CALSSA Survey of Member Companies
•  CALSSA surveyed its members on the impacts of COVID on
their businesses
•  Responses received 4/16-4/21
•  212 respondents - including residential installers, commercial
project developers, engineering firms, financers, manufacturers

1 

 COVID Impact on Business
1%  1% 
6% 

Extremely Negative 
46% 

46% 

Somewhat Negative 
No Change 
Slight Improvement 
Significant Improvement 

2 

 Layoffs, Furloughs, Pay Cuts
Shut down 
24% 

30% 

Companies report 
laying off 21% of 
employees. If this is 
true across the whole 
industry, it equates 
to 15,000 layoffs. 

Furloughs only 
Layoffs only 
Pay cuts only 
Furloughs and layoffs 

13% 

4% 
3% 

Layoffs and pay cuts 

5% 
7% 
3% 

Furloughs and pay cuts 

11% 

All three 
None of the above 

3 

 Workforce Cut 

Job Loss by Size of Company
50% 
45% 
40% 
35% 
30% 
25% 
20% 
15% 
10% 
5% 
0% 
6-10 

11-25 

26-50 

51-100 

101-250 

More than 251 

Number of Employees Before COVID 
4 

 Impact on Sales
2%  1% 
8% 

Shut down completely/Not 
doing business at this time 
Sales have declined more 
than 50% 
Sales have declined 25-50% 

11% 

17% 

Sales have declined 5-25% 
40% 
21% 

No change 
Sales have increased 5-25% 

5 

 Permii Daia

 

1250
1000
750
500
250

 

California

 

1/6

1/13

1/20

1/27

2/3

2/10

2/17 2/24

3/2

3/9 3/16 3/23 3/30 4/6

4/13

 

Data Sources: San Jose, Sacramento, San Diego San Diego County, Fresno, Stockton,Clovis,
Oakland, Contra Costa County, Victorville, Placer County, Fremont, Kern County, Sacramento

County, Los Angeles, San Francisco.

GALIFUHNIA SULAH
STORAGE ASSDUIATIIJN

Source: Ohm@Ana ytiCS

6

 

The Hole Is Getting Deeper
•  The longer the shutdown lasts, the
harder it will be to bounce back
•  Non-payment of invoices disrupts the whole value chain
•  Leads go cold fast
•  Hard to bring back jobs without solid pipeline; hard to
develop solid pipeline without employees

•  Programs are disrupted when participants cannot
meet objectives
7 

 “Shovel Ready” Resilient Businesses
•  Residential installations can be made ready to install quickly
•  Commercial installations take more planning but can still be
deployed much faster than most infrastructure projects
•  Supply chain is ready
to deliver hardware

8 

 Solar Industry Optimism
Next 3 Months 
Very optimistic 
Somewhat optimistic 
Next 6 Months 

Neutral 
Somewhat pessimistic 
Very pessimistic 

Next 12 Months 
0% 

10% 

20% 

30% 

40% 

50% 

60% 

70% 

80% 

90%  100% 

9 

 Solar & Storage Pipeline
Projects in Pipeline

Number of Companies

Capacity in Pipeline

Number of Companies

1-25 projects

126

10-100 kW

55

26-50 projects

18

101-400 kW

38

50+ projects

28

500+ kW

21

1 MW+

47

10 

 Three Levels of Response
A 

Allow installers to work under safe conditions and allow 
customers to invest in energy security and savings 

B 

Short-term changes to program rules where COVID makes 
compliance difficult or impossible  

C 

Encourage local energy development as economic stimulus 

Service planning timeline and coordination 

11 

 A. Allow Market Activity
•  PG&E should resume performing disconnects immediately
•  CPUC should provide guidance to state and local health
officials that customer-sited energy installations are key
part of energy infrastructure and community resilience
•  Local jurisdictions are generally to be commended for
their efforts to issue permits and perform inspections but
more need to be done
12 

 B. Address Program Rules for COVID-Related Problems
•  Demand response providers that cannot shed load because there is no
load to shed should not be penalized
•  SGIP field discharge data should not be required if situation prevents
discharge
•  Relax cycling requirement where needed
•  SGIP PAs should announce that they will grant extensions to installation
deadlines due to COVID delays
•  CSI-Thermal termination date should be extended (needs legislation)

13 

 C. Economic Stimulus
•  Simplify SGIP rules

•  Virtual “no touch” inspections – promised a year ago; no reason for delay
•  War room mentality to fix database and implement pre-approved equipment in
the portal

•  Accelerate incentive payments to help cash-strapped companies begin
projects and bring back idle workforce
•  Grant full RA credit for discharge from battery fleets
•  Technical assistance for microgrid customers
•  Paid consultant for system design
•  Utility help for interconnection
•  Grants for microgrids at schools and critical facilities; Tax credits for energy storage;
ITC extension
•  Economic stimulus mentality to get people back to work, maximize multiplier effect in
local communities

14 

  

ThankYuu!

 

Brad Heavner
Policy Director

BALIFUHNIA SIJLAH
STUHAGEASSUBIATIUN brad @Calssa.org