About Solar CrowdSource
Solar CrowdSource’s mission is:
To harness the power of the crowd to reduce the cost of solar and make clean, sustainable energy available to every community.
We offer both Solarize and Crowdfunding campaign tools and services that are easily accessible and help remove previous barriers to obtaining and investing in solar energy. Another bonus: we’re saving the planet, one solar program at a time.
Get to know more about Solar CrowdSource—meet the team and explore our network partners below!
Solar Crowdsource in the News
- The Solarize movement charges up in Dunwoody (MDJ Online, June 30, 2017)
- Campaign to ‘solarize’ DeKalb’s homes and businesses extends deadline (AJC, Dec 13, 2016)
- Discounts offered to help ‘solarize’ Dekalb (AJC, Nov 28, 2016)
- Solarize Decatur-DeKalb Promotes Solar Panel Installations for Homes (Atlanta Progressive News, Sept 21, 2016)
- Solarize Decatur-DeKalb Selects Contractors Creative Solar and Hannah Solar to Help Make DeKalb County a Solar Leader (eMetro Times, Aug 18, 2016)
- See Full Press Release Announcing Contractor Selection (Aug 16, 2016)
- Solar Town Hall will be held in Decatur (Decaturish, June 9, 2016)
- Solarize Athens ends, 18 solar energy systems installed with more to come (Athens Banner-Herald)
- Nuci’s Space Wins Grant for Solar Panels (Flagpole, April 13, 2016)
- Solarize Athens Makes Installing Solar Panels Easier and Cheaper (Flagpole, January 20, 2016)
- Solarize Athens Marks First Bulk Purchase Residential Solar Installation (Athens Banner-Herald, February 1, 2016)
- Solarize Athens Branches Out to Oconee (Oconee Enterprise, January 6, 2016)
- Solarize Athens Program Offers Solar at a Reduced Cost to Homeowners and Business Owners in Athens-Clarke County and Oconee County (Southeast Green, November 15, 2015)
- Solarize Athens Selects Contractor (WUGA)
Meet the Solar Crowdsource Team
Donald Moreland
Solar Croudsource Founder
With 15 years of legal experience in residential and commercial real estate, Don began working in the solar industry in 2011 developing distributed generation and utility scale solar PV projects. He has developed several MWs of solar for TVA and Georgia Power solar programs as well as commercial and residential applications providing turn-key development services including site selection; financial modeling; program and incentive compliance; permitting; and contract drafting and negotiation. Don is founder of Solar CrowdSource, a platform to facilitate Solarize, Community Solar, and peer-to-peer crowdfunding programs and rapidly accelerate the growth and reduce soft costs of solar in Georgia. He is also proud to serve as Chair of the Georgia Solar Energy Association, a member of the Georgia Solar Energy Industries Association, and a member of the State Bar of Georgia.
Sharon Lee
Development Partner
Bringing over five years of solar experience to the table, Sharon has been involved with the marketing, manufacturer and installation of 50+ MW of solar projects throughout the Southeast, U.S. and Caribbean. Serving as a direct liaison between clients and the manufacturer, she has helped to facilitate making simple and affordable solar a reality. As president of Phase 3 Development, Sharon is a natural fit to partner with Solar CrowdSource—her knowledge of solar as well as her experience engaging people helps provide options to communities, residents and local businesses. Sharon has served on the board of directors for the Georgia Solar Energy Association for three years, and currently serves as chair of the organization. She is also a charter member of the Professional Women in Building chapter of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association.
Richard Gale
Project Design & Engineering
Richard is a North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certified PV installer. He is one of only a handful of such certificate holders in Georgia. Richard has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems and previously was a lead engineer at the data equipment division of Lucent Technologies. He also has held a department management position at the Georgia Dome and Georgia World Congress Center facilities before entering the fields of IT, engineering and solar. A long-term Georgia resident, Richard is our lead engineer at Solar CrowdSource and one of our project managers, as well as a hands-on installer.
Megan K. Johnson
Advising Attorney
Megan has practiced in the Atlanta area for over seven years in the area of general business, corporate and technology law. Most recently, she has worked to develop compliance strategies for technology companies seeking to innovate the sale of online securities in the wake of regulatory changes at the federal and state level. In that capacity, she helped pioneer the first successful online investment transaction open to non-accredited investors outside the public markets.
Jeffrey A. Bekiares
Advising Attorney
Jeff is a Georgia attorney with over seven years of experience in securities and corporate law. He was one of the first attorneys in the nation to discover the power of intrastate crowdfunding and the Invest Georgia Exemption (IGE), and has worked closely with regulators and experts in the state and national crowdfunding community to design IGE campaigns that are compliant and safe for the issuers and the investors.
Billy Mitchell
Partner/Senior Creative Director – MLT Creative
Billy Mitchell is a founding partner of MLT Creative, a B2B marketing agency based on the east side of Atlanta in Clarkston, Georgia. As experts in both inbound and direct marketing, MLT Creative provides website design and development, content marketing, lead generation and strategic planning for local, national, and global brands. As part of the Solar CrowdSource team, MLT Creative focuses on the marketing efforts that help the organization get found, engage communities, generate campaigns and build lasting relationships with the homeowners, businesses, and leaders in communities leading the way in solar energy.
Solar Crowdsource Nonprofit Partners
Solar Crowdsource is proud to work with nonprofit organizations having a shared mission to make solar more affordable and accessible and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. We teamed up with Environment Georgia and Georgia Interfaith Power & Light for Solarize Athens and Solarize Decatur-DeKalb. Together, these campaigns have facilitated over 50% of all residential solar installations in Georgia since 2015. Please help support these organizations!
Environment Georgia
Environment Georgia is a citizen-based environmental advocacy project of Environment America. We believe there’s something special about Georgia — something worth protecting and preserving for future generations. Whether it’s the striking views from the Appalachian Trail, Jekyll Island, or the Conasauga River, Georgia’s natural wonders enrich our lives in countless ways. Yet the places we love and the environmental values so many of us share are too often threatened by powerful industries, short-sighted politicians, and more. Defending our environment requires independent research, tough-minded advocacy, and spirited grassroots action. That’s the idea behind Environment Georgia. Together with thousands of supporters from all walks of life, we take the kind of action that wins tangible results for our environment.
Georgia Interfaith Power and Light
Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL), equips faith communities across the state of Georgia to care for creation through worship, education, and the stewardship of our natural resources. GIPL was founded in 2003 by Rev. Woody and Carol Bartlett as part of the national Interfaith Power & Light movement. Since that time, GIPL has partnered with over 500 congregations, helping them reduce their energy consumption and costs and implement creation care initiatives.