In Partnership With:  IBEW

Harnessing renewable energy with union know-how

At a Glance Golden Solar is an electrical contractor specializing in solar energy installations since 2006. Headquarters Golden, CO Website www.goldensolar.net Industry Renewable Energy Union Employees 100% union labor used on construction projects Annual Revenues N/A Outlets Golden, CO

The future looks bright at Golden Solar, a specialty electrical contractor with workers’ rights at its core. Golden Solar installs solar panels for residential and commercial clients in Colorado using 100-percent union labor.

When Colorado passed groundbreaking renewable energy legislation in 2004, Shawn Josserand saw an opportunity. The voter-initiated policy mandated utilities to begin generating electricity from renewable sources, and gave homeowners and businesses the opportunity to generate enough power to meet their own needs.

As a master electrician and longtime member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Josserand recognized that union contractors had the skill set that Coloradans turning to solar energy needed. He founded Golden Solar to make installing renewable energy sources easy and efficient for everyone. The small company handles all phases of design and installation, and has quickly earned a reputation for exceptional quality, outstanding customer service, and high standards.

With every project, Golden Solar not only helps to deliver environmentally smart services, it advances the new, clean energy economy in the Denver area. By employing union members, the company provides the community with good jobs, and in return for their expertise, electrical workers receive family-supporting wages and benefits like health care, retirement, and free training.

Josserand says the union has been invaluable to his business, providing a sounding board for ideas and a network of support. It has even helped bring in new clients, crucial to a small business in a tough economy. Most importantly, employing union workers ensures a skilled, experienced workforce: “the quality of union training and work is far superior,” he says, because “there is no better training out there on solar installation than union training.”

Golden Solar’s dedication to quality service and employment naturally led the company to become a signatory to the “Code of Excellence” developed by IBEW and the National Electrical Contractors Association. The program endorses employers and union members who mutually commit to both good work and fair working conditions.

Josserand believes strongly in workers’ rights to freely join unions, and has spoken up for labor law reform so that employers who treat their workers well are not at a competitive disadvantage. He encourages other businesses to “do the right thing” by respecting workers’ rights and paying a living wage. Golden Solar is a shining example of the opportunities the clean energy economy can provide for business leaders who embrace sustainable business and labor practices.