Milestones provide us with opportunities to reflect on past achievements such that we can capitalize on growth, improve strategies, and establish goals that align with our core values. At Pivot Energy, ESG principles have always been embedded into everything we do, beginning with a triple bottom line approach. Today we have a robust ESG framework that provides clear, actionable steps for uncovering better, more sustainable, and more holistic ways of doing business.
In 2022, we submitted our B Corp Certification renewal, which entailed legally converting Pivot into a Benefit Corporation. As a Registered Benefit Corporation, we are deepening our commitment to creating a positive public benefit by holding ourselves responsible for evaluating how our business decisions will impact all possible stakeholders. As we see it, being a clean energy company installing solar projects is not enough; we’re determined to do more. This is why we release this annual ESG Report, constantly reevaluate our internal operations, seek out new ways of reducing our environmental footprint, and build an inclusive culture that drives impact through volunteerism and service.
Click the button below to view or download Pivot Energy’s 2022 ESG Report. Otherwise, keep reading to see a few of our top achievements from the past year.
At Pivot, we are passionate about maintaining a work environment where everyone feels comfortable being themselves. Our internal team-building efforts have compounded each year, resulting in an authentic, collective commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI). In 2022, we assembled a working group composed of employees from teams across the organization; we named this group “The Pivot Way” and tasked them with crafting Pivot’s culture statement, which defines Pivot’s unique culture and serves as a guiding light as we grow and expand.
In 2022, we added an ESG metric to our company-wide bonus plan to hit 100% staff participation in ESG-related activities (such as volunteering, non-profit donations, or participating on our ESG committees). We are pleased to share that we met this ambitious target. Throughout the year, our employees volunteered a total of 881 hours, far surpassing our initial goal of 300 hours. Furthermore, over 69% of employees submitted donations for our company to match, which added up to over $78,000 distributed amongst 150 charities nationwide.
We developed an onslaught of green employee benefits to encourage all of us to reduce our personal carbon footprints and reliance on fossil fuels. We began offering an electric vehicle stipend to employees. Additionally, all employees can reimburse a home energy audit to identify ways to increase their energy efficiency. Finally, at our Denver headquarters, we began offering free e-recycling for hard-to-recycle items, such as batteries and electronics.
This past year, we dramatically scaled up our company’s focus on reducing our environmental impact and establishing greener business practices.
Working with our investors and partners at ECP, we sought out a more sophisticated method for tracking and reducing Pivot’s Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. Thus, we started working with Persefoni, one of the industry leaders in carbon accounting and reporting. With their assistance, we established a company-wide emissions baseline from which we can set goals that will result in annual improvements. Persefoni also integrates with Patch, a carbon credit marketplace that we’ve leveraged to offset our quarterly retreats' carbon footprint.
In 2022, we offset all of our Scope 1 and 2 emissions with carbon offsets and renewable energy credits.
When developing solar projects, we approach end-of-life panels by considering redeployment, resale, and recycling of panels in that order. In cases where some percentage of modules on a damaged site are reusable, we partner with organizations like Equitable Solar Solutions (ESS), which works with local nonprofits to install the gently used equipment on other sites. Thus far, we've encountered three instances that resulted in module donations; one in Colorado and two in Florida.
Similarly, Pivot made an increased effort at incorporating agrivoltaics – a term for land that is used for both solar development and agricultural production – where possible. This year, Pivot finalized sheep agreements on ten sites, with twenty more to come soon. The initial ten sites represent roughly 200 acres to be maintained by about 1,200 sheep annually.
We made significantly more investments in the communities with which we work, striving to help combat energy poverty in a time of rapid inflation. To date we have committed over $1M in community investment funds, roughly $300k of that sum was from last year alone.
We were awarded an RFP to develop over 40 MW of income-qualified dedicated community solar projects in Colorado and broke ground on the first tranche of those projects this fall. Beyond project progress, we’ve made significant financial commitments to support community-based organizations, such as Energy Outreach Colorado and Clara Brown Commons in Denver.
As we see it, true ‘growth’ in ESG practices often isn’t about doing more; it’s about expanding positive impact, gaining efficiency, and allocating time for authentic conversations and inclusion efforts. This 2022 ESG report shares stories illustrating our continual improvement and highlighting our greatest achievements. We look forward to continuing our commitment to ESG in 2023 and invite you to celebrate the growth of 2022 with us.
Please do not hesitate to reach out should you wish to discuss how Pivot can assist you in setting and achieving your company’s 2023 ESG goals.