Meet A Member: Sun Solar

A Green Business Network Member Spotlight

 

Meet Sun Solar – one of our newest members to the Green Business Network! We recently sat down with Greg Leunig, an energy consultant with the company, to find out more about this new-to-KC company, the biggest misconception about solar power, and a little bit about Greg himself and why he loves his job.

Sun Solar recently joined the Green Business Network in July after opening up an office in Olathe, Kan., this past May. Even though it’s new to the Kansas City area, installing residential and commercial solar systems is nothing new for this Missouri-born company. Based in Springfield, Mo., Sun Solar has been serving customers for the past five years – beginning after CEO Caleb Arthur designed and installed a system for his own home in Houston, Mo. “The neighbors saw what he did and asked ‘Hey, can you do that for me?’ Not long after that, Sun Solar was born.” says Greg Leunig, one of Sun Solar’s energy consultants on staff.

Fast forward to today, and Sun Solar now operates two offices in addition to its main headquarters – the office in Olathe and another one in Columbia, Mo. Greg joined the company in May when the Olathe office opened and quickly discovered the job fits him well. “It’s really satisfying to help someone go solar – knowing the impact of just that one system that’s being installed on someone’s home or business – that’s pretty awesome,” says Leunig.

Leunig says he spends a lot of time addressing common misconceptions about installing solar systems. The biggest one he faces? “The notion that solar is widely expensive. Price has come down a lot in recent years. I try

to get people to realize that you can drastically reduce or eliminate a monthly cost – your utility bill – and trade it in for a lump sum payment that you can finance through multiple financing and leasing options.”

Sun Solar keeps low cost top of mind for its customers and offers an energy efficiency service to its clients – something Leunig feels sets it apart from other solar companies. “When a client is looking to install a solar system, we will help them look first at other energy efficiency measures they could possibly do – like LED bulb replacement or sealing breezy doors – anything that could help them reduce the number of solar panels they need and help them lower their energy costs overall.”

“I believe that most people would like to or are interested in helping the environment – it’s just overcoming that financial barrier – or belief that there is one – it’s a big one for people.”

Sun Solar’s current clients are mostly residential, but they are excited to be working on a large contract with North Kansas City School District. Greg is really excited about this project because of the potential impact on young minds – “It’s very cool. We’re getting the next generation familiar with solar power.”

Expanding its reach to corporate clients was only one of several reasons Sun Solar decided to join the Green Business Network

“There’s so much potential for synergy in the network. There’s so many things businesses can do to become more energy efficient and reduce their reliance on traditional electricity. We’re quickly learning that our current government isn’t going to lead at the national level – and individuals aren’t always able – so businesses I think are really in a position to be the leader. I like that we can provide businesses with resources on how to do that – and I know there’s a lot that we can learn from other businesses on how we can make our own business more sustainable.”

As for Greg himself? He’s always been passionate about sustainability and looks forward to connecting with other members through the Green Business Network. As a kid, Greg’s mother worked for the Nature Conservancy. He can vividly recall summers walking through the rain with his mom’s herpetologist friends searching for salamanders. “I guess I was destined to become an animal lover and an environmentalist.”

 

To Contact Sun Solar:

• info@ussunsolar.com

• 720-219-6648

• Facebook – @missourisunsolar