CHARLESTON – Palmetto, a rapidly growing technology company accelerating the national adoption of clean energy, announced that it is launching the Palmetto Startup Lab, with a focus on transforming strategic opportunities into commercially scalable businesses. Jason Hamilton is being promoted to Chief Startup Officer to lead “The Lab”. Jason was formerly the General Manager of the Aftermarket Division, and his team is credited with the strong national launch of Palmetto Protect, the industry’s system-agnostic solar monitoring program.
“The Palmetto Startup Lab provides a focused way for the Company to explore new opportunities that could be future drivers of the business and be additive to our core operations,” stated Chris Kemper, Palmetto founder and Chief Executive Officer. “Jason is the ideal executive to lead this effort as he ramped up our Aftermarket division and led his team in designing a product to help all current and future solar energy system owners maximize their solar energy investment. I know Jason will bring the same focus, collaboration and passion to the Palmetto Startup Lab.”
“The goal of the Startup Lab is to identify and structure emerging ideas. We work closely with key company leaders and functions across Palmetto to prove the ideas out, generate initial revenue, and prepare them to scale,” stated Jason Hamilton, Palmetto Chief Startup Officer. “We draw upon a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences to enable rapid ideation and deployment. Half startup incubator, half corporate enabler, we view the Lab as a force multiplier for strategic corporate growth.”
As technology evolves, clean energy costs are declining, making the investment more attractive for homeowners and general consumers. Solar costs have declined roughly 45 percent over the past five years. Bloomberg estimates that electric cars will cost less than gasoline automobiles by 2025. Smart, connected homes are now providing real-time data for consumers to understand and lower their energy use. Palmetto’s marketplace technology has digitized the solar transaction process for the customer, and the Startup Lab will expand this clean energy marketplace to help energy consumers achieve their financial and environmental goals.
Recognized by Forbes as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., Palmetto believes that choosing to source energy from renewable resources should be a right, not a privilege. Palmetto’s proprietary technology, marketplace business model, and consumer mobile application are all designed to simplify and democratize access to clean energy; making it easier and more affordable to make the switch. Palmetto’s system helps homeowners quickly estimate utility costs saved by switching to solar, and work with a team of local solar experts to design and install a system that matches their needs. Palmetto Protect ensures these homeowners receive comprehensive, long-term monitoring and robust customer support.
