Community-oriented values and cutting-edge solutions helped entrepreneur Mary Sundblad grow Stuff Etc Quality Consignment from a small craft and clothing shop into the largest consignment service operation in the nation. Her company’s latest innovation is installing solar power at multiple store locations across Iowa. 

At Stuff’s headquarters in Coralville, Iowa, Ideal Energy designed Iowa’s first solar plus storage combination as a work-around solution to the local utility’s very limited net metering policy. The system places a specific threshold to reduce peak demand, so any power drawn above will drain the batteries instead of drawing from the grid. This combination system is also based on ‘peak shaving.’ It prevents large spikes in power demand during peak times, which can trigger utilities to increase a customer’s electrical costs for the entire year. Stuff Etc was the first in the state to use a solar plus storage combination on a commercial scale.