How SunVena is paving the way for solar energy success
SunVena Solar (SunVena) is Florida’s premier full-service solar energy provider, committed to delivering superior quality products through its skilled design and installation team. This allows it to cut the middle men from the process and pass the savings directly to customers. Hank Groff, Vice President of Sales, shares some insights into the business: “The company was founded in 2019 by Hunter Potalivo. Hunter had extensive experience working for Tesla, formally Solar City, and when Tesla decided to lay off 600 of his team members he decided to take all the good he learned and create SunVena. He has since expanded the company to be the state-level largest installer of residential solar in Florida, continuing to experience tremendous growth today. We’ve currently installed over 10,000 solar systems and are also one of the top installers for other home service products.
“We are primarily a solar installation company, but also a hybrid vertical integrator with over 100 W-2 employees. That means we not only carry out the installation, but we also have a team of energy consultants who do the sales presentation. A new form of our business is built around a network of authorized dealers, and we currently have over 75 throughout Florida.
“The company provides a wide range of complementary services. The foundation for solar, for example, is roofing. When a solar array is installed, it’s crucial to have a roof that’s in good condition onto which to build. As such, we have a roofing division. We also have an HVAC air conditioning division, and a plumbing division that covers water filtration, hybrid heat pump hot water heaters, and water variable pool pumps. Additionally, we have both a smart and secure side of the division that’s brand new and launched in July. Alongside this division, we have collaboratively developed a smart home system that can control all the energy products in one.”
Hank goes on to reflect on the factors that set SunVena apart from the competition: “What makes us uniquely different is our proprietary system. We don’t install someone else’s cookie-cutter package; we literally build from scratch. We have a software system that incorporates all energy usage products, including water filtration, HVAC, and solar and we incorporate smart analysis to create a cleaner and smarter functioning home. The panel on the wall and the mobile app are branded to us. We’re able to control all aspects of energy usage and make the experience for the homeowner more enjoyable. Plus, we can push through unique messaging to the homeowner. If they bought one product and they’re thinking of something else, or the season is the right time for HVAC, for example, we can push that timely messaging to them.”
The company’s financial strengths and diversification efforts have helped to better position it to overcome any challenges the market presents. Hank elaborates: “We are in a unique position that most solar companies aren’t. Unfortunately, most solar companies have a lot of outsourced resources which are hard to manage and can end up being wasteful. Here, we keep everything internally sourced, so we manage the whole operational process from start to finish. While avoiding single entity risk. 
“We have close to 100 employees, and because of that, we keep our costs significantly leaner than the average solar company our size, allowing long term stability. This benefits us by giving us more control in a market that is often complicated by financing companies and delayed payments. We can always pay our dealers on time, which creates happier and more consistent relationships.”
Indeed, key strategic partnerships can be crucial to unlocking further growth potential. Hank outlines how one of SunVena’s partnerships benefits the business: “We have a unique partnership with our financial partner known as SunRaise Capital, which has a financial arm to provide capital, and which also provides a proprietorially developed tech platform. We’ve worked closely with them to create an incredible sales portal experience for our network of dealers.
“Instead of having to go to five or six different customer relationship management tools or tech platforms; ours is all in one. So even if they are selling one product or five products, our dealers access the software and enjoy a seamless experience. It also helps simplify complex external factors. Having one tech platform makes selling additional products easier and ultimately gives the customer a better experience.”
Hank concludes with a look to the future, outlining the company’s ambitions going forward: “In 2025, we sat down with our senior leadership and decided we’d like to be the best regional player in the southeastern United States. The current sector climate reminds me of the airline industry when airlines such as Delta formed alliances and partnerships with other airlines to bridge markets and help one another. I think that’s where we’re at in this industry. There hasn’t been a successful national player that’s gone the distance; as everyone knows, several other companies have tried and failed. We aim to form an alliance with other regional players to create a great national solution.”