(303) 447-0300
Publish Date: February 2nd, 2025
On this day in 2005, Namaste Solar incorporated. That’s right, today we turn 20 years old! This milestone is big for any company. In fact, 18% of small businesses fail within their first year, 50% fail after five years, and approximately 65% fail by their tenth year in business.
But in the solar industry? This milestone is incredibly rare. In late 2023 alone, more than 100 residential solar dealers and installers in the U.S. declared bankruptcy, according to Roth Capital Partners – six times the number in the previous three years combined.
It took so much for us to get here, and we have immense gratitude for everyone who has helped us along the way. We’ll share some history, thank our stakeholders, and share some celebratory remarks in this blog – so stick around.
Where We Came From
Back in 2005, solar was still a fringe idea and employee ownership was an eccentric business model. Why would anyone want to enter such an industry and do so in such a challenging way? It’s because the founders of Namaste Solar had the conviction that there was a better way.
From day one, Namaste Solar was built on the desire to do better in both energy and in business. A way to power our homes that was renewable. And a way to run a business that benefited workers and the community it operated in, not just executives in the C suite.
Blake Jones, one of our co-founders, connected with Namaste Solar’s other co-founders, Ray Tuomey and Wes Kennedy, after spending 3 years in Nepal working in solar.
The three were determined to build a company that operated in a way that is fairer and makes the largest positive impact for employees, customers, the community, investors, the environment, and vendors.
And that’s exactly what they did. These three put so much heart, energy, and money into Namaste Solar, doing all they could to realize their vision. And 20 years later, we’re still riding the solar coaster. We’re installing clean, renewable solar energy, creating positive impact in our community, and transforming what’s possible in business.
Better Together
Anchored in a vision of employee-ownership, high-integrity solar, and purpose driven work, Namaste Solar has persisted and grown. We currently have over 200 employees, over 60 co-owners, and have completed over 13,500 projects in our 20 years.
Who we are at Namaste Solar is a cumulation of everyone that has stepped through our doors, past and present. The people who come here often see the beacon of an employee-owned cooperative doing solar and show up to put their fingerprint on this work. There was an initial vision put forth by a few people in the beginning, and since then, that vision has been sustained, expanded upon, and edited by everyone who has been a part of Namaste Solar.
This includes Teri Lema, employee #12 and a co-owner who has been at the heart of Namaste Solar. And Keenan Luebbers, a co-owner on our residential team who is known as deeply knowledgeable and incredibly dedicated. And Jonny Miller, a co-owner who spent many years on the commercial install team and is now applying his extensive experience and skillset on the Operations and Maintenance team. And many other talented and lovely individuals. You can read more of their stories here.
Who we are is all of us. And we’re so grateful to have made it to this incredible milestone being shaped by so many folks who share the vision of better energy and better business.
We Have So Much Gratitude
As a local business here in Colorado, we are mindful of the impact we have and the repercussions of our decisions. One of our core values as a company is stakeholder balancing; we measure success holistically by balancing the interests of our customers, investors, community, company, ourselves, and the Earth. This is an acknowledgement of the ecosystem of people and organizations we operate within. We both have an impact on and are impacted by this ecosystem.
We are sincerely grateful to all our stakeholders who have been a part of Namaste Solar’s 20 years.
Every past and present employee is a stakeholder – and the heart, grit, work, and innovation they showed up with has made us what and who we are. Every panel we install, every project we complete, and every milestone we achieve is made possible by our employees. Together we shine brighter. Thank you.
Our residential and commercial customers, the ones who decided to go with the local, scrappy, value-driven solar company, are our stakeholders. They have helped us grow while also casting their vote for a world where workers are uplifted, our environment is protected, and business is a force for good. Thank you.
Our community partners are our stakeholders. This includes the utility companies who have solar programs and projects along with municipalities who have their own climate goals and also permit our systems. And our vendors, financing partners, and workforce training organizations. Our community includes the Colorado Solar and Storage Association (COSSA) that supports our industry in the state, Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) that supports our industry nationally, and the Amicus Solar Cooperative that allows us to pool our buying power and trade best practices with other values-driven solar companies. And of course our community includes the non-profits that work locally to make a difference. These are just a few of our community partners here in Colorado and beyond that we are grateful for. Thank you.
Our investors, the ones who have financially supported us, are our stakeholders. They supported us when we needed it, allowing us to grow into this 20-year-old company. And they did so because they believed in what we do and the world we’re building. Thank you.
And our Earth, this living, breathing planet, is our stakeholder. With every solar panel we install, every solar panel you buy from us, the movement towards a clean, green future becomes stronger. Thank you.
Here’s To the Next 20
Though solar is more established than it was 20 years ago and employee-ownership is becoming more common, the future can still feel uncertain. And the industry has plenty of volatility – never a dull moment on the solar coaster! Namaste Solar is still evolving and building for a brighter, more equitable future with each solar panel we install and with each new employee owner that joins our cooperative.
There will most certainly be challenges along the way and sometimes it will look like progress just isn’t being made. If there’s anything we’ve learned in the past 20 years in business, it’s that the work we do matters and how we do it matters. And choosing to invest time, money, and energy in the future you’re dreaming of is the worthiest investment of all.
Namaste Solar is looking forward to serving you for the next 20 years and beyond. In the meantime, we’ll have plenty of opportunities for you to celebrate with us this year, and we’d love for you to join us. We wouldn’t be here today without YOU.
