SunLion Energy Systems Announces Two Residential Salesmen in Maryland

 Maryland – SunLion Energy Systems, Inc., a leading name in solar photovoltaic and solar hot water systems, announced it now has two salesmen who are licensed with the Maryland Home Improvement Commission to sell solar PV and solar hot water systems. With this licensing, SunLion Energy can now install and sell solar hot water and solar PV systems to Maryland residential homeowners.

“We already have ‘boots on the ground’ in Maryland to sell to commercial and agricultural customers”, says Matt Santoff, Sales and Marketing Manager at SunLion Energy Systems. “But it was with hard work and dedication that two of our salesmen have become licensed to sell to residential customers as well, and we’re very proud of them.”

Christopher Mejia (MHIC # 105465) and Michael Webbere (MHIC #105459) are the two licensed salesmen for Maryland residential systems. They can be contacted at 1-800-886-4762 or via email at ChrisM@SunLionEnergySystems.com or MikeW@SunLionEnergySystems.com.

For additional information or a sample copy, contact:

Dyna Wood

SunLion Energy Systems, Inc.

717-898-8700 x213

dynaw@sunlionenergysystems.com

www.SunLionEnergySystems.com

SunLion Energy Systems has served the green energy needs in central and eastern Pennsylvania since 1993. SunLion Energy offers installation, sales and service of solar electric, solar hot water and wind generation systems to both the residential, agricultural and commercial sectors, and is unique in the creation and marketing of off-grid systems. The company’s mission is to return power to the people through the installation of intelligently designed renewable energy systems.

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“This is a great time for us”, says Matt Santoff, Sales and Marketing Manager of SunLion Energy Systems. “We are excited to offer our expertise in the solar market for the state of Maryland just as we did in the state of Pennsylvania.”

SunLion Energy Systems has been installing solar in PA for almost 20 years. As a strictly solar-based company, SunLion Energy has a unique ability to incorporate their years of experience and expertise to their customers.

For additional information or a sample copy, contact:

Dyna Wood

SunLion Energy Systems, Inc.

717-898-8700 x213

dynaw@sunlionenergysystems.com

www.SunLionEnergySystems.com

SunLion Energy Systems has served the green energy needs in central and eastern Pennsylvania since 1993. SunLion Energy offers installation, sales and service of solar electric, solar hot water and wind generation systems to both the residential, agricultural and commercial sectors, and is unique in the creation and marketing of off-grid systems. The company’s mission is to return power to the people through the installation of intelligently designed renewable energy systems.

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If you live in or around Hershey, you have undoubtedly heard of Pronio’s Market. The family owned food market has been serving the Hershey community since they opened in 1916. The store is most famous for their quality meats and deli along with the extensive selection of imported Italian specialties.

When Michael Pronio contacted SunLion Energy Systems, he had two main goals in mind: he wanted to save money by lowering his electricity usage and he wanted to show his clientele just how serious he was about making environmentally conscious “Green Energy” solutions a part of his business. With an extremely active meat, deli and kitchen in the market, he uses an enormous amount of hot water and wanted a viable solution to help with that issue. “I wanted to conserve our resources, but on a cost-effective basis.  With the incentives that were in place, I was able to do this, and not ‘shoot ourselves in the foot’,” says Mike. He also knew he wanted to work with SunLion Energy because of the company’s strong reputation in the community.

A SunLion Energy representative met with Mike and designed a hybrid system that was perfect for the market’s needs. A solar thermal hot water system was installed on the roof; it is large enough to supply 100% of the hot water for the market. In comparison to a residential hot water system that only uses one tube collector and a single smaller tank, the scope of this project is easy to see. The Pronio’s system includes eight tube collectors with 240 glass evacuated tubes to convert energy from the sun to heating the water in four 119 gallon storage tanks in the basement. The evacuated tube technology of these collectors is the most efficient and cost effective product available on the market today. The glass-lined storage tanks reduce the amount of oil, gas or electric needed to heat them by 85%.

The photovoltaic (PV) system designed for Pronio’s Market was a 24.64kW system. This offset a seemingly small 1% of the market’s annual electricity usage, but even 1% of a very large electric bill is a significant savings. Because of the market’s flat roof, SunLion Energy decided on a ballast-mounted system for the 88 panel array. The ballast system allows for panel tilt to collect the maximum amount of sunlight. Pronio also took advantage of an additional 30% federal tax credit by replacing his roof prior to the installation because it qualified for site preparation.  A key concern for Pronio was ensuring his roof was not damaged with the solar install. With our custom ballast mounted system, there were no penetrations to the new roof. The module maximize and monitoring system gives customers access to view the production of the panels and the linear 25-year, 80% production guarantee on the panels is great reassurance for the investment.

What is Mike’s view of the installation now that it’s finished?  “SunLion Energy’s professionalism was apparent from sales through the installation,” says Mike. “Everyone was courteous and the appearance of the installation is neat and clean.”

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Like Pronio’s Market, businesses can still take advantage of the popular 30% Federal  ITC Grant by having a signed contract for solar PV or solar thermal by December 31, 2011. The ITC grant is a cash deposit into the business bank account made after the system is commissioned. Any commercial contracts signed after January 1, 2012, will continue to be eligible for the 30% federal tax credit.

When Duane Williams contacted SunLion Energy Systems about a solar panel installation on his property, his statement was, “I want a relationship with an individual and a company that I can meet five years from now and sit down in a coffee shop and have coffee together.”  Williams owns Valley Enterprises, a family-owned agribusiness in Adams County. The farm has been in the family since 1736, and the original grant for the property came from William Penn’s son. Currently they raise grain and hay as well as fruit and custom beef cattle, both of which are available at their farm market. He lives on the largest underground aquifer (lake) in the area and wants the property to be the legacy investment for his daughter and future generations. He wanted to establish his energy independence and make the farm as self-sufficient as possible. Williams says, “After looking at the various energy alternatives, we decided that solar would be the most efficient and effective system for our location.”

After seeking Requests for Proposals from six solar companies and interviewing two, Williams decided “SunLion not only had the best technical credentials but also epitomized the type of company and people that we like to deal with…totally honest and trustworthy.” Matt Santoff, the SunLion Energy representative Williams originally discussed his installation with, visited the location to perform a free site evaluation. He immediately knew there would be some hurdles for the company to contend with, but wanted to make the most intelligently-designed system for Valley Enterprises. The property had steep hillsides facing south, which is the best directional orientation for modules. The wire run would be one of the longest the company had trenched and, to complicate matters, it ran through a stream. Williams bulldozed a large portion of scrub brush on his property to eliminate shading issues and make room for the ground-mounted 47.04kW system.

Since Williams has a neighboring property with tenants, he chose the Virtual Net Metering option, which allows him to share the extra energy production he creates with his system back into the grid which will then be used by the tenants. Williams has plans to increase the size of his system in the future. SunLion Energy’s systems are a modular design, so more panels or strings can be added to existing installations.

When asked if he would recommend solar to other farmers, Williams says, “Of all the passive systems available, only solar represents the optimum rate of return for the investment. Solar comes in ahead of all the current competition.” And would he recommend SunLion Energy? “What great folks!” he states. “They approached the installation as if it were for a family member.”

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Like Valley Enterprises, businesses can still take advantage of the popular 30% Federal ITC Grant by having a signed contract for solar PV or solar thermal by December 31, 2011. The ITC grant is a cash deposit into the business bank account made after the system is commissioned. Any commercial contracts signed after January 1, 2012, will continue to be eligible for the 30% federal tax credit.

“Our success and growth are directly tied to the principles by which we run our business,” says Tim Hollinger, Sales and Marketing Manager, SunLion Energy Systems. “While we’ve grown exponentially over the past few years, we’ve never strayed from our business model of doing what’s right for our customers and for our team.”

Of the 50 companies recognized, SunLion’s growth earned the company the distinction of being the 2nd fastest growing company on the list. To be eligible for nomination, companies had to be public or private, for-profit entities headquartered in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry or York County. Each company was required to show revenue of at least $500,000 in each of the fiscal years ending 2008, 2009, and 2010; then demonstrate revenue growth for 2010 as compared to 2008. SF & Company calculated the nominations and ranked the companies according to revenue growth over the three-year period. Both dollar and percentage increases were taken into consideration, which led to the list of the 2011 Top 50 Fastest Growing Companies, consisting of both large and small companies.

SunLion Energy Systems has served the green energy needs in central and eastern Pennsylvania since 1993. SunLion offers installation, sales and service of solar electric, solar hot water and wind generation systems to both the residential, agricultural and commercial sectors, and is unique in the creation and marketing of off-grid systems. The company’s mission is to return power to the people through the installation of intelligently designed renewable energy systems.

Lancaster, PA (2011) – On Father’s Day 2011, the lives of a South Central Pennsylvania family changed forever thanks to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition [EMHE], community volunteers and businesses like SunLion Energy Systems, Inc. of Lancaster County.

After a life threatening accident left Brian Keefer paralyzed, his father, Steve, took an early retirement to care for his son. In addition to the financial strain, the family also struggled to help Brian live as independently as possible in a house not accessible for his needs. When Ty Pennington and the EMHE team heard about Brian’s story, the decision to help was made by all the volunteers. Brian’s story is slated to be included in season nine of ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition air on October 21 at 7:30pm. See preview videos

The EMHE team and Musser Home Builders spent seven days building a “forever home” for Brian and his family – allowing independence and peace of mind for the future. In addition to a completely accessible home, custom designed and built for Brian, SunLion Energy Systems, Inc. donated materials and labor and installed a roof-mounted solar PV system to make the home energy efficient and provide renewable energy.

“This project was extremely rewarding for our team,” said Tim Hollinger, Sales and Marketing Manager, SunLion Energy Systems. “We have a strong belief in giving back to our community, so when we learned about the Keefer family and the opportunity to help them afford this new house for their son, there was no choice to be made.”

SunLion Energy Systems has served the green energy needs in central and eastern Pennsylvania since 1993. SunLion offers installation, sales and service of solar electric, solar hot water and wind generation systems to both the residential, agricultural and commercial sectors, and is unique in the creation and marketing of off-grid systems. The company’s mission is to return power to the people through the installation of intelligently designed renewable energy systems.

From a rocky start at a small solar energy company to amazing success in the field of renewable power, Gerald Stern proves that courage and kindness are the keys to lasting success.

Gerald Stern built his company, SunLion Energy Systems, from the ashes of a disastrous business experience in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. After surmounting enormous challenges, his renewable energy company is now a resounding success; SunLion has a 14-year history of selling and installing solar panels, wind turbines, and solar thermal systems for the residential and commercial sectors.

It all began a decade ago, when Stern began working for an Amish-owned company specializing in off-grid solar systems. Since the owner couldn’t drive for religious reasons, Stern purchased a company vehicle and became the primary field rep in 2000.

The business specialized in the installation of solar grids for Amish homes, but its growth was not without controversy. “[The business owner] was getting a lot of flak,” Stern says, explaining that they were often asked to provide solar electricity for Amish homes but to hide it so that church members wouldn’t find out. Despite some pushback from powerful figures in the Amish community, the young business took opportunities wherever possible. “We never said no,” recalls Stern. Slowly but surely, the green energy movement began to take root in the Amish villages of Lancaster county.

Eventually, Stern’s partner offered him a share in the enterprise. “I bought 50 percent of the business on January 1, 2003. I purchased a barn and relocated to Intercourse, Pa.,” Stern says. Over the next year, the team doubled sales and expanded into LED lighting. Stern invented several LED products and manufactured LED lighting for Amish buggies.

During this time of apparent progress, disaster struck. It soon became clear that the business accounting was not being handled professionally, and the entire enterprise was deep in the red. The partners officially separated in 2007. Stern was left with a staggering debt, while his counterpart began his own competing enterprise.

Stern was faced with tough choices: file bankruptcy or rebuild while honoring a debt he didn’t create. Inspired by his Christian faith, he decided there was only one option to reconcile his beliefs with his situation. “I said, ‘I can make this happen. I will not declare bankruptcy.’ I sent letters to everybody, notifying them they would get their money if they worked with me. They were so overwhelmed because I could have just walked away.”

Going against the advice of his attorneys, Stern doggedly began rebuilding his devastated business. His new company, under the name SunLion Energy Systems, began by installing one or two panels at a time for small residences and barns, using a battery charger with the capacity to power nothing more than a light bulb. As competition in the solar industry increased and energy rebates continued to stall in state legislature, Stern persevered. “It was so bad,” Stern recalls. “In 2007, I was literally selling everything that wasn’t tied down, just to put food on the table.” With his wife by his side and a small child to support, Stern went for the next two years without taking a paycheck of his own. But he never missed a payroll for his employees. “I sold coin collections, my motorcycle, everything. We were renting. If I had bought a home, I would have lost it.”

Against all odds, Stern’s tenacity paid off. He managed not only to survive, but to break the $1 million sales mark in 2008, doubling that in 2009. And in 2010 when promised government rebates finally kicked in, his sales skyrocketed to an amazing $15 million. He expects that figure to double this year, and has repaid every dime of old debt.

Stern now has a reputation for reliable products and service, and he measures his growth by the prosperity of those around him. The loyalty of his employees is a testament to Stern’s commitment. “In May 2009 we had five employees,” he said. “As of May 2011, we have 40.” Stern’s very first hire, a 14-year-old member of the Amish community, is still with the business—today, he’s married and starting a family of his own.

And the jobs keep getting bigger. “Right now, the average number of panels we install per job is between 45 and 80. We even equipped a retail store, J. B. Hostetter & Sons, with 1,460 panels. We save clients significant amounts on their electricity usage—sometimes 100 percent.”

Every business decision Stern makes is guided by his moral compass. He has no regret for passing up investment opportunities he felt were unethical, even if it meant foregoing windfalls of cash. It wasn’t that he didn’t need money. “My last three cars cost $800 combined. The only air conditioning was to roll down the window,” he quips.

Stern prefers not to borrow money, saying, “If you allow yourself to become overwhelmed by credit debt, you’re done. Pay cash for as much as you can. Buy used. Treat people fairly. Run an old-school business.”

SunLion Energy Systems is here today because of these principles and Stern’s unwavering standards. With revenues growing exponentially, he continues to pay his staff more than himself while reinvesting everything else back into the business. He maintains that it’s not simply about financial success; it’s about knowing that so many families rely on him for a livelihood. “However, I did splurge on a truck with air-conditioning,” he said.

Stern is committed to upholding a promise he made to God to always run a business that glorifies Him by being honest, hiring good people, and giving back—just ask the people who work with him every day. “Jerry has a huge heart,” said SunLion Business Manager Bonnie Nolt. “He will give you the shirt off his back, whether you’re an employee or a complete stranger. He lives his faith.”