Knowledge: Product profi le
The social network
Amit Rosner introduces his company Generaytor.com, an online community that
helps people go solar
W
hen I and cofounders Paolo Tedone and Idan Ofrat began
building the company in late 2012, we saw the potential
for existing solar homes to be a guiding light for friends
and neighbours. Now that the UK has crossed the 500,000
installation mark, the potential is so much greater. Generaytor provides
a social platform for existing solar system owners to share their
success, and a crowdsourced ‘try before you buy’ simulation for people
considering solar. Clients include leading installers in the UK and USA,
and Generaytor’s software is also used in IKEA shops to provide solar
energy forecasts for prospective customers.
Why choose this service?
By bringing solar homeowners online, awareness becomes scalable,
spreading virally, until every suitable homeowner knows going solar
is the right thing to do. This is our vision, not only for the UK, but
worldwide. Generaytor today has members in more than 20 countries,
primarily in North America and Western Europe.
Generaytor’s USP
Generaytor is fuelled by an unlimited resource: the passion and
creativity of our members. By enabling solar customers of all different
installation companies, system designs, equipment types, and locations
to connect their monitored solar data in real time, the result is a sum
greater than its parts. Each time a solar homeowner celebrates an
achievement, for example, by sharing a record solar performance chart,
he or she becomes an ambassador for solar energy. Generaytor also
facilitates solar sharing through Facebook and Twitter and enables
people to connect with the bigger picture and how their own energy
fi ts in. As one of our members put it: “I’m getting solar envy and have
become addicted to seeing who won the kWh race each day!”
The wealth of solar production data being fed into our platform
also enables an ongoing, personalised solar experience for people
considering solar. Any homeowner exploring solar can use Generaytor
to create a virtual solar simulation, visualising the energy and income
solar could produce. While solar calculator tools such as PVGIS (or
PVWatts in the US) offer a snapshot, virtual solar is a patent-pending
try before you buy journey. The simulation updates each day based
on the performance of solar homeowners nearby, providing a new
level of transparency and confi dence in the benefi ts of solar. Seeing
ones’ neighbours install systems of their own adds social proof that
PV is a wise decision. Interaction in the community enables installer
recommendations and advice.
High tech: Generaytor.com allows prospective customers to interact
directly with installer’s previous clients, offering another dimension to old-
fashioned testimonials, says founder Amit Rosner
Advantage installer
For solar installers, Generaytor provides an opportunity to bring
their installed portfolio to life. I know that for successful installation
companies, past customers are among their greatest resource. This is
why many installers include customer testimonials and project galleries
on their own websites. But quotes and photos are static. In contrast, on
Generaytor, customers’ enthusiasm is unleashed, offering prospective
new customers the chance to interact with real people who had a great
experience, and even observe their solar systems in action. The old
adage ‘show don’t tell’ is fi tting. With a dynamic map of their projects
on Generaytor, installers enable new prospects to browse system
owners nearby, see who did their installation, and request a quote.
Generaytor is completely free for homeowners, and the company
makes it effortless for installers to invite their existing customers to join
the community. Many of the services Generaytor offers to installers are
free as well. To explore the community, visit: www.generaytor.com
For solar installers, Generaytor provides an
opportunity to bring their installed portfolio
to life
www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk | 19