In the last couple of weeks, I've realized how much I love speaking with fellow startup founders working on climate solutions. This was the third opportunity in a week to talk about my experience with growing Electra and how we've overcome challenges and are facing others. If you know of any female entrepreneurs joining the climate journey, I highly recommend The Greenhouse as a safe place to build your foundation and safety net. Thank you, Anya Lamb and Anu Sanghvi, for nurturing these budding superstars!
Solar panels are 95% recyclable. But today, 90% of them end up in landfills. Heather Alvis is working to change that. She started Electra Network to make solar panel recycling convenient, transparent, and cost-effective. Electra combines a SaaS platform for solar panel lifecycle management with an innovative business model that captures a registration fee from panel manufacturers and owners to track the panel throughout its life cycle, and then uses those funds to pay for collection, hauling, and recycling once the panels are retired. We were thrilled to have Heather speak with The Greenhouse this week because Electra is a great example of how many climate solutions don’t require fundamentally new technology but instead require business model innovation to unlock a collective solution based on collaboration across diverse stakeholders. During her time with us, Heather shared how she arrived at her business model by drawing inspiration from circular economy and regenerative business principles and from insights gained from customer research across different stakeholders within panel manufacturing, operation, collection, and recycling. She also shared about how she’s funded Electra so far through prizes and grants, most notably through the American-Made Program at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Thank you, Heather, for sharing your inspiring story with us! Intrigued by Electra and want to help? Heather is actively fundraising. Please reach out to her if you’re interested in learning more. Working on your own climate-related business and looking for more support and community? Join The Greenhouse to connect with, learn from, and grow alongside like-minded female founders.