NYSEIA Member Code of Conduct
Statement of Purpose
NYSEIA’s mission is to strengthen the distributed solar + storage industry through legislative and regulatory policy advocacy, public education, member capacity-building, and the promotion of good business practices within the industry. Each member and its staff play a critical role in shaping the reputation of New York’s solar + storage industry; positive public sentiments about our industry are invaluable to each member and to our collective efforts to accelerate distributed solar + storage deployment. In addition to complying with all relevant laws and regulations, it is critical that solar + storage companies operating in New York State do so with the utmost integrity. The need for integrity applies to member companies’ business practices in the marketplace as well as member conduct within the association. This code of conduct, which may be updated from time-to-time by NYSEIA’s Board of Directors, applies to all NYSEIA members. This code of conduct will be distributed to all members and will be publicly posted on NYSEIA’s website for inspection by members and the public. Failure to comply with this code of conduct may be grounds for removal from the association by NYSEIA’s Board of Directors, in accordance with the association’s bylaws. Thank you for your cooperation and partnership in strengthening New York’s solar + storage industry.
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NYSEIA Members commit to the following:
1. Compliance with all Applicable Laws
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2. Compliance with all terms in SEIA Solar Business Code: https://www.seia.org/initiatives/seia-solar-business-code
3. High Quality and Safe Installations
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Use of appropriate equipment. All materials and products used in installation must be, at minimum, merchantable and fit for purpose
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Use of trained and qualified personnel
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Design and installation in accordance with all applicable codes
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Monitoring and maintenance in accordance with industry best practices and contract terms
4. Worker Safety and Fair Labor Practices
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Complying with Equal Opportunity Employment anti-discrimination laws
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Complying with OSHA requirements and applicable Labor Laws
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Prioritizing worker safety and long-term success over short-term profit
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5. Consumer Protections and Honest Business Practices
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Ensuring honesty and transparency throughout the sales process
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Complying with New York’s Uniform Business Practices for DERs
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Complying with NYSERDA program rules where applicable
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6. Respectful Solar Industry Member Conduct
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Communicating respectfully with external stakeholders, including NYSERDA and Department of Public Service staff, legislators and legislative staff, and utility personnel
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Communicating respectfully with other NYSEIA members
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Refraining from defaming solar and energy storage industry participants
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7. Appropriate Trade Association Conduct
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Communicating respectfully with NYSEIA members and staff on member calls, events and conferences
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Complying with antitrust guidelines during member meetings (below)
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Confidentiality: NYSEIA members may not share any sensitive information, draft documents or other internal NYSEIA work product with non-members
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Conflict of interest: NYSEIA’s sole focus is New York’s distributed solar + storage market. Member companies that operate in other market segments (either directly or through affiliated businesses) that may have conflicting priorities, such as utility-scale renewables, regulated utilities, or fossil fuels, commit to: 1) not sharing any NYSEIA sensitive information, draft documents or other internal NYSEIA work product with personnel with a role in conflicting business units; and 2) disclosing relevant conflicts and recusing themselves from discussions on matters where they are not able to be impartial due to their conflicting interests. This policy shall apply to all members.
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NYSEIA Antitrust Reminder (Stated at the Beginning of Member Meetings)
As a trade association of competitors, NYSEIA must comply with and be mindful of antitrust laws. It is important that competitively sensitive matters are not discussed on this call, including product prices or costs; sales terms or conditions; production levels; sales territories; marketing plans; industry forecasts; or bid terms. If any such topic is raised, I will stop the conversation and, if necessary, end the call.