Design
Perch Energy
Portfolio
Perch Energy operates as a two-sided marketplace, connecting community solar developers and owners with consumers and businesses looking to reduce their electricity costs and support renewable energy. However, before its community solar initiative, the company lacked a structured direct-to-consumer product strategy. That’s where my role began—shaping the strategy and design roadmap from the ground up.
Laying the Foundation
A pivotal moment came when I successfully presented to and collaborated with the board, securing approval to design the marketing website and later, the enrollment flow. This initiative was designed to bridge the gaps between door-to-door sales, telesales, and organic channels while addressing technical and design debt. By aligning these efforts, we created a more cohesive and seamless user experience, ensuring that every touchpoint facilitated trust and ease of use.
Gaining Buy-in and Building the Experience
I spearheaded the development of a comprehensive strategy, leveraging extensive user research. Through interviews with existing customers and solar farm owners, multiple focus groups, and an in-depth competitive landscape analysis, we uncovered critical insights that informed our approach. These findings helped us define key pain points, opportunities for engagement, and design principles that would guide our product development.
- Reduced customer acquisition cost (CAC) from approximately $400 to under $150 by supplementing door-to-door sales with digital strategies.
- Achieved a 267% increase in lead generation, a 226% rise in completed steps, a fourfold boost in conversions, and a ninefold increase for LMI (Low-to-Moderate Income) residents from 2023 to 2024.
- Scaled the business by 261% over the last two years.
The Enrollment Overhaul
Our enrollment overhaul was a testament to the power of data-driven insights combined with empathetic design. By deeply understanding user behavior and pain points, we developed a streamlined process that not only improved conversion rates but also enhanced the overall experience. This involved reducing friction, clarifying steps, and ensuring that users felt confident in their choices.
Scaling the Solution
Expanding into new markets while supporting self-enrollment, telesales, and door-to-door sales presented a formidable challenge. To maintain a seamless experience across diverse regions, we embraced team-wide design thinking, AI-driven optimizations, and a flexible modular design. This adaptability allowed us to scale efficiently across 21 new markets within Massachusetts, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Illinois, and Minnesota.
Key Enhancements and Insights
- 📈 Conversion Optimization: we implemented Google sign-in for ease of use, introduced a compelling "hook" to highlight potential savings, incorporated trust indicators like big brands and security features, offered incentives such as gift cards, and leveraged scarcity messaging to drive sign-ups.
- 🛒 User Experience Enhancements: we streamlined the journey by reducing clicks, provided clear explanations of Perch's business model and benefits, integrated product visualizations for improved understanding, added prominent help options and contact information, and explored diverse payment options to better serve various markets.
- 📊 Key Insights from Analytics: users convert more frequently when uploading bills manually rather than integrating utility credentials, and feedback emphasized the need for clearer communication around savings and the business model. Low to mid-intent users found the enrollment process overly aggressive, while LMI users prioritized cost savings and understanding community solar impact, underscoring the importance of showcasing potential savings and building trust.
The Future of UX at Perch Energy
By continuously iterating and optimizing, we’ve established a solid foundation for Perch Energy’s growth. Looking ahead, we aim to further refine our digital experience, expand into new markets, and leverage emerging technologies to make community solar even more accessible and user-friendly.