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.

Wish you could look up a year’s worth of historical usage data from your utility at the click of a button? Well now you can, with a project announced today called Green Button.

Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas and Electric have collaborated with the White House Office of Science and Technology to offer Green Button as a consumer-facing tool and guide. When it goes live, Green Button will allow utility customers to log in and view up to 13 months of their detailed usage information down to one hour or 15 minute increments. All data will be downloadable in the same file format, enabling easy sharing and distribution to 3^rd parties.

Pilot programs have shown that when homeowners can access this kind of data, they can cut their energy use by an average of 8.7%. The reduction in usage comes just from having a better understanding of their habits.

There’s also a huge benefit for homeowners looking into going solar. Giving homeowners simple access to usage data means they can quickly and easily relay that information to companies like SunRun during the sales process. That information essentially streamlines the designing of a new solar system, making it much easier to size a system for optimal production based on historical energy usage. Taking advantage of these important steps could make it possible for a homeowner to get solar in a matter of days instead of weeks or months.

SunRun Director of Business Development and Government Affairs Ethan Sprague spoke at a press conference today celebrating and announcing Green Button.  He offers an excellent description of the benefits:

“Green Button marks an important event on the path toward making energy services as simple to use and as compelling  as smart phones.  To appeal to the mainstream, buying solar must become more like using Amazon or changing a cell-phone plan – fast, easy and consumer-friendly.”

“Indeed, providing consumers usable access to their consumption data is similar to allowing consumers to take their telephone number with them as they switch carriers.  Like a telephone number, a person’s consumption data is unique to the customer and is fundamental to enabling providers to better serve them.”

What ideas do you have for making energy more consumer-friendly? What has been the most time-consuming process or barrier to access for you?

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.

Recent leaps in the number of fracking wells have resulted in a sharp drop in natural gas prices, resulting in lower utility bills in parts of the U.S where fracking is prevalent. The drop has caused some solar homeowners to see an increase in payback time before recouping their initial investment in the system. However, this short-term outlook forgets the inherent volatility of natural gas prices, which have risen quickly in the past.

At SunRun, we understand that part of the draw of solar is the promise of a locked-in rate for electricity. Since solar power rates are fixed, homeowners with solar panels are less subject to steep price fluctuations coming from the utility companies.

In addition to the persistent risk of price volatility, fracking utilizes a dangerous practice that, while cheap for now, may lead to heaping environmental costs in the future. Fracking is the process of injecting millions of gallons of sand and chemicals into the earth at extremely high pressures to break up rock formations and release the natural gas inside.  At the start of the New Year, small earthquakes in Ohio and Arkansas were confirmed to be a product of fracking in the area, and in New York, critics have condemned the drilling method for contaminating fresh water aquifers and poisoning drinking water.

Calls made to lift New York’s ban on fracking in favor of economic development have sparked waves of opposition from health, environmental and activist groups. The groups state that the natural gas industry has not properly assessed health risks even as more evidence of fracking’s detrimental effects is uncovered.

What do you think are the pros and cons of fracking? Do you think it means the comeback of fossil fuels in the U.S., or is it just a short-term solution? Join the conversation by sharing your comments below or on Facebook.

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!

Once Susan retired, it was hard not to notice the increasingly large bite her electric bill was taking out of her fixed income. Much to her dismay, her electric bill continued to rise, while her income did not. Eventually Susan knew she had to level the playing field.

She had a hunch that rooftop solar would do the trick, and since she has a perfect south-facing roof, the odds of it working were good. Susan signed up for a free consultation and quote over the Internet, then consulted her brother, who used to work for National Grid, her utility company. He said that solar with SunRun was a “no-brainer” because she could get a fixed rate for her electricity and get almost half of her power from the solar panels.

Susan signed up without further ado. What she likes best is that SunRun takes care of all the service for her system, leaving her with nothing to worry about when it comes to monitoring or repairs. She’s excited that SunRun watches over her system and provides a money-back performance guarantee.

As for that playing field? Susan has discovered that since going solar, she’s already pulling in much less power from the utility, even with the addition of a new air-conditioner! To see just how much Susan is saving, check out Susan’s solar case study and compare for yourself!

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

When Tom moved into his new neighborhood in 2003, he knew he had high electric bills, and he knew his neighbors did too. With an annual electric bill of $2,400, the thought of home solar appealed to Tom, who was only spurred on as he learned that his electric bill was projected to reach $3,200. Something had to be done.

Unfortunately, financial realities came to the fore as Tom learned that the high upfront cost of owning a solar system was much more than he wanted to spend. He began to think solar would be unaffordable until he spoke with an installation company that told him about SunRun and its solar lease. Tom was immediately impressed, and signed up for solar with SunRun.

During Tom’s installation, his neighbor Jim came over to see what was going on. Tom explained the appeal of SunRun, and Jim signed up within 24 hours. The next day, another neighbor named Richard came to visit. Tom explained how he could lock in his electricity rates with renewable energy and add value to his home. Richard, like Jim and Tom before him, was hooked.

In a short matter of time, Tom became the “solar guru” around the neighborhood. Friends and neighbors would come to him to talk about their high electric bills. Others would ask if he knew how to make solar affordable. Tom helped all of them, and all of them switched to solar through SunRun.

The word spread like wildfire. Before he knew it, six of Tom’s neighbors had solar installed. Now when they get together, they talk solar. Tom has upgraded from “solar guru” to “solar patroller”, and keeps track of PV generation for the entire neighborhood. To see what made Tom upgrade to solar, and for a flavor of what got his neighbors to switch, check out Tom’s solar case study.

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.