Book cover titled 'Solar Coaster' about the solar industry journey.

SOLAR COASTER is a business memoir offering a rare insider’s perspective on the US solar industry’s evolution, its political challenges, and the author’s personal triumphs. Interwoven with spiritual realizations and a message of resilience, this book is for readers seeking inspiration, business and industry insight, and a deeper understanding of how soul-based leadership can guide professional success.

SOLAR COASTER is the untold story of the US solar industry—told through the eyes of a leader who rode its wild highs and crushing lows for nearly two decades. From boardrooms to backroads, Jared Schoch reveals the inside battles over clean energy, the political storms that shaped an industry, and the personal journey that transformed his life.

This is more than a business memoir; it’s a story of soul, fortitude, and purpose—how spiritual clarity guided bold decisions and sustained hope through chaos. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a believer, or simply curious about the future of energy, SOLAR COASTER will inspire you to find light in the darkest turns.

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The solar industry is booming—but behind the headlines lies a rollercoaster of risk, reinvention, and relentless change. Jared Schoch has lived it all: the meteoric rise of SunEdison, the collapse of giants, and the birth of TurningPoint Energy—a company built on values, independence, and soul.

In SOLAR COASTER, Schoch shares candid lessons from the front lines of clean energy and the spiritual insights that shaped his leadership. With honesty and humor, he explores what it takes to thrive in a volatile industry while staying true to your calling. This is a book about business—but also about life, faith, and the power of purpose.

How a book became a movement. The Solar Coaster Project.

What People are Saying

“The solar coaster is real and Jared’s depiction of it is spot on. I have been riding it, much of it with Jared, for the last 15 years. Success in an industry this volatile isn’t about luck but a deeper grounding—it requires a level of belief and clarity that only comes from leading with soul.”
Salar NainiPresident, TurningPoint Energy
“Integrating spiritual growth into purposeful, soul-driven business leadership, Jared Schoch credits his Jesuit education – analytical thinking, ethical discernment, and service to others – as a north star for navigating a volatile high stakes industry while maintaining personal integrity. This book offers inspiration and invaluable practical wisdom to all who aspire to balanced and successful leadership.”
John J. Cecero, S.J.Vice President of Mission Integration and Ministry, Fordham University
“SOLAR COASTER is a fascinating look at one of the most dynamic industries of our time — and a reminder that how you ride the highs and lows matters just as much as where you land. Guided by his spiritual compass and the superb instincts of his wife, Jared reflects on a career defined not just by tenacity and persistence, but by a deep belief that conscious, soul-led leadership is the only kind worth practicing. Part industry memoir, part personal philosophy, this is a book for anyone who wants to succeed without losing themselves along the way.”
Britta von OesenManaging Director, Co-Head Energy Transformation Group, CG/CRC-IB
“SOLAR COASTER is a rare business story that pays attention to the soul. Jared Schoch reminds us that behind every career is a deeper calling—and that the most meaningful success comes when we learn to follow it.”
Michael HavercampDirector of Spiritual Formation – Africa, Young Life
“The lessons Schoch offers about solar entrepreneurship alone make SOLAR COASTER worth reading. But this book is so much more. Schoch ventures into a topic that few authors take on directly. Call it integrity, spirituality, or, as Schoch does, "soul", it is what often separates successful (and happy) long-term entrepreneurs from ones who are either unsuccessful or never experience the joy of gratified entrepreneurship. As Schoch puts it, it is the soul of who you are. This is true no matter what name you call God, or even if you don't believe in God at all.”
Robert A. "Bobby" Savoie PhDDean, College of Business, Loyola University New Orleans
"A solar energy entrepreneur blends memoir with broader reflections on the industry in this debut book...An earnest and well-observed consideration of one of America’s most turbulent industries. While Schoch doesn’t shy away from voicing his political frustrations, or his belief that climate change represents “one of humanity’s greatest existential threats,” his generally positive outlook identifies hope on the horizon in the form of AI-driven solutions and “younger, clean-energy-excited generations. This is an accessibly written book that blends commentary on the solar industry with engaging anecdotes; the volume concludes with practical advice and suggested reading for would-be solar power entrepreneurs."
Kirkus Reviews
“Its real subject is how a person builds a life around work that feels worth doing.”
Literary Titan's Silver Award
"Jared Schoch didn't set out to write a business book. He set out to tell the truth about an industry that has been running on hype, hope, political weather, and sheer stubborn belief for two decades, and to make sense of what it cost him personally to stay in it through all of that."
The Book Revue
“Not many people know about the ins and outs of the solar industry, but that will change once they have read Schoch's book...He writes with passion not only about climate issues, but also about his family and faith.”
The US Review of Books, Professional Reviews for the People

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Seventy-five percent of any net profit from the book will go to strategic initiatives with non-profit and for-profit organizations focused on improving spirituality in the world, solving climate change, solving poverty and improving education opportunities for those in need.

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About the Author

Jared Schoch is the founder and chairman of TurningPoint Energy, a national solar development company focused on building community and utility-scale solar power plants across the United States while investing in the communities it serves. He served as president of the company from 2014 to 2023, leading a team of veteran solar executives developing large-scale solar and clean technology power plants, advising utilities and corporate clients, and investing in differentiated clean energy opportunities.

Over the course of his career, Schoch has managed more than 3 gigawatts of projects representing over $5 billion in solar and energy efficiency investments and millions in combined personal and company lead charitable investments in the communities he has worked and lived. His work spans partnerships with utilities, school districts, cities, counties, hospitals, federal agencies, and industrial clients nationwide, giving him a broad, operator-level view of the U.S. energy system.

Jared Schoch, SOLAR COASTER
Photo Credit: Cara Leonard

Before founding TurningPoint Energy, he served as vice president and general manager of the U.S. power plants business at SOLON Corporation, where he helped expand and reposition the business for long-term profitability. Prior to that, he spent nearly five years building and scaling SunEdison’s U.S. utility-scale solar development platform. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles in energy efficiency business development at Johnson Controls and worked as a marketing consultant in the high-tech sector.

Rooted in faith and guided by resilience, Jared’s journey blends business insight with spiritual growth. He has served on the Board of Directors at TurningPoint Energy, the Board of Trustees at Loyola University New Orleans, the Board of Denver Urban Scholars and the Pastor’s Advisory Council for St. Clare’s Catholic Parish and remains engaged in questions of theology, philosophy, and spiritual life.

Jared lives in the Vail Valley, Colorado with his wife and two daughters and enjoys hiking, skiing, and traveling.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola University New Orleans and a Master of Business Administration from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. More on LinkedIn.

Jared Schoch, SOLAR COASTER
Photo Credit: Cara Leonard
Literary Titan Silver Book Award
Book Revue

AWARDS

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