With the consistently growing interest in sustainable energy, the demand for solar power in the US remains steadfast and will continue to do so. In 2023, the country increased its solar capacity to 32.4 gigawatts, leading to solar energy overtaking any other energy source and subsequently marking the first instance of a renewable energy source surpassing fossil fuels since World War II.
But even with this growth, the Photovoltaics (PV) industry remains complex, and companies still face numerous challenges concerning workforce development, tech advancement and innovations, supply chain management, market competition, and most prominently, regulatory and policy changes.
Regulations & Policies in the Solar Industry
Policies in the PV space impact the industry to different extents, from global initiatives to national and local policies. Local policies often address building standards to accommodate solar power designs, oversee installation permits, and encourage public use of solar energy. On the national scale, policies and legislation on solar energy are meant to drive energy independence, advance economic growth, and minimize carbon footprint. International agreements and initiatives involve organizations that promote solar energy globally through financial and technical aid for countries looking into adopting the widespread use of solar energy. Regulations that affect solar energy also include federal solar tax incentives, state solar rebates, renewable energy property and solar sales tax exemptions, net metering laws, clean energy grants, renewable portfolio standards, and solar tariffs.
Solar Industry Challenges on Compliance
While policies that encourage solar power use exist, regulations still vary depending on location and energy provider. Taking into consideration the differences makes it incredibly complex for solar energy businesses to navigate the regulatory environment as there is also the challenge of frequently changing local, state, and federal clean energy policies. One example of this is California’s NEM 3.0 implementation, which entails even more regulatory uncertainty for clean energy projects in the state.
Another challenge solar installers commonly face would be adhering to different permit requirements between towns and counties. For instance, since Authority-Having-Jurisdiction (AHJ) guidelines differ from town to town, the AHJ permitting process for a specific location could prove to be challenging as even a single mistake could result in even more roadblocks like delays, project overhauls, dissatisfaction among customers, or worse, cancellations.
How BPOs Address Regulatory Compliance Barriers
Such challenges reiterate the necessity of efficient service processes that leave no room for lapses in the PV industry. This is why BPO services in renewable energy have become an effective option for growth among solar energy companies.
The right BPO partner could provide several significant solutions to renewable energy businesses. Particularly in the solar energy industry, these could include customer experience and back-office functions that address common industry pain points concerning cost, workforce development, and regulatory compliance. Major benefits of outsourcing solar support include the following:
- Cost Reduction – The most apparent benefit of outsourcing is its cost efficiency. Solar businesses could gain a competitive advantage by collaborating with multi-geo BPO partners experienced in solar power projects at a lower cost.
- Focus on Core Competencies – Having an outsourcing partner to handle some of your crucial operations would allow your organization to dedicate more resources to core competencies without worrying about functions that could otherwise sacrifice quality and precious time.
- Access to Solar Engineering Experts – Addressing the complex regulatory landscape of the solar industry would require an efficient team of highly precise experts powering your team. Outsourcing gives you access to engineers with extensive backgrounds on specific codes and regulations.
- Continuity – Outsourcing engineering services would allow your business to maintain work continuity. Compared to having in-house teams that often face challenges attributed to attrition and working hours, outsourced services are flexible and more adaptable to dynamic market conditions.
A One-Stop Outsourcing Partner for Solar Energy
ClearSource provides exceptional outsourcing solutions that cater specifically to the growing renewable energy sector. We design our services to be a ‘one-stop solution’ that covers the entire customer journey, with critical services that cover customer care, sales support, and engineering.
These solutions are backed by our years of experience partnering with prominent players in the solar power space, which gave us extensive knowledge of critical PV functions and AHJ, utility, and solar contract processes. For an in-depth look at how our proactive approach to outsourcing has enabled us to deliver unprecedented support for our partners in the solar industry, read our blog post ClearSource BPO’s Complete Solution for Solar Sector Businesses.
Are you interested in learning more about our outsourcing services for renewable energy and solar call centers? We’d love to hear from you!
