Colorado’s Solar Power Leader is Making Changes to Help Even More Coloradans

EcoMark Solar has been a nationally recognized “residential solar champion” in Colorado since 2015, installing more residential solar panels year over year. EcoMark Solar was just recently ranked by Solar Power World and Denver Business Journal for the 4th year in a row as one of the state’s top solar contractors. Now, with that momentum to carry them forward, they’ve just announced some really exciting news.

Since EcoMark Solar’s inception in 2010, Alex Valdez has been at the helm of the company and seen its rise to an award-winning installer. Along the way, Valdez and his partner Jake DiRe committed to not just sell solar, but to sell “Colorado Solar.” Focusing on the people of Colorado with the intention of being both an installer of choice, and an employer of choice in the solar industry.

Along the way Valdez and other members of EcoMark became active in COSEIA (Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association), the lobbying group for solar and environmental issues in Colorado. They learned they had to take an active role on the political scene to ensure that Colorado homeowners would always be able to benefit from the solar energy. From this experience and with the full support of the company, Valdez started moving his career from CEO of a solar company to that of a politician running on an environmentally-friendly platform.

The company is happy to announce that on June 26, Valdez won the primary for his district and was the Democratic candidate for the State House District 5. Upon winning that race, he would be the first elected official in the US who once ran a solar company. And on November 6, Valdez won his bid and will soon be serving his constituents from the Colorado State House of Representatives.  CONGRATULATIONS ALEX.

Once Valdez committed to a political future, he had to step away from the day-to-day operations at EcoMark Solar, handing the reins to his long-time partner and co-founder Jake DiRe, who now will serve as CEO for the company. Jake has served in almost every department at EcoMark Solar from Construction to Sales and his experience and leadership will be key to the company’s continued growth and success.

At the annual company meeting this past June, there were over 150 employees. Standing on stage, as they both looked out over a sea of faces in trademark EcoMark blue, Valdez said, “It is amazing to think how far we’ve come from two guys with an idea to make the world better – to this. We’re both very grateful for the effort of all the people over the years who have built EcoMark Solar into the shining star it has become today.”

As part of that meeting, DiRe looked forward to impressive goals for the coming year and heralded the environmental impact that this company’s installations have had on Colorado. EcoMark has installed over 10,000 kilowatts worth of power across thousands of homes. These systems have produced more than 21,000,000 kilowatt hours, which translates to saving over 17,000 tons of carbon pollution that would have been produced had these home still been powered by the electrical utility. That is the environmental equivalent of planting over 884,000 trees which is enough to cover over 27 square miles! Just to put that in perspective, the area of Boulder, Colorado is 25 square miles. DiRe ended with a heartfelt reminder to each employee, “Every solar home makes a difference. You, as EcoMark Solar, are making a difference.”

Simultaneous with the leadership hand off, EcoMark Solar expanded from one office to three offices; opening up satellite locations in Colorado Springs and Fort Collins in order to better serve those communities. The first new office will serve the entire Colorado Springs metro area, and also be the base of operations for EcoMark’s new Call Center. The second office will serve all of Fort Collins and Northern Colorado, and also be the base for the EcoMark’s Roofing and Insurance division.

“We have always helped our customers when hail damages the roof around the solar panels,” DiRe explains,  “Now with our in-house roofing and insurance department we can get those repairs done much faster and in a seamless fashion. Solar is a decades-long relationship with a customer and we intend to be there – even in the tough times.”

“The solar industry is in an unprecedented growth cycle, despite recent tariffs and dwindling incentives. More and more people realize every day how much they can save when they turn a never ending bill – their utility bill, into an asset that has a sustainable return on investment.”  DiRe concludes, “As more and more people go solar, they are turning to a company that knows and loves the state they live in, and a company that they can count on like us here at EcoMark Solar.”

EcoMark Solar is an award-winning, Colorado-based solar panel installer that has served the front range since 2010. EcoMark Solar’s mission is to help Coloradans achieve energy independence, financial independence and a more sustainable lifestyle through solar power. To find out more, visit EcoMarkSolar.com or call 720-432-6411.