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Scituate resident and former Firefighter recognized for Random Act of Kindness and Sunny Disposition.

DATELINE: PLYMOUTH, MA…

Brian Poitras, a Scituate resident and a recent retiree of the Lowell Fire Department, once again did not hesitate when help was needed. 

While visiting the Scituate Senior Center, Brian was chatting with acquaintance Anne Tucker Roberts. 

Anne mentioned that she was concerned that during a hot and humid spell in July her air conditioner was not functioning.  Service companies were not responding to her telephone calls or were scheduling her out for several weeks. Anne and her 85-year-old husband, John, were not only uncomfortable, but at risk.

Out of the kindness of his heart, Brian ventured into his own basement, brought up a spare portable unit and installed it in the Roberts’ home.

“It is a story of what this country has lost. He has renewed my faith that people really DO care about others!” noted Anne.

Thus, Brian Poitras is the first to be recognized by the Sunny Disposition campaign sponsored by Plymouth Solar Energy.  In addition to recognition, Brian will receive a $50 gift certificate to Strega Café, one of Plymouth’s finer restaurants.

Know someone who has recently performed a random or intended act of kindness?

Could be something as simple as taking out the trash for an elderly neighbor.  Or helping with heavy lifting of a new couch.  Or sharing an extra plate of homemade brownies.

Plymouth Solar Energy is recognizing Sunny Disposition winners monthly.  The winner will receive dinner for two at one of Greater Plymouth’s leading restaurants and a spiffy pair of sunglasses.

Enter brief nomination at https://www.plymouthsolarenergy.com/sunny-disposition-plymouth

Plymouth Solar (PlymouthSolarEnergy.com ) is a regional leader in the installation and maintenance of commercial and residential solar and battery systems. The company boasts over 200 installed and on-line monitored solar systems within 50 miles of Plymouth.

Plymouth Solar Energy is located at 18 Main Street Extension, Plymouth, MA. There are now 10 full and part-time staffers at the growing entity.

For more info visit www.PlymouthSolarEnergy.com . For a complimentary Solar Feasibility Study or questions, call (508) 746-5430 or email info@plymouthsolarenergy.com.

Scituate resident and former Firefighter recognized for Random Act of Kindness and Sunny Disposition.Read More

Rodman CPAs’ Kathy Parker Outlines Federal Incentives at SBA 504 Green Commercial RE Seminar

Kathy Parker, CPA, MST
Kathy Parker, CPA, MST

Kathy Parker, CPA, MST, a partner at Rodman CPAs and an active leader of the company’s Renewable Energy and Cleantech specialty practice known as the “Green Team”, outlined federal incentives during a well-attended presentation at the SBA 504 Green Commercial Real Estate Seminar held last month at TD Bank Burlington.

Ms. Parker was an expert program presenter along with John Konevich, TD Bank’s SBA Lending Division and Eric Adams, Sales Manager, Bay Colony Development. The seminar was geared towards business owners interested in owning a building rather than leasing space, as well as for those who already own a building but who are looking for a source of capital and/or tax benefit in order to improve its energy efficiency.

Ms. Parker spoke about green energy federal incentives and tax implications, including new tax extenders for 2016, the Investment Tax Credit (ITC), and Business Energy Investment Tax Credit, Passive Activity Loss, depreciation and tax equity.

“There are a number of tax implications with the federal incentives, in particular with ITC as it has been modified,” explained Ms. Parker. “This seminar provided business owners with a thorough overview of tax credits and tax equity structure, as well as criteria for begun constructions, other tax incentives and the outlook for 2017.”

Green Energy Speaker

Ms. Parker is a recognized expert in renewable energy accounting and has been a guest speaker and panelist at renewable energy conferences and financial forums throughout the U.S., including the National Conferences in California and the American Biogas Conference in Ohio. She is available to speak to alternative energy producers, businesses and other audiences that pursue energy efficiency initiatives. Potential topics include: Green energy tax and business strategies for solar, wind, biomass, and cleantech companies; commercial and residential energy efficiency investments; the types of state and federal tax rebates available for various green energy initiatives; and the newly developed incentives and assistance programs geared towards accelerating the growth of solar energy infrastructure to mitigate climate change.

About Rodman CPAs

Founded in 1961, Rodman CPAs has been named one of Accounting Today’s Best Accounting Firms to Work for, and also named one of the largest accounting firms in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal. Rodman CPAs provides accounting, tax and business services to small and medium-sized companies throughout New England and beyond. The team specializes in improving business performance, business processes, operations, information technology, finance, and change navigation. Rodman CPAs provides companies with a sustainable financial roadmap through expert partnership/ corporate structuring for optimal tax benefit; grant qualification assistance and auditing; ongoing advisory services for federal, state and local tax incentives; and strategic financial planning and management.

The firm has a specialized renewable energy and clean technology accounting and tax services practice, known as the “Green Team” which serves renewable energy clients throughout the U.S. The company is Green Business Certified. For more information, visit their website at www.rodmancpa.com or contact (617) 965-5959.

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Rodman & Rodman’s Community Outreach Team Caters Meals for Rosie’s Place

Rodman and Rodman Team at Rosies Place
Rodman & Rodman’s Community Outreach Team serves up meals at Rosie’s Place – Front row: Janine O’Connor, Leah Shanahan, Kate Doherty, Caroline Gosselin, Elysha Sturm. Back row: Tom Astore, Syed Ahmed, Jeremy Eckmair, Marc Scribi

The Community Outreach team at Rodman & Rodman, P.C., an independent accounting and tax firm in Newton, MA, recently catered meals for three days at Rosie’s Place, the Boston based women’s shelter that provides housing, meals, education and support services.

Working under the supervision of Rosie’s Place Dining Room staff, Rodman’s Community Outreach team of nine prepared and served meals to approximately 150 women in need on each of the three days. Rodman also financially underwrote the cost of the nutritious meals.

“Catering and serving meals is their greatest volunteer need. A large part of Rodman & Rodman’s company culture revolves around our Community Outreach Program, which encourages staff to give back and get involved by helping others,” noted Steve Rodman, president.

He continued, “We were honored to be able to help out at Rosie’s Place.”

About Rodman & Rodman P.C.

Founded in 1961 and listed in the Boston Business Journal’s “Top 50 Firms” and named Accounting Today’s Best Accounting Firms to Work for, Rodman & Rodman, P.C. provides accounting, tax and business services to small and medium-sized companies. The Rodman & Rodman “Green Team” is a specialized green energy and clean technology accounting and tax services practice within Rodman & Rodman, P.C. that serves clients throughout the U.S.  The company is Green Business Certified. For more information, email info@rodmancpa.com, visit their website at www.rodmancpa.com or contact (617) 965-5959.

 

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Rodman & Rodman P.C. of Newton Honored as 2014 Accounting Today’s Best Accounting Firms to Work For

Steve Rodman, CPA, MST, president
Steve Rodman, CPA, MST, president

Rodman & Rodman, P.C. , an independent accounting and tax firm based in Newton, MA with a Renewable Energy and Cleantech specialty practice serving clients throughout the U.S., has recently been honored as one of the 2014 Accounting Today’s Best Accounting Firms to Work for. This is the fourth year that Rodman & Rodman has received this distinction.

The 2014 Accounting Today’s Best Accounting Firms to Work for annual list was created by Accounting Today and Best Companies Group to identify, recognize and honor the best employers in the accounting industry, benefiting the industry’s economy, workforce and businesses. The list is made up of 100 companies.

Companies from across the United States entered the two-part survey process to determine Accounting Today’s Best Accounting Firms to Work for. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. This part of the process was worth approximately 25 percent of the total evaluation. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. This part of the process was worth approximately 75 percent of the total evaluation. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process, analyzed the data and determined the final ranking.

Rodman & Rodman’s growing team is led by three partners: Steven P. Rodman CPA, MST, president; Kathy Parker CPA, MST and Thomas Astore CPA, JD.

“We are committed to providing our staff of dedicated professionals with a very positive and engaging working environment along with many opportunities for career advancement. We’re delighted to receive this honor,” noted Rodman.

For more information on Accounting Today’s Best Accounting Firms to Work for program, visitwww.BestAccountingFirmsToWorkFor.com.

About Rodman & Rodman P.C.

Founded in 1961 and listed in the Boston Business Journal’s “Top 50 Firms,” Rodman & Rodman, P.C. provides accounting, tax and business services to small and medium-sized companies. The Rodman & Rodman “Green Team” is a specialized green energy and clean technology accounting and tax services practice within Rodman & Rodman, P.C. that serves clients throughout the U.S.  The company is Green Business Certified. For more information, email info@rodmancpa.com, visit their website at www.rodmancpa.com or contact (617) 965-5959.

 

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Rodman & Rodman Supports “Act Relative to Net Metering and Solar Power”

Steve Rodman, CPA, MST
Steve Rodman, CPA, MST

Rodman & Rodman, P.C., an independent accounting and tax firm with a Renewable Energy and Cleantech specialty practice serving “green” clients throughout the U.S., weighs in on proposed legislation regarding Net Metering and Solar Power awaiting passage in the MA House and Senate by July 31st.

“Due largely to the state’s policies providing net metering (credits for returning excess generation to the grid) and Solar Renewable Energy Credits, renewable energy projects — solar projects in particular — have enjoyed exceptional growth in Massachusetts,” said Steve Rodman, president of Rodman & Rodman, P.C. “These programs, along with federal incentives in the form of 1603 grants and Investment Tax Credits have allowed solar projects to confidently project a reasonable return on investment, which in turn has attracted investment and financing. However, solar capacity qualifying for net metering facilities benefiting cities, towns and other public entities has quickly approached the 3 percent cap allocated to each of the state’s electric utility service areas, and the lingering debate about when and how much to raise the caps has become a serious threat to financing future projects.”

Under the current net metering regulations, qualified solar energy generation sites can use excess capacity to create credits against both the cost of electricity and service. “While solar advocates want to significantly increase net metering caps to encourage financing and development, utilities and some industry advocates argue that a large increase in qualified net metering solar shifts the cost of grid infrastructure and other utility expenses away from the direct beneficiaries of solar projects to the rest of utility rate payers,” explained Rodman. “There are strong feelings from some Massachusetts industry advocate groups that also take this position.”

A viable compromise may come in the form of a new Massachusetts bill (H4185), currently awaiting passage in the MA House and Senate. Under the new legislation, net metering caps for solar projects in the Commonwealth would be permanently removed in exchange for a minimum monthly bill, the elimination of Solar Renewable Energy Credits, and the ability for utilities to adjust rates for power received from Virtual Net Metering sources (solar power deployments that share net metering credits with other consumers such as a landlord who owns a solar array and shares the benefits with tenants). In addition, the bill would provide for a “Declining Block Program” of incentive rates that would assign new generation coming online to a specific block value of dollars per kWh over a 15-year period that would decline as new capacity comes online. The block value rates bundle both electricity metering credits and incentive rates for renewable energy.

Some industry groups, such as the Associated Industries of Massachusetts still strongly oppose the legislation as an unfair redistribution of ratepayer tariffs. Even some Massachusetts solar groups are in opposition because they feel that the new legislation replaces a more free-market system that was working well with one that is untested and much more in the control of utilities and regulators. At the same time, The Solar Energy Industry Association and the New England Clean Energy Council strongly support the bill as a reasonable compromise to break the current stalemate on net metering caps, create long-term certainty to reduce risks and encourage continued investment in solar, and meet the commonwealth’s goal of 1,600 MW of solar energy by 2020.

“We support the new legislation and believe strong growth of solar energy in the commonwealth will pay big dividends to all rate payers in the long term while allowing utilities a reasonable path to recover some of the cost of our growing grid infrastructure and service requirements. We also feel that while distributed solar generation may add some expense in the short term, it will add clean generation capacity, reduce transmission congestion, reduce demand for added fossil fuel generation, reduce the need for added pipe and wire infrastructure, ultimately increasing the overall performance of the grid. We also think that thousands of jobs, a growing tax base, and cleaner air are not bad benefits either,” said Rodman.

 About Rodman & Rodman P.C.

Founded in 1961 and listed in the Boston Business Journal’s “Top 50 Firms,” Rodman & Rodman, P.C. provides accounting, tax and business services to small and medium-sized companies. For three consecutive years, Rodman & Rodman has been named one of the “Best Accounting Firms to Work For” in Accounting Today. The Rodman & Rodman “Green Team” is a specialized green energy and clean technology accounting and tax services practice within Rodman & Rodman, P.C. that serves “green” clients throughout the U.S.  The company is Green Business Certified. For more information, email info@rodmancpa.com, visit their website at www.rodmancpa.com or contact (617) 965-5959.

Rodman & Rodman Supports “Act Relative to Net Metering and Solar Power”Read More