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Vivint Solar

California Solar Incentives, Solar Installers, & Solar Costs

by Zach June 7, 2016

written by Zach

Originally published on Cost of Solar.

California is ground zero for solar energy in the United States. So, it seems logical to start our state-level solar energy deep dives here. In the article below, I’ll provide as thorough a look at California solar incentives + solar installers + solar costs as I’ve seen anywhere. Actually, it is more thorough than anything I’ve seen.

Naturally, if you read through this and know of more California solar energy facts or resources I should look at and include, let me know in the comments!

Solar Incentives

The first thing to know is that there’s a solar investment tax credit (ITC) available across the United States that offers a credit from the federal government of up to 30% of the cost of a solar installation. However, you have to have that much tax liability in a single year in order to take advantage of the full credit. Additionally, the 30% credit runs through 2019, after which, a phaseout of the incentive begins (under current law). Here are some more details from the US Department of Energy:

Solar-electric property

30% for systems placed in service by 12/31/2019
26% for systems placed in service after 12/31/2019 and before 01/01/2021
22% for systems placed in service after 12/31/2020 and before 01/01/2022
There is no maximum credit for systems placed in service after 2008.
Systems must be placed in service on or after January 1, 2006, and on or before December 31, 2021.
The home served by the system does not have to be the taxpayer’s principal residence.

Solar water-heating property

30% for systems placed in service by 12/31/2019
26% for systems placed in service after 12/31/2019 and before 01/01/2021
22% for systems placed in service after 12/31/2020 and before 01/01/2022
There is no maximum credit for systems placed in service after 2008.
Systems must be placed in service on or after January 1, 2006, and on or before December 31, 2021.
Equipment must be certified for performance by the Solar Rating Certification Corporation (SRCC) or a comparable entity endorsed by the government of the state in which the property is installed.
At least half the energy used to heat the dwelling’s water must be from solar in order for the solar water-heating property expenditures to be eligible.
The tax credit does not apply to solar water-heating property for swimming pools or hot tubs.
The home served by the system does not have to be the taxpayer’s principal residence.

Across California, certain solar energy systems are exempt from property taxes, so no need to worry about increasing your tax bill.

Probably the second-biggest incentive for California solar consumers is the state’s net metering policy — hence the reason fossil fuel & monopolistic utility companies have been routinely attacking it and trying to remove or change it. The policy exists in the jurisdictions of all of the state’s utilities except LADWP, which has a feed- in tariff program in place and its own net metering policy. Under the state net metering policy, excess electricity a consumer generates with her/his solar power system (or other renewable energy system) is treated as follows:

Credited to customer’s next bill at retail rate. After 12-month cycle, customer may opt to roll over credit indefinitely or to receive payment for credit at a rate equal to the 12-month average spot market price for the hours of 7 am to 5 pm for the year in which the surplus power was generated. (If customer makes no affirmative decision, credit is granted to utility with no compensation for customer.)

While consumers using net metering were exempted from connection charges for years, the rules recently changed, and will coming into effect in July 2017 at the latest. Here are more details from DSIRE:

In January 2016, the California Public Utilities Commission issued a decision on its net metering successor tariff. Customers on the new net metering successor tariff will have to pay an interconnection fee, estimated at $75-$150; pay all non-bypassable charges for all electricity consumed from the grid (~$0.02-0.03/kWh); and go on a time-of-use rate. The net metering successor tariff will take effect for California’s three large investor-owned utilities (IOU) on July 1, 2017, or when 5% of the sum of non-coincident customer peak demand is reached for the IOU, which translates to an installed net-metered capacity of 2,409 MW for Pacific Gas and Electric, 2,240 MW for Southern California Edison, and 617 MW for San Diego Gas and Electric.

Click here to read more about the CPUC’s efforts to create a customer-generator successor tariff or contract.

Virtual net metering is also allowed for multi-family buildings, and an April 2016 CPUC decision added rules for solar-connected storage systems up to 10 kW. Here are some more details on the virtual net metering rules:

AB 2466 of 2008 allows a local government, if certain conditions are met, to distribute bill credits from a renewable energy system across more than one meter. To be eligible for this billing arrangement all electrical accounts involved must receive electricity under a time-of-use tariff, and all accounts must be owned by the same entity.

California also allows virtual net metering for certain utility customers. Originally authorized just for customers participating in the Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing (MASH) program, the CPUC voted in July 2011 in favor of a proposed decision which extends virtual net metering to all multi-tenant properties and to all distributed generation technologies. Virtual net metering allows the bill credits associated with the electricity produced by the system to be distributed across all the tenants’ electricity bills.

Regarding solar + storage, here are the rules:

Energy Storage (IOUs Only)
California allows renewable energy systems coupled with energy storage to qualify for net metering. A chief concern when introducing storage to net metering is the risk that a customer would store grid electricity during times when electricity costs are low and export that same grid electricity during times when electricity costs are high. The CPUC developed rules to address this and other concerns. The CPUC developed different rules for PV systems paired with storage devices 10 kW or less, and PV systems paired with storage devices larger than 10 kW or other forms of renewable energy paired with storage of any size.

PV systems paired with storage devices larger than 10 kW and non-PV renewable energy technologies paired with storage of any size:
The CPUC issued a decision in May 2014 establishing rules for net metering systems paired with storage devices larger than 10 kW. In addition to other requirements, these systems must : 1) install a non-export relay on the storage device(s); 2) install an interval meter for the NEM-eligible generation, meter the load, and meter total energy flows at the point of common coupling; or 3) install an interval meter directly to the NEM-eligible generator(s). While these rules originally applied only to systems paired with storage larger than 10 kW, a subsequent CPUC decision extended these requirements to all non-PV technologies paired with storage of any size.

PV systems paired with storage devices 10 kW or less:
The CPUC issued a decision in April 2016 establishing rules for net metering PV systems paired with storage 10 kW or less. Rather than installing the extra equipment required for storage devices greater than 10 kW, the rules for PV systems paired with smaller storage protects against rate arbitrage by relying on system output estimations. Specifically, utilities are required to establish monthly maximum allowable output limits for net metering facilities using CPUC-approved tools. Any export by the customer’s system which exceeds the monthly limit would not be eligible for net metering credits.

The other big solar incentive in California for years was the California Solar Initiative’s cashback grant for installing solar. However, that program is now closed across the state for residential consumers. It is still open for commercial consumers in the San Diego Gas & Electric district.

That said, there are still numerous other solar incentives available in The Golden State. DSIRE collates the most comprehensive index of solar incentives in the country (or the world) as far as I’m aware. It shows 208 solar incentive programs in California. Of course, most are for specific cities, counties, utility jurisdictions, or special districts. I could quickly paste them all in here, but DSIRE continuously updates the incentives as they change, so I think it’s best to just direct you there to find the incentives that could benefit you.

Solar Installers

First of all, before looking into installers in your area, be sure you are prepared to evaluate installers and solar financing options. You don’t want to go to a solar installer with no background knowledge and info about what you are looking for, just as you don’t want to go to a car dealership in the same way.

Naturally, being the largest solar market in the US (by far), all of the big players in the home solar installation industry operate in California. Here’s the top 10 list (nationally):

SolarCity
Vivint Solar
Sunnova
RGS Energy (Real Goods Solar)
Solar Universe
Bland Solar & Air
Amergy Solar
Smart Energy Solar
KDH Solar
Direct Solar Energy

It’s not clear if KDH Solar & Direct Solar Energy operate in California, but solar installers #1–8 do.

As hinted above, though, not all installers are equal. Last year, SolarCity’s MyPower prices were found to be 34% higher than the California average. (Note: SolarCity later ended its MyPower program and just launched another home solar loan program.) Keys to evaluate are the types of financing options installers offer (and try to push on you): internally provided solar loans vs solar leases/PPAs vs solar loans from other companies. Then you have to evaluate how those options compare to other financing options you could use, weighing upfront costs, interest rates, timeframes (a 30-year loan is sure to cost you a lot more than a 20-year loan), and what’s included.

Aside from contacting individual installers, you can get quotes from a variety of installers via Cost of Solar, Pick My Solar, EnergySage, Google’s Project Sunroof, and probably other such services.

You can also check reviews on Yelp, but I hear that reviews are commonly planted on the site, so I don’t know how reliable they are.

A comprehensive database of solar installers/contractors was created and is maintained by the California Energy Commission, and you can search for one in your area via this tool.

Solar Costs

According to the Q4 2015 US Solar Market Insight report, average solar PV system pricing breaks out as follows:

SEIA notes, “Overall system pricing fell by up to 17% over the course of 2015, depending on the market segment, with the largest declines in the utility fixed-tilt sector. On a quarterly basis, pricing continues to trend downward with some levelling-off in the residential sector in particular due to strong investment in customer acquisition and the stubbornness of other soft costs. In the non- residential and utility sectors, there were annual declines of 10% and 17%, respectively. This reflects continued aggressive cost reductions, both in hardware and soft costs, in national system pricing on an aggregate basis. Moreover, as installers and EPCs expand to regions with lower labor and regulatory compliance costs, these regions will have a larger impact on aggregate pricing. Due to advantages from scale, variations in utility system costs are much smaller than variations in residential and non-residential solar costs.”

Here are some more details on solar PV system pricing:

Average pricing for residential rooftop systems landed at $3.50/Wdc in Q4 2015, with nearly 65% of costs coming from on-site labor, engineering, permitting and other soft costs.

While residential hardware costs have fallen by over 16% in the past year, soft costs have actually risen on an industry average basis by 7%, primarily due to rising customer acquisition costs among national and local players alike.

In the non-residential market soft costs remain a challenge as well. Hardware costs fell 15% year- over-year while soft costs saw a modest decrease of 6%. In Q4 2015 soft costs accounted for approximately 50% of total system pricing. Soft costs can be even higher for projects in areas with strict labor requirements and particularly in tough permitting and interconnection jurisdictions. In order to continue reducing costs, developers and EPCs are looking to squeeze additional power density for commercial sites and amortize fixed costs over more power output – and therefore reduce dollar-per-watt and dollar-per-kWh.

California represents nearly 50% of the US solar market. While it’s not clear what the precise averages for solar costs are in California, the state can’t be too far off the average, on average. 😀

Based on the Pick My Solar research noted above regarding SolarCity, the average price of a SolarCity system is $5.10 per watt, while the company found the average price in the state to be $3.60 per watt. That matches up closely with GTM Research & SEIA’s Q4 average of $3.50 per watt. So, I think it’s safe to say that the California average is somewhere between $3.40 per watt and $3.70 per watt (but remember that soft costs have been coming down, and if the trend has continued in 2016, the overall average could be dropping).

If you have more information on solar costs in California, let us know!

June 7, 2016 1 comment

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Top 10 Solar Panel Installers

by Jake Richardson May 18, 2016

written by Jake Richardson

These top 10 lists are a little peculiar sometimes because one might conclude that they are objective. However, while they can appear to be that way, they are usually more subjective, based in assessments conducted by particular websites or publications. Depending on which criteria are used, their results might not be what you need or want. So, in order to determine which solar installer might work for you, it could be helpful to compare lists of top solar panel installers.

solarpanels2 To that end, let’s look at a list (from GTM Research) which placed SolarCity, Vivint Solar, Sungevity, Sunrun, and Verengo Solar in the top five. According to this source, they made the top five because they installed the largest percentages of rooftop solar power systems — half or more of all solar panels in the US for the year 2014.

SolarCity had 34% of installations, Vivint Solar had 13%, Sungevity with 3%, Sunrun with 2%, and Verengo Solar with the same as Sunrun.

A 2015 list showed a similar split but some notable changes:

SolarCity 34.1%
Vivint Solar 11.6%
Sunrun 2.6%
NRG Home Solar 2%
Sungevity 1.9%

However, SolarCity has a leasing- and PPA-focused model. With leases and (power purchase agreements) PPAs, SolarCity owns the solar power systems, and the homeowners get some portion of the electricity. If you want to own our home solar power system, they also can make arrangements for that, but it is a small part of the company’s business and apparently not the most attractive option for home solar loans. Also, SolarCity’s prices are reportedly much higher than the competition’s.

Vivint Solar has a similar service, but they just offer PPAs where they own the home solar power system, and the homeowner agrees to pay for electricity generated by it and a certain rate for a specified period of time.

The reason that SolarCity and Vivint have installed so many more solar panels is that their services typically have low or no upfront costs. This kind of service is much cheaper initially compared with the cost of installing a home solar power system that a homeowner will own and maintain. It is only reasonable that cost-constrained homeowners who are trying solar power for the first time might want to choose a system that is very low or no upfront cost, rather than paying over $10,000 or more for their own home solar system, or applying for a loan for one.

So, yes, SolarCity and Vivint are top installers of solar panels, but they own those systems once they have been installed. The technology is the same, but the relationship with the homeowner is different. Also, if you own your own home solar power system, you have control over it and you actually could make money in the long-term. So, the fact that SolarCity and Vivint have installed far more solar panels than their competitors might make them see far and away the best, but one of the reasons they are so far ahead is the greater affordability of leasing or PPAs—not necessarily because they are superior installers or offer a much better product. Their installations and products may (or may not) be very good, but that’s not really the point.

SolarCity and Vivint Solar have also seemingly had more effective marketing and financing arrangements.

The installers lower on the list may offer the same quality of installation and products, but they may have been less popular because they don’t offering leasing or PPA. Alternatively, they may be focused on smaller markets.

This consideration is something to keep in mind when researching solar power options for you home. In other words, popularity may sway some people’s decision-making in a direction that isn’t beneficial.

Leasing might appeal to many, but when you lease, you typically don’t own the system, and you generally give away some of the potential financial benefit. If you are energy-conscious and own your system you might generate more electricity than you consume, which you could sell back to the utility, if net metering is available where you live. Also, if you own your own home solar system, you will probably be eligible to receive some incentives, so the net price of that system will be reduced for you.

Of course, it matters very much that you understand the difference between owning your own home solar power system, leasing, and signing a power purchase agreement.

Solar Power World’s Top 10

Solar Power World published its own top 10 residential solar contractors (installers) list and includes some that GTM research did not. Check out the top 10:

1. SolarCity
2. Vivint Solar
3. Sunnova
4. RGS Energy (Real Goods Solar)
5. Solar Universe
6. Bland Solar & Air
7. Amergy Solar
8. Smart Energy Solar
9. KDH Solar
10. Direct Solar Energy

1. SolarCity is located in San Mateo, California, and has about 10,000 employees. It installs solar power systems, but the homeowners often don’t own them — they lease them (or buy the electricity from them) from SolarCity, presumably for a lower price than they’d buy electricity from the grid. It makes sense that SolarCity is a leader, because its customers have very little in upfront costs and the company had a lot of financial support to grow quickly and establish strong relationships with bankers & financiers. This company is well known for its association with Elon Musk, chairman of the company and cousin to founders & CEO + CTO Lyndon Rive & Peter Rive. SolarCity operates in: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and Washington DC.

2. Vivint Solar is located in Lehi, Utah, and it has a similar kind of service provided by SolarCity, except that it typically uses power purchase agreements (which SolarCity sometimes uses) instead of leasing. Also, it goes door to door to get customers, and its larger parent company sells various other home products, like alarm systems. Vivint has about 3,200 employees and has installed 228 MW of solar panels. Vivint Solar currently operates in: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington DC.

3. Sunnova is located in Houston, TX. This company offers the ability for a homeowner to own his or her own system, sign a power purchase agreement, or get a solar lease. Sunnova operates in Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.

4. RGS Energy (Real Solar Goods) is located in Louisville, Colorado. It offers solar leases, service agreements, and home solar systems for purchase. It operates in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

5. Solar Universe is located in Livermore, California. It offers $0-down solar financing when installing home solar systems, or fully prepaid solar contracts. It operates in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico.

6. Bland Solar & Air is based in Bakersfield, California. It installs solar power systems, but has expertise with air conditioning as well. It recommends using the nonprofit Educational Employees Credit Union for financing (getting a loan) if one isn’t able to or doesn’t want to self-finance the project. “Educational Employees Credit Union offers a number of Energy Efficiency Loan choices, including a $0 down payment option,” the company writes.

7. Amergy Energy is a New Jersey–based company. It installs, finances, and leases solar power systems for homes, businesses, and nonprofit organizations. It operates in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.

8. Smart Energy Solar is located in Corona, California. It has installed thousands of solar systems, including solar PV, solar hot water heaters, and solar pool heating.

9. KDH Solar is located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It installs both residential and commercial systems.

10. Direct Energy Solar is located in Annapolis, Junction. It is focused on residential solar power systems.

Another consideration when choosing a solar power installer is what role they play in your community. Some consumers like to support local businesses and others don’t care. Some also like to support local people they know or their family or friends have some connection with, because the business transaction is more personal in nature. Others don’t care about the personal side, and only want affordability and quality service.

Yet another point to reflect on is whether or not a top 10 list means much to you, because it might hit some of the generic points, but ultimately your decision is your own, and you need to have some sense that it is the right decision, not merely the result of having found some information. If your local solar panel installer is not on any top 10 lists, they may still be very effective and you would determine that by researching them carefully. You can see from the GTM Research ranking above that about 50% of the solar power installed on rooftops is installed by a company with less than 2% market share.

We encourage people to get as many solar quotes as possible (they’re always free): from Cost of Solar, Pick My Solar, EnergySage, Google’s Project Sunroof, and anyone else you can find.

Also, some people don’t even choose a solar panel installer, because they have a DIY mentality and they install their own solar panel systems. These people are currently in the minority, but that may change over time if installing systems becomes easy enough.

We are still in the infancy of solar power in the US, with just over 1% of our total electricity generated by it. Things will change as it grows, including the “technical” knowledge of everyday people.

Image Credit: AleSpa (CC BY-SA 3.0 license)

May 18, 2016 0 comment

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Top 10 Solar Power Companies, & Top 5, & Top 10 Again

by Jake Richardson May 18, 2016

written by Jake Richardson

When you ask who the top solar power companies are, you will probably want to distinguish between residential installers and solar panel manufacturers. Solar power generally is thought of as home solar power, though utilities and businesses also are investing in it. This article looks at the top residential solar contractors / residential solar installers as well as the top American solar panel manufacturers.

According to Solar Power World Online, the top solar residential contractors are:

1. SolarCity
2. Vivint Solar
3. Sunnova
4. RGS Energy (Real Goods Solar)
5. Solar Universe
6. Bland Solar & Air
7. Amergy Solar
8. Smart Energy Solar
9. KDH Solar
10. Direct Solar Energy

However, this doesn’t really cover the full story. GTM Research’s US residential installer leaderboard for the end of 2015 was as follows for the top 5:

SolarCity 34.1%
Vivint Solar 11.6%
Sunrun 2.6%
NRG Home Solar 2%
Sungevity 1.9%

Clearly, the two rankings look at different matters and come to different results. Anyhow, diving into the companies in the GTM Research ranking, here’s a bit more info from Solar Love:

3. Sunrun was one of the first companies to offer solar leasing, but it also offers systems via loans and cash purchases now. It is based in California, but is now working in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.

4. NRG Home Solar is a subsidiary of energy giant NRG. Like the companies above, its main pitch is $0-down solar leasing. It doesn’t yet seem to offer solar loans like the other companies above. In a market that is shifting back toward straight purchases and loans, it seems NRG Home Solar will have to broaden its offering in order to remain competitive for long. NRG Home Solar operates in: California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, and Texas.

5. Sungevity, based in Oakland, California, also has a long history in solar leasing, but it offers solar power installations via solar loans and cash purchases as well. Sungevity CEO Andrew Birch has said the company was agnostic regarding financing, agreed the shift is going back toward system purchases, and is typically keen to highlight Sungevity’s competitive advantages from its iQuote system, which provides a solar power quote using satellite technology quickly and remotely, and “also provides customers with dedicated project managers so that they don’t have to go through any automated customer support or deal with different people (who need to be caught up on their project) every time they call or email.” Sungevity operates in: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington DC.

Regarding the remaining companies from the Solar Power World Online ranking, here’s a little more info:

8. Smart Energy Solar is located in Corona, California. It has installed thousands of solar systems, including solar PV, solar hot water heaters, and solar pool heating.

9. KDH Solar is located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It installs both residential and commercial systems.

10. Direct Energy Solar is located in Annapolis, Junction. It is focused on residential solar power systems.

Solar panel installers typically don’t make their own solar panels, they install panels made by manufacturers. SolarCity is going to be making its own solar panels and installing whole systems, so it is the exception.

Is there any advantage to a solar panel installer making its own technology? It might be that there could be better communication about the solar panels with the installers, if it comes from within the same company. It also might be easier to get defective panels replaced if there is better communication, rather than one company trying to communicate with another. Additionally, vertical integration like this could bring down costs. The downside would be if these in-house solar panels ended up being more expensive and the company was tied to using them.

Also, if the installer makes solar panels in the same country, communication may be enhanced because there is no cross-culture or cross-language issues. However, because of globalization, international business is common now, so cross-cultural situations might not be an issue.

Another consideration is that some consumers like to support companies based in their own countries. In this case, an American home or business owner who wants to invest in solar power might consider working with a company like SolarCity, or try to locate solar panels made in America by a company like SunPower.

Obviously, solar panels need to be manufactured before they can be installed, and fortunately, a number of American companies make them.

Top American Solar Panel Manufacturers

1. First Solar has its headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, and has solar panel manufacturing sites in the US, Germany, and Malaysia.

2. SunPower has its headquarters in San Jose, California, and manufactures panels in the US and the Philippines.

3. SolarWorld has its US headquarters near Portland (it is originally a German company) and most of its manufacturing is done in Germany.

4. SolarCity is based in San Mateo, California, and it is working to build a very large solar panel manufacturing site in New York state.

5. Suniva has its headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, and manufacturing sites in Michigan and Georgia. It was founded in 2007.

While it is important to know the names of these companies, their locations, and what they provide, there is something of equal importance that doesn’t get talked about enough, or at all. These solar power companies are accomplishing something important for the country—they are helping the United States very gradually shift away from fossil fuel use to clean, renewable energy.

There are a raft of benefits linked with solar power: it’s better for climate change, reduces harmful air pollution, and is better for the national economy because it reduces reliance on imported fossil fuels. Eventually, all coal mining and burning might also be eliminated, and coal mining clearly is very unhealthy for mine workers. Sometimes it is fatal. Making and installing solar panels is relatively safe, so it is better for American workers.

Solar power creates a lot of jobs, and more solar jobs are expected to be added in the US in 2016 than oil-related jobs.

The solar power trend is taking off and it is has never been more affordable. Though, many of us may not be aware of how much solar power prices have fallen. American solar power companies have accomplished a lot so far, and yet they are poised to do much more. At the same time, they seem to have been given almost no credit for their achievements. Currently, the US gets less than 2% of its electricity from solar power, but that figure is set to increase as solar companies continue to install more and more of it. Also, the costs are dropping, so solar power is becoming more accessible all the time. Additionally, the costs will most likely continue to decrease and demand will likely grow. So, solar power is going to be a bigger part of the American energy future.

Image Credit: CHAK 001, (Creative Commons BY 3.0)

May 18, 2016 0 comment

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Canadian Solar Enters Into Long-Term Supply Contract With Vivint Solar

by Joshua S Hill September 12, 2015

written by Joshua S Hill

Canadian solar PV manufacturer Canadian Solar has entered into a long-term product supply agreement with American solar energy company Vivint Solar.

Canadian Solar is one of the world’s leading solar power companies, and despite recent slips in shipping numbers, the company was one of those that won out in the recent Brazil solar power auction. Announced Thursday, Canadian Solar followed up this news with the news that it had entered into a long-term product supply agreement with Vivint Solar, one of North America’s leading distributed residential and commercial solar energy providers.

As per the agreed contract, Canadian Solar will supply Vivint Solar with high-efficiency CS6P polycrystalline modules for use in residential and commercial installations.

“As North America’s largest module manufacturer, we take pride in significantly growing this relationship with Vivint Solar to supply our innovative and cost-effective panels to residential and consumer customers in the United States,” said Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar. “In line with Canadian Solar’s corporate vision, this agreement will make solar more affordable for all homeowners.”

This new agreement will provide Canadian Solar a new means by which to reach market segments throughout the United States, as well as expand its own consumer base.

“Vivint Solar is pleased to add Canadian Solar as one of our key module suppliers,” said Jan Newman, Senior Vice President of Business Development at Vivint Solar. “This new, strategic relationship will allow us to provide solar power to new residential and commercial customers in various markets.”

September 12, 2015 0 comment

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Vivint Solar Teaming Up With Google For Project Sunroof

by Joshua S Hill August 21, 2015

written by Joshua S Hill

Following this weeks’s Project Roof announcement, Vivint Solar has revealed that it will be partnering with Google in the endeavour.

Google announced its latest 20% project earlier this week, the brainchild of Google employee Carl Elkin. Project Sunroof allows users to utilise “high-resolution aerial mapping (the same used by Google Earth) to help you calculate your roof’s solar energy potential, without having to climb up any ladders.” Currently only available in the San Francisco Bay Area, Fresno, and Boston areas, Google isn’t shy about the project’s possible growth.

Right after that, without explaining much about exactly how, Vivint Solar revealed that it would be teaming up with Google for Project Sunroof.

In the press release, Vivint Solar repeats much about the Google project that we already know — by copying directly from the original Google Green Blog post. At the same time, however, its includes itself in the process.

“Vivint Solar teaming up with Google is giving homeowners across the country immediate insight, information and access to rooftop solar power—that’s good for everyone,” said Greg Butterfield, CEO of Vivint Solar.

Project Sunroof allows users to not only to gauge whether rooftop solar is a feasible option for their home, but it intends to also link the user with local solar providers — “like Vivint Solar.”

“Vivint Solar has created an incredible product that’s revolutionizing the energy market,” said Dwain Kinghorn, Chief Strategy and Innovations Officer at Vivint Solar. “It’s simple. It’s affordable. And together with Google, we’re able to let customers all over the country know that solar power is a lot simpler and more affordable than they might have thought.”

Presumably, Vivint Solar will provide Google with some direct access to facts and figures for their local development options, and will benefit from being a suggested choice by the tool itself.

Of course, it’s only a matter of time, then, before we see other solar companies in the US jumping on board, with competitors like SolarCity sure to join the partnership soon (if it hasn’t already).

August 21, 2015 0 comment

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SolarEdge Inverters Now Included In More Vivint Solar Systems

by Steve Hanley May 1, 2015

written by Steve Hanley

Vivint Solar, a national home solar company, will reportedly partner with SolarEdge, one of the leading suppliers of power inverters and power optimizers, to bring leading-edge technology to all Vivint customers coast to coast, according to a recent SolarEdge press release. SolarEdge inverters have an embedded rapid shutdown capability that provides an additional layer of safety for workers and firefighters in accordance with the 2014 National Electric Code, which has been adopted in a number of states.

SolarEdge inverters also have an integrated revenue-grade metering function that will give Vivint Solar customers full access to the level of data accuracy required to collect performance-based financial incentives without the need for additional components. In other words, it keeps accurate track of system performance to make sure homeowners qualify for the best possible rate from the local utility company whether they are buying power from the grid or selling power back to the grid.

Many people think all that’s necessary to install a solar power system at home is to put a few solar panel on the roof and then sit back and enjoy free electricity. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work quite that way. The electricity we use in our homes is in the form of alternating current (AC). The electricity produced by solar panels is in the form of direct current (DC). The two do not work together. An inverter is needed in the system to convert DC to AC so it can be used in the home.

The SolarEdge inverter operates at 97% efficiency, which means only 3% of the electricity made by the solar panels is lost during the conversion process. Many other inverters on the market are only 90–92% efficient. With those devices, almost 10% of the power generated by the home solar system is wasted. SolarEdge inverters can work with either single-phase of three-phase electrical power.

“SolarEdge has established itself as a key inverter supplier to Vivint Solar,” said Jan Newman, Vice President of Business Development for Vivint Solar. “This collaboration enables Vivint Solar to continue to provide our customers with advanced technology while also improving the financials of PV to accelerate adoption across the country.”

For a Vivint Solar installer near you, visit the company website.

Image Credit: SolarEdge

May 1, 2015 1 comment

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1st Wave Of Veterans Trained In Solar Power All Hired By Vivint Solar

by James Ayre February 18, 2015

written by James Ayre

You probably remembering hearing a couple of months ago about a new first-of-its-kind program to train veterans for jobs in the solar energy industry, while at military installations.

That pilot program recently saw the first wave of graduates at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California — all 20 of which have now been offered jobs by the residential solar leasing and installation company Vivint Solar, according to a recent announcement by the company.

The pilot program — which has set out to train 200 veterans for jobs in the solar industry, at three different bases (Camp Pendleton, Fort Carson, and Naval Station Norfolk) — was launched back in September. With the first successful class graduation at Pendleton, training is now set to begin at Fort Carson and Naval Station Norfolk, at the start of the spring.

While Vivint Solar was the only company to hire any of the graduates from this first class, SunEdison, SolarCity, SunPower, and Sunrun have all also signed on to interview graduates of the program — representing some of the top solar companies in the country.

The training being given via the program is as part of a partnership with the Department of Energy’s Sunshot Initiative — which is designed, at least in part, to spur growth in the solar energy industry in the US.

Altogether, the two partners have set the rather ambitious goal of training 50,000 new workers for the solar industry by 2020. It’s not exactly clear what portion of this number is planned to be veterans — presumably, a substantial portion, though, I’d think. After all, it’s a great solution to multiple problems — veteran unemployment and a shortage of skilled solar workers.

The program is training up for a variety of different skills/positions, including: solar installation, sales, and system maintenance/inspection.

As it stands currently, roughly 1 in every 10 workers in US solar energy industry is a veteran. That figure seems likely to continue growing thanks to programs such as these.

Image Credit: Lance Cpl. Asia J. Sorenson (cropped — 20 service members graduate from the Solar Energy Training Program at Camp Pendleton)

February 18, 2015 0 comment

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Sunrun Announces Certified Partnership Program To Grow Network

by Adam Johnston November 18, 2014

written by Adam Johnston

Sunrun has announced a new certified program to advance its network and business model. With the certificate partnership program, partners will receive help with training, technology, and products necessary to advance their businesses.

Image Credit via Flickr Some Rights Reserved

Sunrun is different compared to other installers, including SolarCity and Vivint. It uses a network of partner installers and manufacturers to grow its own business, while assisting its network partners to expand theirs.

Vice President Matthew Woods said Sunrun’s partners are a critical part of its business, especially when extending into different areas of the US.

The Sunrun Partner Program will have different levels of performance metrics. Partners will have access to Sunrun BrightPath, a software program, sales training, and marketing support.

Currently, 35 companies are in the program. These companies range from sales only, to companies that install and sell residential solar, to Engineering Procurement and Development (EPC) companies.

“Being a part of the Sunrun Partner Program has provided me with the support I need for my marketing and sales teams to be successful in the field,” said Rising Sun Solar Brad Albert, a member of Sunrun’s Partner Program.

“The dedicated support staff is always there for me, and the marketing resources has been a huge time-saver. I have ownership over my own company, but I have the support of Sunrun’s reputation and network when I need it,” he said.

One can look at this recent move as part of Sunrun’s plan of reaching 100% growth 2015. Around 67% of its consumers come from its affiliated associates. In 2013, Sunrun saw a 60% increase in installations compared to 2012, while installing 792 MW.

Leveraging those partners, which make up most of Sunrun’s customers, will be critical for its future success. Without a solid partnership program, as mentioned in this post, Sunrun would likely face a harder challenge in reaching its 100% 2015 growth rate target.

November 18, 2014 0 comment

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Solar CEO Says Republican Congress Could Be Good

by Jake Richardson November 14, 2014

written by Jake Richardson

In a recent interview, Vivint Solar CEO Greg Butterfield said he is optimistic about how the new Congress will be in relation to solar power.

His perspective is admirable, because optimism tends to help CEOs be effective leaders. This mental framework is not about expecting positive outcomes only, it is more of a belief in the potential to overcome difficulties and to experience success.

The general view is that Democrats favor solar power and most Republicans do not… well, on the Congressional level, that has very much been true. Therefore, renewable energy supporters may have been very upset about the mid-term elections.

Let’s look at some of Butterfield’s answers in the interview: “I think the federal government steps in whenever something must be done to benefit the broader public. For example, it has offered subsidies for oil and gas since just about forever. It also provides the ITC tax credit for solar, which has been instrumental for us to build a renewable, lower-cost energy service. There is a step-down in the credit anticipated for 2016, but we believe we’ll still be successful after that happens.”

November 14, 2014 4 comments

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Vivint Solar IPO And CEO Interview

by Jake Richardson October 8, 2014

written by Jake Richardson

Vivint Solar recently had its IPO, so it has been an exciting and critically important time for the residential solar power company. CEO Greg Butterfield generously took some time out of his very busy schedule to answer some questions.

1. You have been through a number of IPOS. What was your impression of this one?

This is an exciting time in an emerging industry. The momentum and the camaraderie in the industry to grow solar is incredible. I view this as a financial event and am interested in the long-term. I was pleased with the pricing and we had a great reception with around 400 meetings. People got the story and were really excited about Vivint Solar.

2. Where will you focus the funds you raised to help Vivint?

We will use the proceeds to repay outstanding financial obligations and grow our business over the next 12 to 18 months.

3. It seems Vivint is compared with Solar City with some frequency, what would say are the key differences?

There are some differences in our businesses. We are downstream, whereas I think that SolarCity is going midstream. It recently bought a panel company and a racking company. We have partnerships with panel makers and racking companies, but don’t think we can be the best in everything, and are not looking to get into hardware. I think that gives us more strategic alignment with our customers, because we’re always looking to partner with the best providers.

4. What are some of Vivint’s near-term goals following the IPO?

Staying focused on things we can control.

5. There is so much work to be done in bringing solar power to homes and businesses across America that one could also take the view that Vivint and Solar City are actually working in a complementary fashion. Is there also more space for new solar power companies to join in and grow solar together?

Absolutely. Residential solar holds less than 1% market penetration in the United States, so we welcome others to join us to increase that market.

6. How many employees do you have currently and how much do you expect to grow in the next five years?

We currently employ more than 2500 employees and will strategically hire to meet business demand.

7. Are you expecting utility-scale solar power to be any challenge to your business model?

No. We are currently only installing on residential rooftops.

8. Is Vivint expecting to add any new business partnerships in the next several years?

While we do not have anything to report at this time, we are always looking for opportunities to partner, license, and invest in complementary products, technologies, or businesses.

Image Credit: Vivint Solar

October 8, 2014 0 comment

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