If your neighbors have solar panels, you’re probably no stranger to seeing those shiny masses quietly churning out clean energy to keep the lights on. And that’s no surprise — solar installations have grown 65% every year since 20001. Now that’s a lot of solar panels.Check out our handy map to see if Sunrun services your state. If you’re leaning green yourself but need more answers, here are the home energy saving tips that your neighbors aren’t telling you about (and how you can start saving too):

1. Saving 20% on your energy bill*.

When your neighbors go solar with Sunrun, they’re relying less on the grid and avoiding unpredictable utility rates. And if they have a solar lease, all they’re paying for is the power their energy produces at a low, locked-in rate.

2. Customized payment plans.

Let’s face it, talking about money is awkward. Curious how your neighbors paid for their panels but afraid to ask? Sunrun understands that everyone’s financial situation is different, so we give you a choice of payment options. Want less cash out of pocket? No problem. We offer a solar lease, which can start at little to $0 down. Want to buy and own your system? We can do that too.

3. 24/7 monitoring and maintenance.

Think solar panels are just too much upkeep? Think again. If you’ve never seen your neighbor on the roof finagling with panels, they could be under a home solar lease agreement that offers worry-free maintenance and 24/7 monitoring (even when they’re on vacation).

4. Home solar system transfer guarantee.

So your neighbors are soaking up solar savings, but what if they move? Many solar companies offer easy home transfer under a solar lease agreement. Sunrun has a team of Service Transfer experts and we guarantee that the new buyer will qualify to assume your solar agreement at no cost to you. See? Easy.

5. Be a clean energy leader.

Solar panels are no sweat, and so should saving the planet. Cutting down your reliance on fossil fuels can be simple, easy, and save you money. Plus, you’ll be a local leader in clean energy — the evidence shows that when you go solar, your neighbors are much more likely to follow suit2. So go solar with Sunrun and give yourself the gift of lower electric bills and cleaner skies.

Ready to one-up your neighbor’s clean energy cred? Help pave the way towards a brighter tomorrow for your community and your wallet. Contact us or get a free solar quote for your very own customized solar plan today.

Sources:

1. http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2016/09/daily-chart-23

2. http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2016/09/daily-chart-23

Originally published at www.sunrun.com on November 8, 2016.

When we launched Sunrun in 2007, we began with a vision to move our country — and our planet — from one that relies on dirty CO2 emitting fossil fuels to a planet run by the sun. We drove toward this goal by changing home solar from a complicated and expensive equipment purchase to a service that allows you to easily buy cheaper, cleaner electricity straight from your rooftop.

Rooftop Solar

Today, Sunrun is the largest dedicated residential solar company in the United States. We are constantly innovating to make going solar easier, more affordable and to allow you to save more money! So far, we’ve installed nearly 3 million solar panels on over 100,000 rooftops and saved our customers more than $100,000,000 off their electricity bills…we are just getting started.

This spring we launched Sunrun®BrightBox™, our solar generation plus energy storage product, in Hawaii. BrightBox’s energy management system allows us to provide you with a home that seamlessly generates its own clean energy, stores it, and manages how the power is used in the home and shared with the grid. We’re looking forward to making Sunrun BrightBox available in more states in the coming months.

This Is Just the Beginning

The best thing about BrightBox in Hawaii is that it’s just the beginning. We’re building a range of new capabilities at Sunrun that allow us to help you manage your home’s energy to drive savings while you stay comfortable. Comfort in both the climate of your home as well as in knowing your home has the necessary storage to tolerate grid outages or avoid purchasing electricity at the times when rates are highest, providing you with long term control of your home energy bill.

As an example of our commitment to improving our solar offerings, we recently announced a new partnership with LG Chem, one of the world’s leaders in energy storage systems, to launch their best-in-class lithium-ion RESU batteries through Sunrun BrightBox.

All in all, these are exciting times for Sunrun as we continue to develop and deploy services that further increase energy control, savings, and overall peace of mind for homeowners just like you.

Introducing our New Brand Look

As a sign of Sunrun’s evolution, we’re proud to introduce a brand new look.

Our new logo, which we call The Sunrun®Brilliant Home™, represents the solution we are delivering to you, our customers. It puts you at the center and embodies the services we offer as the leader in residential solar energy generation, storage, and management.

If you’ve already made the decision to go solar, congratulations and thanks for playing your part in creating a planet run by the sun. We are working hard to bring you new products and services that will further reduce your carbon emissions and save you money.

For those of you who are still contemplating the move, give us a call or send us an email to learn more about Sunrun’s proven capability and commitment to integrating and managing technology in a way that delivers savings and simplicity to our customers.

Power forward.

Lynn Jurich, Co-founder & CEO

Originally published at www.sunrun.com on November 3, 2016.

If you’re a East Coast homeowner, you’re probably no stranger to it’s long and snowy winters. But you might be surprised to know that home solar panels will stand up better to New England winters than your daily commute. Still got cold feet? We’re here to answer some of the most common questions we get about solar panels in winter.

Do solar panels work in winter?

Yes, your solar panels will work in winter. Your solar panels’ efficiency won’t be affected by the cold. In fact, much like other electronic devices, solar panels work more efficiently in lower temperatures.1

How much power can I expect in winter?

Since shorter days mean less available sunlight, your panels will be producing less power in the winter. But since solar panels work more efficiently in the cold, it’ll be making the most of all the sunlight available.

Can solar panels handle snow?

If you think you’ll run into solar panel snow problems, you’ll be happy to know that solar panels are already made to stand up to the weight snow. Also, solar panels are usually built at an angle so that snow will slide right off. However, you may need a snow rake to remove any excess snow that could potentially block your panels’ access to sunlight.

Is my state good for solar?

If you’re from New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, or New York, be proud — you live in one of the top ten solar states in the country3(that’s along with year-round sunny states like California and Arizona). It just goes to show that no matter where you are, going solar can make sense for you.

Want extra peace of mind? Sunrun BrightSave® plans include maintenance and performance guarantees* to ensure your solar panels are working as expected, whatever the weather. See how much you could save with a quick and free solar quote or contact one of our solar experts to get started.

Sources:

http://news.energysage.com/solar-panels-in-winter-weather-snow-affect-po...

https://www.wwu.edu/skywise/a101_seasons.html

http://www.seia.org/research-resources/top-10-solar-states

*Sunrun guarantees 100% of the guaranteed output during the initial term of the agreement for BrightSave Prepaid and 95% for BrightSave Monthly Lease. Please see https://www.sunrun.com/why-sunrun/your-guarantee for details.

Originally published at www.sunrun.com on October 26, 2016.

There are a lot of great reasons to get solar panels for your first home, but as a savvy new homeowner, you’re wondering how big the payoff is going to be. You can stop crunching the numbers — we’re here to do that for you.

See how you can turn solar power into big savings on time and money without you ever having to lift a finger (yes, it’s that easy):

1. Lower energy bills

Remember when you got your first electric bill for your new home?? Yeah, yikes. Going solar can help you save big on your energy bills. Home solar plans and services like Sunrun’s BrightSave® guarantee savings and performance*, so that you don’t have to give your electric bills a second thought. And if you’re wondering how expensive solar panels are for your home, our BrightSave Monthly plan starts for little to $0 upfront. So all you have to do is pay for the power, not the panels.

2. 24/7 maintenance

You know better than anyone that it takes a lot to keep your home in working order. With BrightSave, electricity is one less thing you have to worry about. We’ll be monitoring your solar panels 24/7 to make sure they’re in top shape. And if they’re not? We’ll send someone to your home to get it repaired.

3. Solar System Transfer Guarantee

Now you’re thinking, that all sounds great, but what if I move? Well, don’t worry, we’ll handle that too. We know that chances are, you won’t be in your first home forever. That’s why we have a solar system transfer guarantee, to help you transfer your solar contract to the new owner. We’ll handle all the nitty gritty stuff for you, so all you have to do is figure out how you’re going to get the sofa out the door.You know all too well that a lot goes into owning a home.

Thankfully, it doesn’t take much to go solar. See if we offer solar services near you and learn just how much you could be saving on your energy bills today with a free solar quote.

*Sunrun guarantees 100% of the guaranteed output during the initial term of the agreement for BrightSave Prepaid and 95% for BrightSave Monthly Lease. Please see https://www.sunrun.com/why-sunrun/your-guarantee for details.

Originally published at www.sunrun.com on October 13, 2016.

You’ve probably heard a few things about solar power, but how do you separate fact from fiction? We’re here to set the record straight. By busting five of the most common home solar myths, you’ll be well on your way towards solar enlightenment and savings.

Myth #1: Home solar systems are too expensive.

Truth: Here at Sunrun®, we’ll only recommend a home solar system if it guarantees to save you money. With our BrightSave® plan, you pay for the power, not the panels. It takes little to $0 upfront to lease your solar system. We’ll take care of the installation, paperwork, and maintenance, so all you have to do is sit back and soak up the savings.

Myth #2: Solar panels don’t produce in the fall and winter.

Truth: Whether it’s overcast or you’re knee-deep in snow, our solar panels still produce energy despite the weather. In fact, countries with even colder climates, like Germany, produce more solar power than the U.S.1We’ll assess the physical location and climate of your home to ensure you’re getting enough sun for your energy needs. And if not? We’ll tell you that too.

Myth #3: I can’t move after installing a home solar system.

Truth: Things change, we get it. That’s why we have an entire team of service transfer experts standing by to help you sell your home and transfer your lease to the new owners. Sunrun guarantees the buyer will qualify to assume your agreement. According to National Renewable Energy Labs, homeowners who purchased solar panels sold their homes 20% faster than other homeowners.2Selling your home is easy. The hardest part? Saying goodbye to those shiny, money-saving panels.

Myth #4: Solar panels are complicated and high maintenance.

Truth: Another common renewable energy myth is that solar panels are just too much work. The truth? Solar panels are unbelievably sturdy, and require nothing more than an occasional water rinsing. Plus with Sunrun’s BrightSave plan, we take care of everything. We design, install, finance, insure, monitor and maintain the panels on your roof while you just pay for the electricity at lower rate than your utility. Now that’s a win-win.

Myth #5: My solar panels will become obsolete.

Truth: People often think that they’ll need to replace their panels often to keep up with the latest upgrades. However, like new home appliances, solar panels are a long-term energy investment for your home that’s made to last for years and years. In fact, solar panels made in the ’80s are still producing clean solar power today.3

Now that you know the truth about solar, your future is looking a whole lot brighter. And if it sounds too good to be true, we’re here to tell you that yes, it’s as good as it sounds. Ready to see how much you could save on solar?

Contact us today for a free solar quote.

1. http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/08/germany-became-solar-superpower/

2. http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy07osti/38304-01.pdf

3. http://cleantechnica.com/2011/12/27/solar-panels-creating-electricity-fo...

Originally published at www.sunrun.com on September 27, 2016.

Sunrun has been building a new kind of home energy service for homeowners for ten years, and we’re just getting started. Our country, our electricity grid and the world all need local, clean and affordable energy. But when an industry disruption is in early days, analysts and investors — not to mention industry incumbents, policymakers and regulators — all seek to understand how to look at it as a business. That’s what we do best. Ed and I had spent years evaluating business models for value creation potential as venture capitalists, as private equity professionals, and at Stanford Business School, where we founded Sunrun. We saw an opportunity to bring business model innovation to the monopoly utility market by going direct-to-consumers with solar as a service. It’s working — both for customers and for Sunrun shareholders.

This is the first of several blog posts in which Ed or I will share some key insights on how to look at value creation in residential solar and aim to clear up some misconceptions.

The model works today with significant upside. We’re tremendously excited about new technologies and regulatory frameworks that will further enhance value and enable us to serve our customers for decades to come. But today, I’m going to focus on customer acquisition costs, a foundational building block of the business and one that is widely mischaracterized.

Industries with recurring customer revenue structure around customer lifetime value (CLV) versus customer acquisition cost (CAC): how much sales and marketing spend is required per customer and what is the margin from that customer over time. When you ask SaaS business analysts or Wall Street or flip through the Harvard Business Review, most experts operate from a starting point that acquisition cost appropriate if it’s approximately a third of lifetime value (put differently the ratio of CLV to CAC should be 3:1. Spend more and the business model may be broken — you’re likely not making money after considering other expenses. Spend less and you are leaving money on the table by missing profitable customers. With its long-term cash flows, solar-as-a-service is a good fit for this rubric.

Let’s look at how we stack up.

Solar-as-a-service customers are contracted 20+ year customer relationships with virtually zero churn (more on this later). An increasingly mature financing market allows us to realize most of that 20-year value upfront. I see industry analysts surprised at the marketing spend of $3,000 to $6,000 thousand in fully-loaded acquisition cost. However, the margin of these contracts, discounted back to today, is in the range of $10,000–20,000. That 3:1 ratio is right in the sweet spot — in fact, this customer value math is conservative. It doesn’t include any value from customers renewing their contracts after 20 years, additional products and services like batteries and other home energy management offerings, and the fact that as many of our customers move we will sell them a system on their new house. We have no plans to increase CAC and indeed see strong opportunities to bring it down, but as these potential additions to customer lifetime value materialize, one could argue that the industry would rationally spend even more to acquire customers. This would drive the industry’s growth up from current 20–30% year-over-year growth rates.

If you find yourself questioning the math, keep reading. The actual performance of residential solar leaders backs it up and demonstrates the path to nationwide scale.

1) Is customer acquisition in residential solar sustainable?

Any business that establishes a long-term customer relationship — whether that be wireless, enterprise software, insurance or even a magazine subscription — has to consider the lifetime revenue that customers will generate when planning its sales and marketing investment. With most consumer businesses, customer life tends to be short, two to three years, since consumers outgrow products and competition is tough.

Let’s use an example: how much should such a company spend to acquire customers to deliver $14,000 of contracted value?

The 3:1 rule of thumb for CLV:CAC spend is not a hard and fast rule, but it works. Optimal spend would be around $4,667 (1/3 of $14,000) for these customers.

Now consider the acquisition costs of service industries like wireless, competitive retail electricity, or insurance. In these industries, customer lifetime value ranges between $450-$1,800 based on the revenue and margin per customer and the average churn. To generate $14,000 in lifetime value will require between 11 and 31 customers depending on the industry.

At the same time, the cost to acquire a customer can range from $150–800. So to achieve this lifetime value, the investment in acquisition costs requires $3,000–9,000 in sales and marketing. Life churn rates increase or margin decreases due to competition, additional investment would be required.

So both the best practice rule of 3:1 and the wireless and retail energy comps would indicate that to deliver $14,000 of customer value, you should spend $3,000 to $6,000 in CAC.

You may have guessed that $14,000 is representative of the margin for a single Sunrun residential solar customer. The reality is, our acquisition costs are right in that $3,000 to $6,000 range, while our margin increases as install costs decline. It’s the invisible hand at work.

Based on my hundreds (probably thousands) of investor conversations over my 10 years in this business, I expect readers may want to dive (deep) into this $14,000 customer value claim. Let’s do that next and then talk about how this is actually understated.

2) Detailed calculation of residential solar customer value

The value of a customer to Sunrun relates in large part to the size of the system installed on their roof. Each is unique but Sunrun’s average is a bit more than 7 kW — or about 24–30 individual solar panels.

For solar-as-a-service, or solar leasing, the industry quotes a 30-year customer life, including a 10 year renewal period, with a 6% discount rate. The Project Value we assign to this already nets out the carefully calculated cost to service and insure the system over that period — that’s all the operational expenses after installation. In round numbers, this comes to approximately $31,500 (or $4.50 / watt x 7kW). To make things simpler and not yet get into the value associated with a customer renewing their contract after 20 years, let’s remove that too and bring the value down by $3,500 (the discounted value of the renewal years 20 through 30). This leaves $28,000 of value. We are approaching $14,000 (or $2.00 / watt) of costs to install this system. This leaves $14,000 of margin — in just the 20-year contracted period, after operations and maintenance expense, and after installation costs.

Per the above, a rational actor and market dynamics would move acquisition costs to 1/3 of that $14,000k or $4,667. In Q2 2016, you will note, we spent about $4,900 and just under that — $4,667 — in Q4 2015.

3) How certain is this customer value?

Customer churn is a major negative lever for customer lifetime value for most industries. There is always the risk that customer relationships could shorten and not pay back the expense of acquiring them. But in residential solar, churn is a positive factor. Here’s why:

Once a house has solar panels, it virtually never loses them. New home buyers walking into a solar home almost never choose to remove them and default on payments. Over thousands of home sales and service transfers to date, including after foreclosures and other complex situations, Sunrun has recovered 99+% of expected customer value. That makes churn value-neutral.

Furthermore, once a homeowner chooses solar, they have the opportunity to do so again it for the rest of the homes they purchase. We therefore get to bring Sunrun solar to them for a second or third time.

The underlying quality of these contracts is high. This is borne out by almost 10 years of history on our current contracts and less than 1% loss rates throughout the last ten years. You can see publicly available data from our securitization (registration required) — which includes assets over 5 years old — performing at a BBB investment grade rating.

Finally, the discount rate applied to all future cash flows in this analysis is an unlevered 6%. We have been consistently financing approximately 85% of our contracted value upfront at about a 4.5% cost of capital so a 6% unlevered discount rate would imply about 10% discount rate on the remaining 15% of cash flows, a cost of capital well supported by the quality of the assets. We’ve discussed this in our earnings calls [link] at length. These low rates are achieved because of the strong quality our contracts have demonstrated, gaining trust from debt markets.

To put this in context, these advance rates mean that we realize the vast majority of this contracted value in Year 1, in line with all acquisition costs. This is in contrast to SaaS businesses where upfront costs may not be recovered in realized revenue until multiple years into a contract.

In fact, we are approaching positive cash flow in our development business, whereby we generate cash when we install a customer in year 1, even after adding in our general and administrative expenses.

4) Why these costs will come down over time

All of this is not to say that lowering acquisition costs isn’t a strong focus. And industry acquisition costs will continue to come down.

Residential solar acquisition today has two elements that will improve structurally in the future: (1) product awareness and (2) a highly customized experience. First, we not only explain solar and financing options to our customers — we educate them on their electricity bill itself so they understand how solar can deliver it at lower costs, from their rooftop, with benefits to the grid. As more and more people have happy solar neighbors and customer awareness and understanding increases, this education expense will recede.

Second, rapid scaling as seen in recent years means there is significant opportunity to improve efficiency in the multi-step process between delivering a proposal and installing a system. As the industry matures, we should see companies more carefully stage their mid-funnel spending on elements like site audits and permitting, and adopt standard procedures like a deposit at the point of customer booking as seen in peer industries. This will reduce the spend that is embedded in the sales and marketing line.

With growth and scale (we have now reached one million solar homes in the US), residential solar is gaining relevance for national brands including energy sector players like retail electricity providers. Growing partnerships with these brands will continue to bring solar to new homeowners through lower cost cross-selling efforts.

Finally, the long-term winners in this market will differentiate in part through organic growth through low-cost referral acquisitions from a happy and scaled customer base.

5) Should we actually be spending more to acquire residential solar customers?

The $14,000 customer value stated above doesn’t include the ways that customer value could increase. This is a more-likely-than-not scenario.

First, this value does not take into account renewal of the contract beyond 20 years. These systems have 30+ year lives, will have been maintained by us, and produce a commodity people need, electricity, cheaper than the utility. If the customer decides they want to upgrade, Sunrun is the likely company they would chose, especially because we will know exactly when renewal will occur as well as that customer’s history and energy consumption habits. After applying selling costs for this renewal value, this would add $3,200 in lifetime value.

In addition to significant value in the customer renewal, here are a few other ways customer value is likely to increase:

First, the assumptions to arrive at that representative average $28,000 estimate are conservative. In many markets, our systems receive renewable energy credits (RECs) that can be traded. We’re only able to monetize the initial few years of what are ten to fifteen year streams of value. Taking account of the full REC value will depend on the market value of RECs but for a system in major solar markets like New Jersey or Massachusetts, this would be $1,300–2,300 at a steep 10% discount rate.

Even more exciting, we are listening to what our customers want to help manage their energy costs and access the best new technology for comfort and peace of mind. Overall energy spend is one of the largest line items in a household’s budget. We believe there are significant opportunities to broaden the home energy service we provide and increase customer lifetime value.

In the coming years, utility rates will rise and they will likely become more complicated, charging homeowners based on the time of day that electricity is used. Sunrun will provide to its customers tools and services to protect against bill surprises — and even lower their bills further with smart devices that shift power consumption in the background to when it is inexpensive.

Home batteries will support this and also provide backup power during power outages. We size the additive lifetime value after selling costs and all COGS to be $2,500 for an initial battery with a ten year lifetime, incorporating the value created through load management, backup power, demand response and other grid services. (To put this in context, homeowners already pay $3,000–5,000 to install generators that serve only for backup).

We also have the opportunity to wrap around services that support comfort, peace of mind and security. As just one example, smart monitoring services can read the signatures of different appliances in the electricity consumption tracked by the monitors Sunrun will already have installed — and alert a homeowner that their air conditioner is beginning to fail. Warranty services will cover the cost of replacing it. This is something retail electricity providers are already having success bringing to homeowners. Through services like this, we see opportunities to add $1,500 in lifetime value.

We will have opportunities to increase the size of systems — as costs go down, efficiency goes up, and customer electricity load may increase. Electric vehicles (EVs) will grow into the mainstream and EV drivers will add significant load. A modest upsize in system size of 2 kW in year seven of a contract yields $2,600 in additional lifetime value.

From home batteries to EV chargers to solar panels, we expect homeowners will want new devices to work together, talk to each other and be proactively monitored and maintained, making it attractive to add these to their existing Sunrun relationship.

And this does not even consider value streams that may begin accruing when regulators and utilities fully value and build markets around the benefits to the grid from distributed solar — such as the value of deferring grid infrastructure spending that is made unnecessary by smart distributed technology.

We estimate that these opportunities could add $12,000 to each customer relationship in customer lifetime value. Solar is just the starting point, and when all these are taken together, one-time customer acquisition costs are low by comparative standards.

Taken together, the $14,000 in customer value from an average residential solar customer is just the beginning. Looking at this long-term value creation in relation to our upfront costs demonstrates the durability of our business model, the approach that will deliver the industry’s most valuable and satisfied customer base, and the foundation that will enables Sunrun to serve our customers for decades to come.

1Industry comparison assumptions: (1) Wireless customer value- $600 annual ARPU, 1.25% monthly churn rate, 40% margin based on industry leader public disclosures. (2) Retail Electricity customer value — $959 annual ARPU, based on average residential household electricity usage (10,093 kWH from EIA, 2014) and $0.095/kWh rate, 2.5% monthly churn rate, 16% margin. (3) Auto Insurance customer value — $954 annual ARPU based on NAIC Auto Insurance Database Report 2012/2013, 0.9% monthly churn based on J.D. Power & Associates 2015 U.S. Insurance Shopping Survey Results, 25% margin.

2Industry comparison acquisition cost assumptions: (1) Wireless — estimated based on industry sources (2) Retail Electricity — estimated based on industry sources (3) Auto Insurance — estimated based on publicly reported research by William Blair & Co (Direct Insurers Paying Less to Attract Customers).

3Industry comparisons calculated based on customer value and acquisition costs noted above.

Originally published at www.sunrun.com on September 9, 2016.

As a savvy, earth-conscious homeowner, you’ve probably thought about buying a plug-in electric vehicle, otherwise known as an EV or electric car. You’re on the right track. Home solar systems and electric cars are a natural money and planet-saving pair, and in more ways than you might’ve expected.

Here are four ways to maximize the benefits of an electric car after you’ve gone solar.

1. Charge it for cheap

Solar panels make owning an electric car even more affordable. How? By lowering the cost of the energy needed to power your car at home. When solar energy is cheaper than your utility, you’re paying less every time you charge your electric car.1And if you ever need the extra boost from the grid to power it up, you could be eligible for a deep discount when you charge it overnight.2

2. Fuel on your own terms

You know the unpredictably of gas prices all too well. In the same way that solar panels protect you from volatile energy bills, electric cars aren’t at the mercy of unstable gas prices.3Plus, solar systems make more power per acre than corn-based ethanol.4

3. Cash in on incentives

Not only do electric cars save you money, they practically make money for you. To make them more affordable, the government offers generous federal and state tax credits of up to $7,500.5These benefits won’t be around forever as the cost of electric cars continues to decline, so take advantage of them soon.

4. Save on maintenance

Electric cars make oil changes, transmissions, and spark plugs a thing of the past. Because they don’t require fuel, the only regular maintenance you need is to make sure your tires are rotated and inflated.6And the savings are substantial — maintaining your electric car could be one-third the cost of maintaining a gas-powered car.7

When you combine Sunrun’s hassle-free guarantee with a low-maintenance and cost-effective electric car, you’re set up for a stress-free life both at home and on-the-go. And if you’re a proud Sunrun homeowner, you already know the perks of going solar. Going electric is no different. It’s time to take your commute into your own hands.

Originally published at www.sunrun.com on August 17, 2016.

Did you know your refrigerator could be the biggest power hog in your home? We use them to keep our food fresh 24/7 from breakfast to midnight snacks. When it comes to maximizing solar savings, energy efficient refrigerators can also be one of the best source of savings.

Here are five tips to ensure your fridge is generating savings rather than higher bills:

1. Retire the old refrigerator

Yes, you may have done this already in the last decade, but even by replacing your 10-year old fridge with a newer, higher efficiency fridge, you can save a substantial amount on your electric bill.

2. Top mounted freezer

Stick with refrigerators that have a top mounted freezer. Some ultra energy efficient top-freezer refrigerators can use less energy than a light bulb.

3. Stay away from hot spots

When planning the layout of your kitchen, place your refrigerator away from any sources of heat such as windows, dishwashers and stoves.

4. Forget the ice maker

Sure ice makers are convenient, but by switching them off you’ll save more on your electric bill. Get yourself some fun ice cube trays! Sun-shaped ice cubes, anyone?

5. Keep the extra fridge well stocked

Technically for better energy efficiency, it’s better to get rid of extra refrigerators. But if you really can’t part with your beer or wine fridge, remember to keep it at least ¾ full at all times.

By going solar, you’ve opted for cheaper, cleaner energy. With these simple adjustments, you’ll find even more savings on your electric bill just by keeping your food fresh.

Sources:

http://eartheasy.com/eat_kitchen_enersave.htm http://energy.gov/energysaver/kitchen-appliances

https://www.energystar.gov/products/appliances/refrigerators

https://www.houselogic.com/save-money-add-value/save-on-utilities/kitche...

Originally published at www.sunrun.com on July 20, 2016.

Earlier this year, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted to enact a new net energy metering (NEM) successor tariff known as NEM 2.0. This decision strengthened California’s continued leadership in solar adoption. Now SDG&E (and soon PG&E) is transitioning customers to the new tariff structure. This move is good news for California customers. Under NEM 2.0, families will continue to enjoy hassle-free savings with residential rooftop solar.

So how does it work? Here are the basics of NEM 2.0 and why it’s an exciting development for the sunny California solar market.

The Basics

NEM is a fundamental component of modern energy infrastructure, moderating a two-way flow of energy. Essentially, it ensures consumers have the ability to generate their own solar power and get fair value from their utility for the power they produce that they do not consume and thus is exported back to the grid.

The basic structure of net metering remains the same in California. Sunrun customers will continue to save up to 20 percent on their electric bill with clean power from the sun.

The Changes

There are three important changes with the shift to NEM 2.0:

1) First off, there is no longer a cap on net metering. The CPUC previously limited the amount of renewable energy generated in California that would qualify for NEM, and now that limit is gone. This is great news. California can be a role model for the rest of the U.S., and families in California have certainty they can continue saving with solar.

2) Second, solar customers will now pay Non-Bypassable Charges (NBC) on the energy they import from their utility. NBCs fund important state and community energy programs that benefit all Californians. Solar customers will still save money on NBCs, because they will not pay NBCs on the solar power generated and consumed directly.

3) Finally, solar customers have the opportunity to control their savings as California and much of the country move to Time-of-Use (TOU) energy tariffs. TOU tariffs align energy prices with energy demand. All of California will be shifting to TOU in 2019. New solar customers, depending on their utility provider, will move to TOU as soon as they receive Permission-to-Operate (PTO) from the utility. Solar savings shine through with TOU. As with the previous NEM tariff, solar customers get credits for the extra electricity they produce and don’t use. Under TOU, if customers send electricity back to the grid during peak periods, customers are credited at peak rates. The same is true for off-peak periods and off-peak rates. Simply put, TOU gives customers more control. If, as an example, a customer holds on running a dishwasher or dryer until 8 p.m., when rates are off-peak, there’s an opportunity to save even more money. Please see the below links for information about when PG&E and SDG&E solar customers move to TOU.

The Future of Residential Solar in California

NEM 2.0 boosts the long-term viability of rooftop solar. Californians can continue to choose clean, affordable solar power to save immediately on their electric bills.

NEM 2.0 signals that California legislators and energy policy makers recognize rooftop solar as a critical component of the state’s energy infrastructure. Today more than 500,000 Californians, according to the California Solar Initiative, have solar. Nationwide we just sped past 1 million solar homes. California has always been a leader in solar adoption, and now with NEM 2.0, this leadership will continue.

At Sunrun, we believe rooftop solar is a core component of a modern energy infrastructure nationwide. We have more than 10 years in the solar business and count more than 100,000 customers. Sunrun knows how to ensure savings for customers. We’ve saved more than $100M for our customers nationwide. Many of these happy solar customers are in the Golden State.

Together with forward-thinking utilities and regulators we are paving the way for a long-term, bright future for affordable solar across the country.

Learn more about NEM 2.0 in SDG&E and PG&E.

Lynn Jurich is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Sunrun.

Originally published at blog.sunrun.com on June 24, 2016.

Is solar energy renewable or nonrenewable?

The use of other energy sources, such as fossil fuels, is problematic because they’re nonrenewable. Once they’re gone, they’re gone forever. The sun, however, is the largest of all renewable energy sources, not a surprise perhaps, but the amount of power it generates is.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, 18 days’ worth of sunlight on Earth produces the same amount of energy as the amount stored in all of the coal, oil and natural gas reserves on the planet. It’s easy to see, then, that rounding up the sun’s power and making it accessible to homeowners in a form of energy that is affordable and efficient is a prime goal for future quality of life on our planet.

Environmental and health benefits

Unlike nonrenewable energy sources, solar energy does not emit any air pollutants, which means many of the health issues you and your family face because of air contamination, such as breathing problems, allergies, neurological disorders, heart attack and cancer, may be reduced. Solar energy goes easy on the earth’s water supply, as well, because solar power production requires no water, compared to natural gas extraction, which uses hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, and requires significant amounts of water.

Thermal power plants, whether they use gas, coal or oil as a power source, all need water for cooling purposes. Solar energy provides power even if water isn’t readily available, and it does not create pollutants in an area’s water supply, while both coal mining and natural gas drilling often do, with devastating consequences to the population of people, animals and plants.

Distribution makes solar power more reliable

Like wind energy systems, solar energy systems are modular and distributed around a large area instead of being concentrated in one location. This lack of a central location means that the severe weather conditions affecting one area won’t disable an entire solar energy system, which gives you and your family peace of mind in stressful situations. Perhaps one of the best examples of how solar energy systems benefit consumers occurred in 2012 during Hurricane Sandy, a natural disaster. The hurricane damaged electrical power generation systems that used fossil fuels, which left significant populations of New York and New Jersey without power. Other areas affected by the hurricane in the Northeast used renewable energy systems, and they had much smaller disruptions.

It’s not too late for you to explore the opportunities available for energy savings, protecting delicate ecosystems and supplementing your wallet. The sun is a massive power source, and the world is only scratching the surface in terms of solar energy use.

Switching to solar energy provides a secure energy source that won’t run out, and it has significant benefits for the planet and everyone’s overall quality of life.

If you’re interested in making the switch to solar panels, find out if your home qualifies with Sunrun today. It’s quick and easy. With Sunrun, you can choose to only pay for the solar power, not the solar panels, so you can save 20% on your electricity bill.*Get your free solar quote today.

Originally published at www.sunrun.com on May 11, 2016.