SolarCity offers its largest online discount, with Groupon

[MindMover]

SolarCity announced today that the company is partnering with Groupon, the online deals marketplace, for a limited time to provide the largest online discount SolarCity has ever offered.

In an attempt to push residential solar energy systems even more into the mainstream, SolarCity will offer a $400 discount on a home solar system. SolarCity told SmartPlanet the discount should provide roughly 3-4 months of free solar energy, depending on solar setup for each individual customer.

"This is the first solar Groupon," Jonathan Bass, SolarCity's vice president of communications, told SmartPlanet. "It's a mainstream moment for solar." Groupon offers over 200,000 active deals globally. The deal will be available in the 15 states and 84 metropolitan areas in the U.S. where SolarCity provides its services.

SolarCity has reached the point where it's installing around one in four of all new residential U.S. solar systems, Bass says, in part because it gives customers plenty of options for financing solar. Of course, you can buy or lease the solar panels. Or, like 90 percent of SolarCity customers, you can choose the solar service agreement option. That means that solar panels are installed on your roof or at your residence, but SolarCity owns them. The customer only pays a fixed price for electricity, generally lower than your utility bill, the company claims. And the customer has no high upfront costs to install the system.

"Most people want to do something positive for the environment but don't want to make the financial sacrifice," Bass said. With the solar service agreement, you basically allow SolarCity to install the solar panels on your roof and in return you get a cheaper electricity bill.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/solarcity-offers-its-largest-online-discount-with-groupon/

This is just a WIN WIN WIN for everyone ...

[Benton D Struckcheon]

1. This is what virtually everyone who comments on energy is missing.

There is now a critical mass of companies motivated to install solar systems and make a deal to do it. That critical mass is meeting a consuming public that is more than willing to cut their electric bills. This transformation is what is making the Koch brothers crap in their pants.
Meantime, all kinds of people are working hard on advancing the tech in both the panels and in batteries. In another five years, what will be available will be much more advanced than anything out there today.
The EIA's latest projections are for renewables to have a 16% share in something like ten years; meantime, they already claimed a 15% share in March. I doubt the average utility exec is looking at that projection and thinking it's real.

[MindMover]

2. 16% in 3 yrs ... 55% in 10 yrs .. nt

[lonestarnot]

3. And what is maximum consumption percentage of all energy use? Or do we even know?