Selection committee basics

Thank you for volunteering to be a part of the Selection Committee! Being part of the Selection Committee is the most important thing you can do to help your solar co-op. 

At Solar United Neighbors, we believe in the power of community. It is important that co-op members pick the installers they work with. This makes our co-ops unique in that Solar United Neighbors does not pick the installer for the solar co-op: the members do. 

Review the basics of our meeting below — including access to our Bid Review spreadsheet, how to prepare, the process, and expectations.

What can I expect from a meeting?

The goal of the selection committee meeting is to get members of a solar co-op together to learn about solar and to choose a single solar installer for their local solar co-op.

Accessing our Bid Review spreadsheet 

Committee members have access to our Bid Review spreadsheet, which is designed to make it visually easier to understand the differences between the submitted bids to service the solar co-op. 

We will take time at the beginning of the meeting to review questions about accessing the spreadsheet. Please speak up if you need help. 

Please note that this is a large spreadsheet, and while it is possible to access via phone, we recommend viewing it on a larger screen (tablet, laptop, or computer monitor). This makes it easier to navigate, help view, and compare different responses.

Using Google Sheets with a Gmail Account/Email Address

We will set the permission of the spreadsheet so meeting attendees can view it (and if necessary, edit certain parts of the document). If you RSVP’d with a Gmail email address, you will have access to our document.  

Using Google Sheets without a Gmail Account/Email Address

1. To access our spreadsheet, you will need to create a Google account. Luckily, you can continue using your personal email address, and setting up this account to view Google documents is simple. Follow this link.
2. Next, you will be prompted to enter your name and personal email address, then create a password for Google. 
3. After submitting this form, check your email for a verification link sent by Google. 
4. After accepting, you will be able to access our spreadsheet. 

Preparing for the meeting

Before the meeting starts, the spreadsheet will be set to View Only, meaning it cannot be edited. Don’t worry about accidentally deleting something or making changes to the document, as this will not be possible. 

It is up to you if you would like to review the spreadsheet and/or other bid documents beforehand. If you would like to check out the bids ahead of time, please feel free to do so! This is not required, as we will have Solar United Neighbors staff present at the meeting to answer any questions on the bids or solar in general.

Selection criteria

When your fellow co-op members joined the group, we asked them what was important to them when choosing an installer. We will have summaries of this information available when you meet to make the selection. 

The criteria that members can indicate a preference for include:

• Best price
• Use higher-quality equipment
• Have more experience
• Offer stronger warranties
• Are a local company
• Woman or minority-owned business

Process and expectations

1. After confirming meeting attendees can access the spreadsheet, we will kick off the meeting. 
2. Since this decision will be on behalf of the whole co-op, we will cover preferences on what everyone values in an installer (this information was gathered from the co-op signup form).
3. We will then go over the bids and whittle down the list until the group has reached a consensus on an installer. Keep in mind that these bids are confidential, so please do not share this information with anyone outside of the selection meeting. You should have received and signed a Confidentiality Agreement covering this. We require that all committee members sign it before joining the meeting and viewing the bids, so let us know if you did not receive this form. 
4. We will cover the entire spreadsheet, but there is no set way to move through it.  Remember that this is your meeting, we are there to facilitate and offer our expertise.
5. By the end of the meeting, the group will have selected one installer to serve the entire co-op!

Throughout the meeting we will answer all questions you may have, however we will not be involved in decision-making. We want to make sure that everyone participating has a say, so if you need to leave early please make sure your vote is tallied before signing out. 

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