of solar here in Georgetown, Texas. The community has welcomed us with open arms — and made the decision of where to build our second facility easy. We’re producing our technologically cutting edge Timberline Solar roof here in the U.S. because we believe it allows us to make the best product for our customers.”

Once complete, the manufacturing facility will provide hundreds of new U.S.-based, clean energy manufacturing jobs in the Georgetown area. The new facility builds on GAF Energy’s track record of delivering a best-in-class solar roof product that is assembled in America. GAF Energy’s first manufacturing facility, in San Jose, Calif., was completed last year.

"We are pleased GAF Energy selected Georgetown as their destination for their facility," Schroeder said. "Their innovative product is one that will change the market as we know it, and we are excited that it will be developed here in our backyard."

Mosaic, a leading financing platform for residential solar and energy-efficient home improvements in the United States, recently announced two new partnerships to help drive residential clean energy adoption through affordable financing options.  

ClimateMaster and Leap are now working with Mosaic to offer financing options to homeowners across the U.S. to help them make their homes more valuable, comfortable and resilient through sustainable home improvements. Mosaic works directly with leading companies like ClimateMaster and Leap so their contractors can offer fast and affordable financing options right at the point of sale.

According to a news release, Mosaic’s mission is to enable the transition of residential housing to 100% clean energy through energy efficient upgrades and renewable energy systems. These partnerships accelerate that mission, particularly at a time when consumer incentives are at an all-time high after the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed.  

Leap’s goal is to give contractors options that will make the financing process as simple as possible for their customers to finance their home improvement projects. Mosaic’s platform is fast and easy to offer right at the point of sale.

Mosaic will work with ClimateMaster and their distribution partners to train their sales force on the simplicity of offering payment options, as well as help navigate the Investment Tax Credit extension for geothermal through the IRA. ClimateMaster intends to drive the adoption of geothermal energy through this partnership.

SANTA FE, N.M. — BayWa r.e., a leading renewable energy developer, services and systems provider, expanded its executive team following the acquisition of Beacon Solar, the former solar distribution division of roofing distributor Beacon, to continue expanding its U.S. distribution network to meet growing demand.

The growing BayWa r.e. Solar Systems LLC team promotes Jodi White to CEO and welcomes Charles (Chuck) Ellis as chief operating officer and Harry Payne as chief revenue officer. Their appointments come at a time of expansion of warehouses and in-house fulfillment capabilities as well as a strong hiring push. Under White's oversight of all U.S. operations, Ellis will lead supply chain management and fulfillment following the acquisition to ensure best-in-class planning and fulfillment services for solar contractors, and Payne will drive integration and alignment between all revenue-related functions of the entity.

"With the acquisition of Beacon Solar, we increased our market share and added new talent, resources and product lines," said White. "Chuck's and Harry's leadership will keep the organization aligned and focused on customer experience as we continually improve delivery quality and continue our expansion."

White brings 20 years of experience in the renewable energy industry with roles in mergers and acquisitions, and as a finance and operations executive. She co-founded BayWa r.e.'s distribution business in the U.S. in 2008 and previously served as co-CEO alongside Boaz Soifer, former CEO.

Ellis joins the team with leadership experience in sales and distribution strategies from his years at SMA America and in the building industry with his experience touching IT, product strategy, procurement, and logistics as well as successful vertical integration.

Payne started in renewables at Sunrun more than a decade ago and has a track record of building sales channels and developing cost-effective solutions while improving the digital customer experience.

Soifer will now focus on his regional role as director of solar distribution for BayWa r.e. in the Americas, which currently includes active operations in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and the Pacific Islands.

"BayWa r.e.'s U.S. distribution business passed an inflection point in 2021 and has entered a new stage of scale and complexity," said Soifer. "Bringing in experienced executive leadership into our already-amazing team gives us a stronger foundation to manage our continued growth and will help ensure we continue providing customers with the products and services they need to manage their businesses effectively. Congratulations to Jodi, Chuck, and Harry – your leadership will be a great asset to us for the journey ahead."

IKEA is teaming up with SunPower to offer solar solutions to homeowners in the United States.

Members of the IKEA Family customer loyalty program will be able to purchase home solar solutions, available through SunPower. Dubbed Home Solar, the program is expected to launch in select California markets in Fall 2022.

“At IKEA, we’re passionate about helping our customers live a more sustainable life at home. We’re proud to collaborate with SunPower to bring this service to the U.S. and enable our customers to make individual choices aimed at reducing their overall climate footprint,” said Javier Quiñones, CEO and chief sustainability officer, IKEA U.S., in a release. “The launch of Home Solar with IKEA will allow more people to take greater control of their energy needs, and our goal is to offer the clean energy service at additional IKEA locations in the future.”

SunPower has been in the solar industry for more than 35 years. SunPower’s systems are backed by the company’s Complete Confidence Warranty, which covers everything from panels and racking to monitoring hardware and storage.

“We are thrilled to deliver exceptional solar products to IKEA customers through a unique and simplified buying experience,” said Peter Faricy, SunPower CEO. “Together with IKEA, we can help introduce the incredible benefits of solar to more people and deliver on our shared value of making a positive impact on the planet.”

California has roughly 40% of the nation's residential solar energy capacity as of last year, according to the California Public Utilities Commission.