Chad Towner on Freedom Forever & Rams Partnership
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/10/09
Chad Towner is the Chief Revenue Officer at Freedom Forever, a leading company in the residential solar energy industry based in Temecula, California. With over a decade of experience in sales and leadership, Chad has been instrumental in driving significant growth and breaking sales records. Chad holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Science from Utah Valley University and is a licensed private pilot. Bilingual in English and Spanish, he is passionate about attracting ethical sales talent and advancing renewable energy solutions. Outside of work, he is actively involved in church service and enjoys taking his sailboat out on the water with his family.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Today, we are here with Chad Towner, the Chief Revenue Officer of Freedom Forever, a leading residential solar installer partnering with the Los Angeles Rams. First question: Why partner with the Rams?
Chad Towner: A couple of reasons. First, Southern California. Freedom Forever was born here. We love the NFL and football, and the Rams are the premier NFL team in Southern California. We love SoFi Stadium; it is an incredible venue for entertainment. Their team was very collaborative when we reached out, so, it just made sense.
Jacobsen: Regarding solar energy, why focus on solar in this partnership with the Rams?
Towner: There is no national brand in the solar space; only 4% of U.S. homes have solar panels on their rooftops. We are growing into the role of the largest residential solar installer in the U.S., but unless someone is familiar with the solar industry, they probably have not heard of us. We felt that now was the right time to make our name known nationwide. The NFL is by far the most popular sport in the U.S., and by associating ourselves with a premier team like the Rams, who won Super Bowl LVI, we hope to establish ourselves as the national brand. In our opinion, that kind of recognition does not currently exist in the solar industry.
Jacobsen: How do you see this partnership advancing sustainable energy goals? Many people support or work toward sustainability, but Freedom Forever is actually on the ground, implementing these changes. Does partnering with a major sports team expand your brand and increase awareness and adoption of sustainable energy?
Towner: Absolutely. The number one reason solar has only achieved 4% market penetration is that most customers don’t understand how solar works. Whenever we explain it to a potential customer, a light bulb goes off, and they ask, “Why doesn’t everyone do this?” The reality is that everyone should, but most people don’t know enough about it. Solar is still new to many, and it’s not something they’re familiar with. By getting our brand out there and becoming more widely known, we’ll build trust with customers and help them realize that solar is something they should learn about. Solar energy is coming to every market and every state, and it’s something everyone should consider—it’s the future. So, you had minutes, data, rate plans, and rollover plans for cell phones, but nobody grasped this new thing early on. It wasn’t until it reached a critical mass that people started adopting it. It was a slow start in the early days of cell phones. Similarly, solar needs to reach critical mass, and someone must start waving the flag.
Jacobsen: You’re launching at the beginning of the upcoming sports season. Why the beginning rather than the end or the middle of the season?
Towner: Well, one of the benefits of this partnership, for example, is that we have signage throughout SoFi Stadium, but we’re also inviting top sales leaders from other industries to join us at games. We want them to experience the Rams House with us. Hopefully, we’ll entice them to work with us and join the cause of accelerating residential solar adoption across the U.S., which is part of our growth strategy.
The more games we can bring people to, the more we can show them how we do things differently and better. We believe the faster we can grow, the better. For us, it’s a race against the clock. I’m not a scientist, but we don’t know how long the damage we’re doing to our climate will last or if it’s too late. But we need to do everything we can to accelerate the rate of residential solar adoption, and we believe we’re the only company with the business model to make that happen.
Jacobsen: How did you secure a multiyear rather than a one-year deal with an option for renewal?
Towner: That was mutual. Both sides wanted a multiyear deal, which was a relatively easy decision. Our partners—vendors and everyone we work with—are part of long-term, deeper partnerships. We’re trying to build a sustainable business that will last for decades. You can’t do that by reinventing your business every year; it requires stable, long-term partnerships.
Jacobsen: How does the distribution of signage, logo placement, and branding work throughout the Rams games to benefit both Freedom Forever and the Rams’ brand?
Towner: We may not get phone calls directly from fans in the stadium saying, “Hey, I saw your sign and want solar,” but it builds credibility. When a sales rep is in someone’s home explaining how solar works, and they mention, “By the way, we’re the company partnered with the Rams,” it adds a layer of trust. The customer might say, “Oh yeah, I saw your signs at the game.”
Solar is still a relatively new and growing industry, but it’s the future. It’s similar to the transition from kerosene lamps to electricity 100 years ago. What we need now is credibility. Customers need to feel confident that these are real companies that will take care of them for years to come. They don’t want to get solar panels installed only to never hear from their installer again. Our business model is long-term service and support. By showing that we have established deep partnerships with reputable brands like the Rams, we believe it gives customers the credibility and confidence they want, something they might not find with competitors.
Jacobsen: Based on the company’s forecasting of your business model and the solar energy market, if it’s only at 4% penetration now, what do you project the market penetration to be by, say, 2030? Can you provide any short- to medium-term estimates?
Towner: The trajectory has been challenging lately. It’s been a rough 18 months in the solar industry, largely due to macro conditions with the finance markets. Interest rate increases have significantly impacted residential solar, but at Freedom Forever, we are still growing. We’re on track to generate roughly $2 billion in revenue this year. While I don’t want to give you specific percentages, I can tell you that the first 4% will have been the slowest. What we’ve built so far can scale exponentially, and growth will accelerate.
As we grow, solar installation costs decrease due to economies of scale. This allows us to save customers money in markets where it was previously cheaper to stick with their existing utility. Because our costs have dropped, we can enter those markets and say, “Hey, we can save you money now—our rates are lower than your current electric bill.”
California is much further ahead in terms of solar adoption than most states. The key breakthrough in California happened when solar became cheaper than existing utilities, and adoption took off. However, we’re still behind other regions. Europe, Australia, and even Germany is far ahead of us regarding solar adoption. So, it can happen very quickly.
Jacobsen: Given this multiyear partnership with the Rams, are you restricted from partnering with other teams in the future?
Towner: I don’t believe so. Interestingly, the day the press release went out, I got emails from several other sports teams. I wasn’t expecting that level of interest, but there was clear demand. Whether it’s the solar aspect or teams looking for new advertising partners or sponsors, this will likely not be our last partnership. I’ll put it that way. It’s going incredibly well and has far exceeded our expectations.
Jacobsen: Personal question—no pressure to answer—were you a Rams fan before? Or are you a bigger Rams fan now?
Towner: I didn’t grow up here, so I had to be converted, but it’s been an easy process. The team, the organization—they’re incredible. I’ve been in Southern California long enough to call myself a local, so it was a natural transition. My kids are Rams fans, and they know no other team.
Jacobsen: From which team or sport did you have to convert?
Towner: I grew up in Denver, Colorado, so you can put that together, but it feels good to be a Rams fan now.
Jacobsen: Chad, thank you very much for the opportunity to discuss this.
Towner: Scott, I appreciate it. Thank you.
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