The Update: Aurora is now live and fully integrated as a sales platform for LightReach Energy Plans

The Big Picture: We continue to look for ways to improve the LightReach sales experience for installers. With a significant market presence and high-quality design tool, Aurora provides a smooth process for Certified Installers, Aurora slots in as another addition to the growing list of options available to sell the LightReach energy plans.

The Fine Print: Contact your Aurora representative to discuss enablement.

The Update: Statewide changes are coming to net metering incentives in Illinois. These changes will impact virtually all organizations doing business in the state. Certified Installers will see two changes for newly created accounts effective September 1st, 2024:

• Lowering our Energy Plan's max kWh rates
• Addition of 2 new M1 incentive requirements

The Big Picture: Both major utilities in IL are making changes to their NEM structure that will negatively impact homeowner savings. However, we are reducing our Energy Plan's maximum kWh rates to offset this. We're taking advantage of the Illinois DG rebate to maintain competitive EPC payments, despite lower consumer kWh rates.

The Fine Print:

• IL is transitioning from full 1:1 retail to supply-only net metering. This will result in a negative impact to homeowner savings.
• Lightreach changes effective on all new accounts from 9/1/24 (In advance of the deadline to PTO by Dec. 31st 2024 to be grandfathered into 1:1 NEM)
• New M1 requirements are: 1) DG Rebate Terms and Conditions (Signed & dated if ComEd) - 2) Photo(s) of correct Smart inverter settings selected

• EPCs will not be required to submit the DG Rebate application to the utilities, Lightreach will own this process.

The Update: Our long-previewed common sense consumer compliance stipulation goes live 9/1/24.

• What is it: The Customer Action Required stip will be applied to certain customer accounts, including elderly customers.
• What Installers Will See: Installers will see the stipulation applied on the customer's Account in the LightReach portal.
• When Installers Will See It: The stip will typically be applied the next business day, after a contract has been signed.
• How Customers Clear It: 1) Sign in to their home.palmetto.com account 2) Open the Key Contract Details Review task 3) Review the information, check the boxes, "sign" & submit.
• How Long Does it Take: Customers can complete the task in 1-2 minutes.

The Big Picture: We continue to build our a Common Sense Consumer Compliance framework with practical, non-invasive measures to help reinforce key aspects of the sales process, aimed at protecting both consumers and Certified Installers. We began previewing this update in May 2024. Final Preview posted to news.golightreach.com August 26th, 2024.

The Fine Print:

• Who: The stip will only be applied to select customer accounts.
• Time to Complete: 1-2 Minutes for customers
• Timing of Stip: Stip can only be deployed after the initial sale period, typically the next business day after a contract has been signed.
• Criteria: LightReach underwriters reserve the right to apply the stipulation to any account. However, partners can expect to primarily see it applied to customers with higher-risk attributes. These include customers over the age of 65 or those located in areas with high levels of utility rate-subsidization.
• Notifications: Designated installer contact will receive a standard administrative stipulation email alert. Customers will also receive a standard alert via SMS and email, prompting them to login to home.palmetto.com to complete the Key Contract Details Review.

Dear Lightreach Partner,

We would like to thank you, your teams and homeowners for the continued expression of interest in storage (arbitrage and back-up). The growing demand is exciting and we’re eager, as we partner, to orient for collective success. To do so, Lightreach is pleased to share exciting developments surrounding enablement and the correlated enhancements we’ve made to support you and your teams in those endeavors. Noteworthy improvements include:

1. In-Portal activation workflow
2. Simplified guidelines that uphold our high-quality standards
3. Protection for review timelines and funding

To achieve this, we require all individuals, including contractors and subcontractors, performing any storage-related work to complete the relevant courses provided by the equipment manufacturers for all products listed on the LightReach Approved Vendor List (AVL).

This process and supporting workflow go into immediate effect and all requirements must be submitted to LightReach by August 31, 2024, to maintain battery pricing.

To commence and enable pricing for your team, we encourage qualified leadership personnel to leverage the operations center workflow.

We look forward to growing together!

The Update: We've updating our milestone funding schedule from once a week to twice a week!

• New funding cadence began week of Monday August 5th
• Remittance reports and milestone funding will be Tuesdays and Thursdays

The Big Picture: As summer sales and installations heat up, so to are LightReach funding cadences and milestone reviews. We're working faster to get installations approved and funded more frequently.

The Fine Print: Alternative funding days in case of bank holidays will be published in advance depending on schedule.

Now Live: We've made three updates related to our Common Sense Consumer Compliance processes.

• 1) Postcard Mailer: Simple customer order recap postcards mailed to all clients at NTP. This postcard will be concise and recap many of the same Energy Plan details the customer signed off on.
• 2) Minor Update to Customer Agreement Confirmation: A simple line has been added for all new customers with disclosure information about subsidized utility rate plans.
• 3) Automated Homeowner SMS: Homeowners now receive basic automated texts from LightReach at NTP (M0), Activation (M2), and prior to their first bill.

The Big Picture: We continue to build our a Common Sense Consumer Compliance framework with practical, non-invasive measures to help reinforce key aspects of the sales process, aimed at protecting both consumers and Certified Installers. These updates are small pieces of that broader framework.

The Fine Print: Original news.golightreach.com advanced preview: July 12th

The Update: Valley Electric Association has abruptly ended their Net Metering. As a result we have deactivated the utility from our platform for all new accounts.

The Details: Partners have until 8/9/24 to submit the NEM pre-application part of Interconnection to save place in line and ensure grandfathering. Installers will have until end of month to complete additional steps to ensure Interconnection.

Big Picture: While the footprint of this utility is small, their sudden ending of NEM applications highlights why co-ops & munis can have increased risk, as they can change their policies on moment's notice.

The Background: The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 boosts residential solar projects with an extra 10% ITC for using U.S.-made materials. Revamped IRS guidance now makes it easier to qualify via inverters and racking.

The Update: Lightreach plans to participate in Domestic Content for sales commencing in 2025. No action is required from Certified Installers at this time, but updated guidance will be provided in Q4, 2024. Details will be available at help.palmetto.finance.

The Big Picture: LightReach has established relationships with manufacturers that will allow us to participate in domestic content in the future. We're assessing an approach that maximizes DC value, while avoiding undue pressures on our Certified Installers.

The Fine Print: LightReach policy advisor and former head of FERC, Neil Chatterjee, is intimately involved in the Domestic Content rulings both with manufacturers and policy makers.

The Update: Lightreach is now available in parts of New York!

The Big Picture: New York is a key residential market for us to break into and we're launching in two steps.

• Live Now (8/12) - Upstate, Long Island/PSEG
• TBD - New York City, broader Con-Ed

The Fine Print: "Upstate" is defined as all areas outside of NYC/Long Island, and includes the following utilities:

• National Grid
• Central Hudson Gas & Electric
• New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG)
• Consolidated Edison (Con-Ed)
• Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E)
• Orange & Rockland

Upcoming new markets and market updates:

• Now: We're preparing for our initial launch for several utilities in upstate New York
• Next: Updates to pricing structure & M1 incentive requirements in Illinois will be announced ahead of statewide NEM changes
• Later: Virginia is on the radar for a launch in most major IOU utilities, following a new state law permitting TPO products. Details to follow in the coming weeks.