www.CTGreenGuide.com FALL 2015 • CONNECTICUT GREEN GUIDE 11
HEADQUARTERS: Norwich
PRINCIPALS: Craig Frenkel
& Peter Callan
FOUNDED: 2009
EMPLOYEES: 50
WEBSITE: www.lanternenergy.com
DID YOU KNOW? All Lantern crews
drive eco-friendly vehicles, are
assigned local services areas
and receive their assignments
electronically, all to reduce the
number of miles they drive.
Commercial Expansion
By Brad Kane
A
fter operating since its founding as a provider of residential home
energy services, Lantern Energy last year started a business services
division, and — with that start from zero — now has 400 projects in
that commercial pipeline.
The rise in commercial projects, led by an increase in Connecticut busi-
nesses wanting to make their operations more energy efficient, soon will
surpass residential projects as Lantern's top revenue generator, said Devin
Schleidt, who leads the company's business development.
Much like the residential side, commercial efficiency projects are driven by
state-sponsored incentive programs like Small Business Energy Advantage,
where companies can recover a portion of their costs by having contractors like
Lantern come in and replace equipment, provide better lighting and seal leaks.
Since the division is growing so rapidly, Lantern merged with Positive
Electric of Glastonbury to help out with the installation projects. Lantern
handles a variety of projects, including for municipalities, and wants to
expand its services to surrounding states, using Connecticut as a hub.
"Lantern's people are sticklers for detail," said Susan Bransfield, first
selectwoman for Portland, which hired Lantern to do a $30,000 municipal
project with a three-year payback. "They are good communicators. They are
very patient, and they are great to work with."
Lantern Energy technician Evan
Zavickas hooks up a solar array
installed at a Connecticut farm.
ECOmpany: LANTERN ENERGY
PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED
Green Fact:
New England is planning to
make $5 billion in power grid
transmission upgrades by
2023, which should reduce the
need for more power plants.
SOURCE: ISO New England
