Ray and his family never had a very high demand for electricity, but given the cost of power in Hawaii and the necessary imports of diesel fuel to power the islands; his electricity bills went up and up. Ray decided it was time to make a difference by taking control of his increasing power rates. Born and raised in Hawaii, he knew that the abundant sunshine available to him was the beginning of an answer. When he looked into the sky, solar power just made sense.

He started by attending a few of the solar open houses in his neighborhood put on by one of SunRun’s installer partners, and made the decision to purchase his system. In the midst of signing up however, he heard about the SunRun option. SunRun had just entered Hawaii to offer its solar power service, and Ray considered the timing to be perfect. He immediately signed up with SunRun and was able to get home solar in Hawaii with a low upfront cost and complete care of his system for 20 years.

Ray has paid close attention to his power bill since going solar, and the savings so far have been better than he and his family expected. To see how much he now pays for power, check out Ray’s story for a breakdown of the costs, then see if home solar is right for you!

SunRun and PV Solar Report today announced a list of the fastest-growing solar cities in California.   The list recognizes cities that added more solar installations than their counterparts throughout the state in 2011. Compare this with our previous joint release of the Top 10 Solar Cities in California to see which cities have both the most solar and the greatest increase in 2011!

While cities like San Jose and Bakersfield are no strangers to the list, newcomers like Rocklin, Hemet and Apple Valley are paving the way for solar adoption on a broader geographic scale. In fact, even at number ten on the list, Apple Valley’s solar installations grew by nearly 70 percent in 2011, reflecting speedy growth. The list is based on the California Solar Initiative’s (CSI) database of residential rebate reservations for 2011. Did your city make the list?

1. 1. San Jose
2. 2. Bakersfield
3. 3. Simi Valley
4. 4. Lancaster
5. 5. Fresno
6. 6. Corona
7. 7. Murrieta
8. 8. Rocklin
9. 9. Hemet
10. 10. Apple Valley

How are these cities seeing such a rapid increase in solar installations? PV Solar Report’s analysis shows a tremendous increase in the number of homeowners who chose solar power service over purchasing panels.

“The cost of solar is coming down, which makes it more affordable for families in a more diverse range of cities,” said SunRun President and Co-founder Lynn Jurich.  “At SunRun we’ve also seen solar expand to more median income communities because our service allows homeowners to make the switch for zero or very little money upfront, and they lock in a low rate for clean electricity.”

Has the falling cost of solar helped you make the switch? Share your solar story with the SunRun community on Facebook.

The Republican primaries are in full swing and while Republican candidates disagree on many fronts, they can all relate to the average voter’s interest in saving money.  SunRun talks to Americans every day who want to save money on their electric bills, and we’ve noticed that regardless of political party they all want to save money at home.   So in the spirit of saving and in light of heated debates over how we should invest in our nation’s energy future, SunRun has projected what each candidate would save by converting their primary residence to solar. Together they could save more than $300,000 over 20 years!  Here are the numbers:

The candidates would each save an average of over $25,000 on their utility bills over a 10-year time frame.  Of the four candidates, Newt Gingrich stands to save the most — $110,800 over 20 years — at his McLean, VA home.

In the wake of skyrocketing energy costs, American homeowners continue to seek solutions to lower their monthly household utility bills. There’s no better way for the Republican presidential candidates to show they share the concerns of the 99% than by demonstrating energy independence in their very own homes.  Solar power service has emerged as affordable and cost effective for homeowners who want to avoid buying panels and pay a low monthly rate for solar, fixing their energy costs for 20 years.  In fact, solar leasing options are now more popular than cash.  Now that’s change everyone can believe in.

Bill sees solar everywhere. Ever since he started keeping up with NASA’s solar powered satellites as a boy, he’s had his eye on solar technology. Now he sees solar much closer to home. He sees it on roofs, parking garages, streetlights and even on outdoor cellphone chargers all throughout his neighborhood.

Now, finally, Bill sees solar on his own roof.

It all took shape when his neighbors started investigating home solar options. They had purchased their solar panels outright and began sharing their savings with Bill and his wife. Both were impressed, but didn’t think they could afford the high upfront amount required to buy their own panels.

Bill dropped the idea, but the desire remained, until one day he came across SunRun and its solar lease. With SunRun, he was able to get solar for $0 upfront. SunRun paid for the system, and he and his wife pay monthly for the power it provides. Today Bill is more than pleased. He’s watched as solar grew from a wonder in outer space to a rooftop energy solution. For Bill, solar has come home.

If you want to see how much Bill is saving with rooftop solar from SunRun, check out his solar case study for a run of the numbers.

2011 was a great year for both solar and SunRun. At SunRun we nearly doubled our employee headcount, helped thousands of American families switch to solar more affordably, and expanded to three new states.  As the company of choice for one in every three Californians switching to solar, we are working with policy makers at the federal and state levels to help reduce the costs of solar installations and promote supportive solar policies that save consumers money while helping the planet.  Here’s a quick snapshot of this year’s highlights:

More Solar Homes in More States:
SunRun expanded to three new states this year, increasing our total number of states served to ten. We brought solar power service to Oregon in April, Maryland in July, and New York in November. We also opened new offices in Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania to better serve our partners, growing team of employees, and families switching to solar on the East Coast.

Industry Advancement:
We started off the year unveiling a report that shows inconsistent local solar permitting and inspection processes add an average of over $2,500 per home solar installation. With streamlined permitting, California alone could generate over $5 billion in additional growth and help support the already expected $30 billion economic gain from natural solar market growth.  We collaborated with the Department of Energy and the White House on this challenge and that work resulted in funding opportunities for local jurisdictions to streamline permitting.  Our very own Lynn Jurich helped announce the funding awardees with Energy Secretary Steven Chu in early December.

On October 17, SunRun and PV Solar Report announced that 3rd-party-owned solar has eclipsed cash purchase as the preferred way to go solar in California, accounting for 59 percent of the California solar market and 51 percent of the national market in Q3 2011. On November 15, SunRun and PV Solar Report announced families in median income zip codes make up the majority of California’s home solar market. As solar prices decrease, the number of residential projects in lower income zip codes continues to go up.

Awards and recognitions:
SunRun’s hard work is getting us noticed! We received a number of prestigious honors this year, including:

• Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) Solar Champion
• 2011 Global Cleantech 100 honoree
• Named as an innovative home energy company by “GE ecomagination Challenge.”
• Lynn Jurich appointed to Startup America Partnership Founding Board
• Edward Fenster and Lynn Jurich named 40 under 40 “Ones to Watch” by FORTUNE

New Faces:
2011 was an incredible hiring year for SunRun. We welcomed 88 news employees and have more coming in every week!  New additions include Vice President of Marketing Bill Stewart, previously the Chief Marketing Officer for Kmart, Vice President of Engineering Miguel Pinilla, and Vice President of Human Resources Beth Steinberg.  We also welcomed thousands of new customers who are starting to show us their faces and the faces of their panels through conversation on our Facebook page.

We look forward to another year of growth, happy customers, and affordable solar for all!

Season’s Greetings! All of us are overjoyed this holiday season because it’s been such a great year! Of course, we could not have done it without our customers, our partners, our employees and our friends from all over. To help us celebrate, we’ve asked you to send us your holiday lights and brighten up our Facebook page. You answered, and we’ve been dazzled! Check out and comment on the great photos we’ve received, or just enjoy them right here!

With Cheer,

SunRun

SunRun is celebrating the end of a successful year for residential solar and we’re looking forward to 2012. As we get ready to start a new year, we wanted to share with you the challenges and opportunities we anticipate for solar in 2012.

1. Solar gets even cheaper:  The installed cost of solar dropped by more than 30 percent in the past year and price decreases will continue.  Solar panel prices could drop an additional 20 percent by the end of 2012, putting solar in reach for more American families.

2. A Darwinian year: Industry consolidation is inevitable in 2012 as incentives disappear and oversupply pushes manufacturers to cut prices. While difficult, this consolidation will clarify the industry’s enduring leaders.

3. Solar leasing options trump cash:  As Americans learn they can install solar on their roofs without buying the panels, they prefer it.  This option, known as solar power service or solar leasing, now makes up nearly 60 percent of the home solar market in California and lets American families lock in low electricity rates. Expect it to approach about 75 percent of the California solar market in 2012, with other states close behind.

4. Solar for the middle class: Analyses from PV Solar Report show median-income zip codes are driving solar adoption in California and will continue to lead the charge in 2012.  The trend is spurred in large part by solar power service companies that help mainstream consumers put solar on their roofs without a big upfront cost.

5. Streamlining brings big bucks to communities:  Low-cost improvements in solar processes like permitting can add billions of dollars to local economies.  According to economic consultancy AECOM, simpler solar permitting processes could generate over $5 billion in additional growth for California, an increase of nearly 20 percent relative to the status quo.  Streamlined permitting could drop the installed cost of solar by 25% in 2012 while generating thousands of jobs in local communities.

6. Tech breakthroughs beyond panels: Breakthroughs in non-panel technologies will make solar deployment and design easier and cheaper.  Coupled with declining solar panel costs, these supporting technologies will make solar even more affordable and scalable.

How big a role did your kids play in your decision to go solar? When we spoke with Lance, an electrical engineer in San Jose, CA, we discovered that his daughter’s impact was pretty big.

Lance has always been interested in solar technology, but was never really serious about it until his nine-year-old daughter started learning about the environment in school and brought her lessons home with her. She started asking how her family could do more to go green, and to Lance the answer was obvious: they would get solar panels for their home.

Lance started doing a ton of research and really shopped around for the best deal. He knew that a solar system would be a big investment, and started keeping a budget. Then he heard about SunRun while in conversation with another solar company, and he knew it was the way to go.

“Dollar for dollar,” says Lance, “SunRun was far and away the best deal for me. I love the fact that it’s absolutely painless and it hasn’t disturbed my life at all.”

Today Lance saves on his electric bill and doesn’t have to worry about keeping an eye on his system. Plus he can tell his daughter that they’re all making a difference by powering their home with clean solar energy. To learn more about how much Lance is saving – and how much you can save – check out Lance’s story in San Jose, CA.

Even if you haven’t gone solar, how do you work to secure a brighter future for your kids? We’d love to see your comments in the space below.

Leading into the holiday season, everyone is looking for ways to free up extra cash. Since SunRun is always thinking of how to help families save money, we wanted to offer up a few easy suggestions. Here are the top four:

1.  Move Your Money:  Credit Unions have been at the top of people’s minds as many banks have announced plans to raise their fees. There is a national trend of switching from a big bank to a credit union to save money in the short and long term with lower banking fees and better interest rates.

2.  Fix Your Energy Costs: Imagine all the money you could have saved if it were possible to lock in a fixed gas price for a car in 1995 at $1.35 per gallon. While the gasoline dream may be gone, it is now possible to lock in home electricity rates for up to 20 years with solar power service companies. Getting a free consultation takes only 20 minutes and companies like SunRun can help determine if solar is right for your home and how much you can save.

3.  Get Ready to Fly: Although many people are wary of credit cards these days, many more are wary of the cost of travel. Signing up for an airline rewards card for frequent flyer miles is a fast and easy way for card carriers to earn as they spend.

4.  Refer a Friend: The social media boom means we often look to our friends and family when making purchasing decisions both big and small. Saving sites like Groupon offer 10 Groupon bucks when someone refers a friend to join. It only takes a few minutes and users can refer as many people as they like to rack up a lot of Groupon bucks.

It’s that time of year again, when the Thanksgiving turkey is but a happy memory and neighborhoods begin to glow with the cheery illumination of holiday lights!

Join us in celebration by sharing a photo of your holiday lights display with the SunRun community! It’s easy!

1. Upload a photo of your holiday lights.

2. Once we receive your picture, we’ll post it along with others in our exclusive Facebook album and you can “like” your favorites.

3. Everyone who uploads a picture will get a free shirt!

As an added bonus, there may be something in store for our other fans too! Happy holidays! And we hope to see your holiday lights on Facebook!