With a name like Greenfield, a career in alternative energy seems like the natural choice. But for Geoff and Michelle Greenfield, gaining a global perspective was the necessary precursor to founding Third Sun Solar & Wind Power Ltd., now one of the Midwest’s leading solar contractors.
Attracted to Athens
The couple met while attending Miami University in southwestern Ohio. They shared an interest in developing countries and sustainable growth. Geoff served in the Peace Corps, while Michelle traveled Central America studying economic development.
The Greenfields were living in Oregon when they decided to pursue graduate degrees in international development. Ohio University offered an intensive, one-year program that appealed to their goal-oriented natures. When they relocated to southeastern Ohio in 1993, neither one expected it to be a long-term move.
“We just fell in love with the place!” Michelle recalls.
“Athens turned out to be a lot like Oregon. Music, culture, food, international students, like-minded people, ecological consciousness. Plus its a safe, close-knit community,” Geoff enthusiastically adds.
Geoff and Michelle had always been interested in homesteading, “taking raw land and making a home out of it.” While property in Oregon was far too expensive for such a venture, in Athens County, they were able to make their dream a reality. “The plan was to build our own house, garden, just live more sustainably and closer to the land,” Geoff says.
No one imagined the obstacles they encountered would lead to the birth of their company. AEP told the new landowners bringing electric to their property would cost several thousand dollars, include installation of three or four poles and require cutting down neighbors trees. For Michelle and Geoff, the choice became clear: off-the-grid living.
The Initial Innovation
The mechanically minded Geoff worked extensively in the construction industry, and he admits, “I’ve always been a techie; Ive been reading Popular Science since I was a kid. Crystal radios and robots always fascinated me.”
News of the Greenfields’ solar panel and wind generator installation spread quickly. People were excited about the house and wanted advice and help to make their own homes more energy efficient. At the time, Geoff was employed by a non-profit. “My weekends were full, and people still wanted more. So I gave notice and put out my shingle,” Geoff recounts.
A Mom & Pop Business
Geoff spent a couple years working independently, designing and installing renewable energy systems before forming Third Sun in 2000. A year later it looked like his small crew had enough work to require someone to keep track of it all, and Michelle joined the company. The couple remembers it as a definite turning point.
“Michelle quitting her job was a real risk,” Geoff admits.
Michelle continues, “We figured I’d try it for a year, and if we could pay the mortgage, put food on the table, raise the kids”
Suffice to say Michelle is now the CFO of Third Sun. The company logged its first over-a-million-in-revenue year in 2007, reflecting a growth rate of 128% over 2006. With the help of Ohio University MBA students, Michelle conservatively estimates 30% growth for 2008, but double is not out of the question.
“We just want to be careful; there is a risk of growing too fast,” Michelle says. “We never want to sacrifice quality.”
The Bigger Picture
The Greenfields still live in their off-grid home, though they’ve expanded the solar panel system a couple times. Technology has advanced over the years, and Geoff does not recommend building off the grid these days. “It just isnt as efficient as a solar and wind-powered home that can sell its surplus energy back to the power companies.”
Even after 15 years in Athens County, Geoff’s Peace Corps experience is still with him: “I was living in a mud hut with a grass roof. We were evacuated because of civil unrest,” he recounts while taking in his current surroundings. The couple’s two young boys are watching a movie. Michelle is preparing dinner, using just about every appliance in the kitchen simultaneously.
“We have a dishwasher, a microwave, air conditioning, everything a family really needs. We have more than we need. We arent going withoutnot sacrificing or suffering. We have all the luxuries that make life in North America pretty darn comfortable, and we have them all with solar and wind power.”
