GREENFIELD — PV Squared (Pioneer Valley Photovoltaics), a solar installer and worker-owned cooperative, has been named the 2024 winner of the Most Forward-Thinking Contractor Award.

Presented by Solar Power World, a nationwide media outlet for the U.S. solar market, the award recognizes excellence in the solar industry by celebrating companies that demonstrate innovation, sustainability and impact in their field. The Most Forward-Thinking Contractor Award aims to honor those who are not only keeping pace with current trends but are also setting new benchmarks and envisioning the field’s future.

“We are deeply honored to be recognized as Solar Power World’s Most Forward-Thinking Contractor,” Brittany Hathaway, PV Squared’s marketing and outreach specialist and a worker-owner, said in a statement. “Our worker-ownership structure has been at the heart of PV Squared’s mission for over 23 years, and brings a deep sense of pride and meaning to our work.

“As a cooperative and democratically run business, we thrive on the shared success of all our members, and the positive impacts our work can have on our community and the environment,” Hathaway continued. “We know that we can do so much more by working together, in collaboration and partnership, than we could ever do as individuals working in a traditional corporate hierarchy.”

The solar company anticipates that the announcement of this award will not only benefit PV Squared but will also set a precedent for other firms in the renewable energy sector to follow suit.

“To be recognized for our effort by a national outlet like Solar Power World not only fills me with pride, but also doubles down on the idea that the values-forward way we do things is truly worthwhile,” Rachel Levey, inside sales specialist and a worker-owner, said in a statement. “It also signals a growing understanding in our highly competitive industry that ‘business as usual’ isn’t always the right way, and I hope the PV Squared success story inspires others to explore different business models and ways of being.”

“As worker-owners, we collectively set policies that are equitable and fair and in which no one feels exploited,” Josh Hilsdon, commercial design and sales consultant and a worker-owner, said in a statement. “This creates a virtuous circle in which our workers feel respected and have a sense of ownership, and as a result, they bring their best to the job every day, and we deliver for our clients and earn their referrals and repeat business.”

PV Squared’s winning of the Most Forward-Thinking Contractor Award was published in the 2024 “Top Solar Contractors” magazine in July. The annual publication brings together industry experts to celebrate the achievements and advancements of solar energy technology, policy and impact.