Philadelphia Eagles executive Connor Barwin is known for two things: chasing down quarterbacks — he had 14.5 sacks for the Birds in 2014 — and improving the region. Through his Make the World Better Foundation, he’s rebuilt public parks and rec spaces in the neighborhoods that needed them most.
So when he decided to make his own home more sustainable, he did it the way he does everything — locally and hands-on.
We were honored when Barwin chose Solar States for the installation.
We’re a Philadelphia-born, certified B Corp installer, rooted here since 2008. And the thing that struck Barwin wasn’t the hardware going up. It was the people putting it up.
“I met Micah (Gold-Markel), who started Solar States a number of years ago,” he says. “He was hiring people from YouthBuild Philly, giving people good jobs in a growing industry. But honestly, the coolest part about being here today is to meet the people who are actually doing these jobs. There were 10 people here — I got to know some of their stories. They’re earning livable wages. They’re part of this new, growing green economy.”
That’s the part of solar most homeowners never see — and it’s the part we built our company around. Our mission is a dual one: put solar on roofs and open a door to the green-collar economy for Philadelphians. Our Training Academy in Bridesburg trains the next generation of local installers — many of whom start on rooftops just like Barwin’s.
On install day, Barwin put on a hard hat, climbed up with our crew and helped set all 28 modules on his roof.
“I’ve always wanted to put solar on my roof,” Barwin told us the day our crew pulled up to his Philadelphia home. “One of the final steps in our renovation is installing solar.”
Then he landed on the thing that clearly meant the most to him.
“You hear people talk about all these new jobs with solar. Well, I put solar on my roof. I showed up today and there were 10 people doing a one-day install. And tomorrow they’ll go to somebody else’s roof and do it again. That, to me, is the best part.”
You don’t have to be an Eagle to make this call. With utility rates climbing year after year, the math that worked for Barwin works even better for you today — and every install puts one of our crews to work for a day.
Connor Barwin found his power. As the season starts, maybe it’s time to find yours!
Micah Gold-Markel is the founder of Solar States, a Philadelphia-based solar and storage installer.
