Certified B Corporations, also called B-Corps, are a relatively new concept with a big mission: to champion business as a force for good. As defined by B Lab, the nonprofit network behind B Corp: Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.
At Positive Energy Solar, we believe in the power of purpose-driven business and the power of community; so we volunteer to be held accountable for committing our business model and our practices to serve people and planet - creating holistic wealth for our employees, our customers, and our neighbors.
Driven by Our Values from the Beginning
Since our inception in 1997 as a small Santa Fe incubator, Positive Energy has had a goal of using our business to better the environment, provide living wages, and offer career pathways for team members. We pride ourselves on being a homegrown New Mexico, values-based business from the start. Because we are values-based and believe in holistic wealth for our community, in 2008 we became employee-owned, offering shares of company stock to employees.
To reinforce our values and mission, we took on the rigorous certification process that evaluates a company’s impact on all stakeholders (employees, community, customers, supply chain, environment, etc.), and became a certified B-Corp in 2013. The 5 Impact Areas we are graded on are:
Governance
This section evaluates the company's mission, ethics, accountability, and transparency, whether the company has adopted a social or environmental mission, and how it engages employees, board members, and the community to achieve that mission. It also assesses employee access to financial info., customers' opportunities for feedback, and the diversity of governing bodies.
Workers
The "Workers" section measures the company's relationship with its workforce. It measures how the company treats its workers through compensation, benefits, training, and ownership opportunities for workers. It focuses on the work environment by assessing management/worker communication, flexibility, culture, and safety practices.
Community
"Community" measures a company's supplier relations, diversity, and involvement in the local community. It also measures the company's practices and policies around community service and charitable giving. This includes whether a company's service is designed to solve a social issue.
Environment
This portion evaluates a company's environmental performance through its facilities, materials, emissions, and resource and energy use.
It measures whether the services are designed to solve an environmental issue, including products that aid in the provision of renewable energy, conservation, or waste prevention.
Customers
This portion measures the impact a company has on its customers by focusing on whether a company sells products or services that promote public benefit and if those products/services are targeted toward serving underserved populations
Since becoming a Certified B-Corp, B-Lab has labeled Positive Energy Solar “Best For the World” under the Environmental Category in 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2019.
How we Choose to #BTheChange in 2022
Each year we select quarterly focuses for community outreach and environmental stewardship throughout New Mexico and beyond. Here is some of what we have to look forward to in 2022:
Positive Energy Solar has joined the
University of New Mexico’s Business for Good Advisory Board through the Anderson School of Management: The Business for Good program
is a multi-stakeholder initiative focused on education, research, and
responsible economic development. The program harnesses existing efforts
by B Corps and other businesses interested in institutionalizing responsible
business practices to support responsible economic development in New
Mexico. This is part of our mission to propagate mindful business practices
and be leaders of these practices in our industry.
We are partnered with CAVUfor this year’s Climate Innovation Challenge!
We've joined forces with CAVU to bring their Climate Innovation Challenge to the next level by sponsoring a new implementation phase that allows young people to bring their ideas for climate mitigation strategies to life through exhibition. This supports our goal of educating and empowering young people to take climate action into their own hands through innovation and STREAM strategies (Science-Technology-Reading-Engineering-Arts-Math).
Fostering Community Partnerships to Expand Solar Career Outreach. As a Certified B Corporation, we are doing our part to create a more inclusive solar industry. We are looking to existing partnerships, like Wings For LIFE, as well as new partnerships to diversify our hiring pool and bring solar career opportunities to broader audiences, including those typically marginalized.
Without the support of our clients, solar ambassadors, and community members, none of this would be possible. We thank each and every one of you for supporting our local business and making it possible for us to be the change and stay true to our triple bottom line that is People, Planet, Prosperity.
If you are interested in joining our solar B Corp force, check out the career opportunities on our careers page! We are proud to be employee-owned and offer educational opportunities as well as numerous career pathways for our employees.