New Dawn for Solar Entrepreneurship: SfunCube to Powerhouse

Guest blogger  Paricha Duangtaweesub

Last Thursday, September 10th, the energy party of the year went down at the New Parish, Oakland. Boasting an eclectic crowd and generous sponsors, food and drinks, the annual "New Dawn" party hosted by sfuncube is a perfect mix of business and pleasure for those of us working or transitioning into the solar industry.  It's hard to imagine a friendlier crowd.

The big announcement of the night, of course, is the rebranding of SfunCube to “Powerhouse” - a name that signifies a bigger and bolder challenge of the renewable energy as a whole. And it is easier to pronounce!

At the beginning of the night, Powerhouse co-founder and CEO Emily Kirsch recounted the incubator's humble beginnings and the support from the community, setting the scene for many a great conversations on stage. One of the sponsors discussed a vision of the energy industry transforming into a sharing economy, with solar energy leading the way by enabling people like you and me to produce energy and sell them in an open marketplace. Yet another encouraged everyone to help the incumbents of the solar industry get better - by challenging them with new ideas and better business models.

The camaraderie, the collaborative spirit, and the perpetual willingness to improve - that’s what makes the solar industry, indeed the community around clean energy, so welcoming. We make friends who work hard and who we play hard with.

Look out for Powerhouse on  Twitter  and  LinkedIn,  and the New Dawn tradition next year!