Through Q3 of 2011, GTM Research says SolarCity is the leading national installer with 15% of the national market; Real Goods with 6% market share and REC Solar with 5% are second and third.
Germany may see a rush of solar panel installations in the coming weeks after lawmakers fail to agree on an overhaul of the county's clean-energy subsidy system.
REC Solar installed a 1MW system at the IKEA store in West Chester, OH; the 4,186 panel array will offset 85% of the store's electricity demand.
According to Interstate Renewable Energy Council, California's lead in solar is shrinking as other states provide solar incentives; CA had about 67% of all PV capacity in '08, now it's roughly 47%.
Onyx Services is moving to secure a significant stake in its co-development partner Optimum Solar; the firms co-developed the new "Plug-N-Play" all-in-one solar panel product.
Sunrun and PV Solar Report announce 3rd-party-owned solar reaches new milestone
PV Solar Report, an authority on solar market data, and Sunrun, the nation’s leading home solar company, today announced that nearly 3 out of 4 Californians who go solar choose solar power service over purchasing a system. Also known as 3rd-party-owned solar, solar power service reached a record adoption level of 73.4 percent of the California home solar in February 2012. It first surpassed the option to buy a system in July 2011.
Sunrun invented solar power service in 2007 as a way for homeowners to go solar without spending $30,000 or more to buy the panels. Sunrun owns and maintains the panels and homeonwers pay a low rate for power. The model increases local economic growth by infusing outside investment dollars into neighborhoods and communities. Consumers also have the added benefit of free maintenance and monitoring on their systems.
“Every consumer in today’s economy is looking for ways to save money, and now they can do that with a solar option that allows them to make the switch without owning the panels,” said Stephen Torres, founder and managing director of PV Solar Report. “This trend is taking hold on a national scale and PV Solar Report continues to track this and other critical data to provide up-to-date insight on how the solar market is growing.”
According to PV Solar Report, 3rd-party-owned solar grew 174 percent in the first two months of 2012 compared to the first two months of 2011. So far in 2012 solar service has generated over $100 million in growth for the California economy.
“Solar power service is catching on not only because it’s a smart financial choice, but also because homeowners prefer guaranteed service for 20 years when given that choice,” said Sunrun President and co-founder Lynn Jurich. “Sunrun relieves customers of operational responsibility so they get the choice for affordable clean energy without the hassle of owning equipment. This encourages more homeonwers to make the switch to solar, which catalyzes economic growth at the local and state levels.”
Sunrun owns, insures and maintains solar panels and installs them on a homeowner's roof. Families pay a low monthly rate for clean energy and fix their electric costs for 20 years. Sunrun installs over $1.5 million in solar systems every day, and one in three Californians switching to solar chose Sunrun.
PV Solar Report’s analysis is based on data from the California Solar Initiative (CSI). The CSI includes data from the California utilities SDG&E, PG&E and SCE. PV Solar Report is also expanding its services to New Jersey and more information can be found at www.pvsolarreport.com.
About Sunrun
Sunrun is the nation's leading residential solar company and its mission is to become the nation's largest energy provider. The company's Total Solar product is the smart and affordable choice for homeowners who want a clean alternative to their utility. Sunrun offers solar power service, similar to a lease, allowing homeowners to upgrade their home to solar for as little as $0 upfront and simply pay monthly for solar electricity. More than 20,000 homeowners have chosen Sunrun across Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. Sunrun partners with over 25 leading local solar installers, who together employ more than 3,000 workers. Sunrun has attracted enough capital to support the purchase of nearly $1 billion in solar systems from investors including U.S. Bancorp. The company has also raised $85 million in venture capital from Accel Partners, Foundation Capital and Sequoia Capital. For more information visit: www.sunrunhome.com.
About PV Solar Report
PV Solar Report is the leading authority on California solar market data with the mission of providing relevant, timely and succinct information to busy solar professionals. PV Solar Report publishes a daily digest for busy solar professionals, in-depth quarterly reports of the California residential solar market, and custom reports for solar company clients. PV Solar Report makes it easy for industry professionals to stay on top of the dynamic solar industry. For more information visit: www.pvsolarreport.com
U.S. Bancorp and SolarCIty create a renewable energy tax equity fund that will help to initiate the first phase of SolarCity's SolarStrong 300MW military family housing project.
The Japanese government will allow the nation's utilities to include solar power in electricity supply plans for the year beginning in April to ease expected electric shortages during the summer.
Independent solar power producer Nautilus Solar Energy has begun construction of a 1.9MW roof mounted project in Chino, CA; energy will be sold to Southern California Edison under a 20-year PPA.
Michigan-based capital investor Beringea has invested $4M into residential solar developer Cross Solar; Cross Solar is managed by U.K. residential developer ISIS Solar.
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