September 27, 2010
A few weeks ago, Grayson Morris, SunRun’s Director of Sales operations, spoke to over 200 engineering students at San Jose State University about home solar and invited them to contribute their thoughts on solar power and clean energy to our blog. Below is a guest post from Ivan Chew, an SJSU engineering student, about the need to start a solar revolution. If you attended our SJSU presentation on September 16th and would like to share your thoughts, please email us!
How to Start a Solar Revolution by Ivan Chew
Clean energy has become a growing concern in American households. More and more people are becoming aware of their environmental impact, and dependency on depleting fossil fuels. A global awareness of self sustainability has emerged on the horizon. SunRun is a company dedicated to start a solar revolution!
On September 15, Director of Sales Operations, Grayson Morris, a mechanical engineer, gave a speech about SunRun Inc. to hundreds of San Jose State University engineering students. He shared with us their goals, expectations, costs, and plans to start a solar revolution.
Morris’ first point in the lecture was that all advancing technology was expensive and had a low level of service before being commoditized. Some of these products included satellite television, which cost $10,000 in 1980, and mobile phones, $4000 in 1985. Both technologies cost fortunes at the time, but are now relatively cheap and easy to maintain, thanks in part to their wide distribution. Morris believes solar power is following the same trend. With a growing customer base and mainstream manufacturing, the high cost of solar power is being commoditized to become affordable for homeowners. Currently the cost of purchasing this system can range from $25,000 to $50,000.
$25,000-$50,000 can seem like a daunting number for the majority of homeowners and an even more daunting figure for undergraduate students! However, SunRun buys the solar system for you. As pioneers in home solar financing, they created the residential solar power purchase agreement, in which SunRun installs the solar system on your house for as low as $0, and you pay a monthly solar power service bill. With help from government rebates, SunRun can purchase and install solar systems on homes more affordably than a private individual can. Because SunRun purchases the system, they also manage and maintain the solar power system for the homeowner.
Utility rates are expensive, always increasing, and temperamental. SunRun charges a lower monthly bill with a much smaller increase.
SunRun has expanded to 22 utilities in 7 states, alongside the growing concerns about environmental sustainability and oil dependency. Their goal is to convert millions of homes to clean, solar power by 2020. SunRun is ambitious and dedicated – just like our new generation of engineers, who are well aware of our impact on the environment and the importance of sustainability.
SunRun will provide clean energy to all who want it and I believe they are revolutionary pioneers for the next generation of clean renewable energy.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
So true, Ivan! Nicely said.
Hi Ivan,
Awesome article! We’re tweeting it out on @SJSU this Monday. Your knowledge and passion for solar energy really shines here!
Teresa Ruiz
SJSU Public Affairs
Retailed solar panels our indeed very expensive, it can take 7 years to cover the costs, and not anyone can afford it. With Sunrun’s help anyone can help clean up our planet. The energy we obtain is not only free but sustainable also and no harmful gases are produced in the process. There is a lot of benefits for us by utilizing solar energy. We are not only reducing the greenhouse gases, but saving your own money on energy bills.