Solar Washington:  How did you become interested in solar? 
Dever Haffner-Ratliffe: I literally grew up in the solar industry. My family started a solar installation company in 2007, when I was in high school. Like many small, family businesses, it was an all-hands effort. I began having to answer the home phone professionally because it was our original business phone as well. 

 

Trade shows were one of my favorite ways to help with and learn about the business.  Solar was not widespread yet, so people had a lot of questions and there was a lot of skepticism. Educating and connecting with others was really rewarding and taught me a lot about the benefits and mechanisms of solar energy.

Fast forward to 2012, I was running the administrative side of my family business as Vice President and I helped grow, run, and improve the company and our customers' experiences. I recently remembered one fun anecdote from that time: at a site survey for a potential customer, we realized that there just wasn't a good spot for solar on the home. The best place for a ground mount was where the chicken coop was. So, we ended up rebuilding the chicken run with solar panels for a roof. It was probably the most expensive backyard chicken house in Washington, but it became one of our favorite installs!

During that time, I helped cofound the Washington Solar Energy Industry Association and advocated for small, local, solar installation companies at the Washington State Legislature.

When circumstances changed, I decide to go to work for the State of Washington. As it turns out, that wasn’t the end of my solar path. At the Department of Labor and Industries, I helped the agency understand solar installations for enforcement of Prevailing Wages. At the Department of Commerce, I managed solar grants for schools and other public buildings. At the Department of Natural Resources, I developed a methodology to increase the value of state land leases to solar developers that would honor Tribal, environmental, and community feedback.

Then in 2023, I came to Cowlitz Public Utility District, where I currently work. I’ve been lucky to engage with our internal process and policies related to solar. In 2024, I was elected to the Solar Washington Board. I’ve also had solar on my home, drive an EV, and have a part-time consulting business where I help individuals and organizations navigate solar.

SW: Why did you join Solar Washington and what do you expect from Solar Washington? 
DHR: While I have always been aware of Solar Washington, and participated in many Solar Summits over the years, I joined because I hoped to help contribute to the work of Solar WA. I really appreciate how Solar WA focuses on the consumer perspective of solar – Education, information, inspiration. While the organization focuses on and supports solar, we don’t sell it. This creates a safe space for questions and honest conversation.

Solar Washington is also a fantastic resource for industries that are overlapping with solar, such as lenders, insurance, real estate professionals, for similar reasons. Obviously, I hope that the solar industry also finds value in the work that Solar Washington does to support and promote solar in Washington State.

I expect and will help solar Washington to continue to provide these things and potentially increase how we connect people to talk about solar in Washington state.

SW: What is next for you regarding solar?
DHR: I'm looking forward to learning into my role as Vice President of Solar Washington for the rest of the year, especially the 2025 Solar Summit. Through my day job, I hope to get more utilities thinking about solar outside of the standard net-metering systems, like multifamily housing, and continuing to be a part of the nexus between solar and utilities. And at Solar Quote Check, I'm working to increase the resources I have available on my website, offer more classes (right now I'm working on something for the real estate industry), and be a resource for my customers and the community.

SW: Do you have any advice for anyone considering solar right now as a source of energy in Washington? 
DHR: I once used “apples to oranges” as an example of what comparing solar quotes is like, and someone responded, “don’t forget lemons!” Unfortunately, I think this is true, as I’ve learned from experience. There are some solar installations that don’t work as proposed, or that don’t present accurate information to the buyer. Learning to identify those lemon-installations is critical when shopping for solar. The next step is understanding how to compare the apples and oranges quotes to figure out which option makes the most sense for you. I think Solar Washington has some great resources to help with this – like the homeowners' guide to solar.