Geostellar Takes Solar Mainstream with On-Demand Economy Platform

WASHINGTON, DC --(eSolarEnergyNews)--Geostellar, the nation’s original online solar energy platform, today announced the launch of Solar Family, a program that recruits and trains independent Solar Professionals across the country to offer solar energy in their communities. Geostellar, as reported in the Wall Street Journal, is a smart “upstart using cheaper sales tactics” to steal market share from high-cost competitors. Hugh Bromley of Bloomberg New Energy Finance is quoted as saying: “Home solar companies with a high-cost business model could face a ‘death spiral’ of rising costs and lower sales as growth slows.”

 According to The On-Demand Workforce, an Intuit-commissioned study by Emergent Research, Uber, Airbnb and other on-demand economy providers are reshaping the way people earn a living. 91 percent of people working on-demand jobs report that they like the control and flexibility that the on-demand economy provides. Geostellar Solar Pros are no different. By integrating social encouragement and solar promotion into their daily lives, these independent solar professionals can control where, when and how they earn.

IKEA Installs the Largest Rooftop Solar in Memphis,Tennessee

MEMPHIS, TN--(eSolarEnergyNews)--IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today announced that solar panel installation is complete atop its Memphis store opening late Fall 2016. Once commissioned, the project will be the largest solar rooftop array in Tennessee.

The store’s 250,675-square-foot solar array consists of a 1.46 MW system, built with 4,424 panels that will produce approximately 2,000,000 kWh of electricity annually for the store, the equivalent of reducing 1,406 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) – equal to the emissions of 297 cars or providing electricity for 205 homes yearly (calculating clean energy equivalents at www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator).

Standard Solar Installs 9MW on Rooftops in New York City and Washington, D.C.

ROCKVILLE, MD--(eSolarEnergyNews)--Standard Solar, Inc., a leading solar energy company specializing in the development and financing of solar electric systems nationwide, today announced it has completed and has ongoing solar projects on more than 35 rooftops in densely populated urban areas. Solar installations on rooftops of 30+ Washington, DC schools, police and fire facilities and seven rooftops on educational buildings and schools in New York City, successfully demonstrate that solar can be installed in even the most challenging of environments.

Urban environments provide a vast number of empty rooftop spaces that can be utilized for solar, with the added advantage of inherently avoiding the potential land use and environmental concerns. According to a recent study by the Energy Department’s Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), America’s rooftops are full of untapped potential. In fact, up to 39 percent of America’s energy could be generated just by installing photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on urban rooftops.

More than 75% of Americans Say Next President Should Speed Up Adoption of Renewable Energy

NEW YORK, NY--(eSolarEnergyNews)--As Americans count down to Election Day, more than three-quarters (78 percent) believe the winner of the presidential race should prioritize the faster adoption of renewable energy, according to the seventh annual Sense & Sustainability® Study released today by G&S Business Communications (G&S). G&S is a global business communications firm with expertise in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability for advanced manufacturing, agribusiness and food, clean technology and energy, financial and business services, and home and building solutions industries. The G&S Sense & Sustainability Study was conducted online by Harris Poll in August 2016 among 2,007 U.S. adults.

SolarCity Raises $305 Million in Latest Cash Equity Financing

SAN MATEO, CA --(eSolarEnergyNews)-- SolarCity today announced that it raised $305 million in its second cash equity transaction. A private investment fund affiliated with Quantum Strategic Partners Ltd. and advised by Soros Fund Management LLC provided the equity investment in a portfolio of residential, commercial and industrial solar projects. The transaction also included a fully amortizing, 18-year loan that was syndicated to five high-quality institutional investors.

By placing the equity investor and lender group separately, SolarCity was able to achieve a pre-tax, weighted average cost of capital for the transaction of 7.4%, a significant improvement over its first cash equity transaction. The transaction and terms demonstrate the exceptional quality of SolarCity's distributed solar assets.

ZEROCELL™ Smart Energy Storage Appliance Makes Solar Make Sense

LAS VEGAS, NV --(eSolarEnergyNews)--HOUZE ® Advanced Building Science, a global leading smart zero energy innovation company, announced today during the Solar Power International 2016 trade show that it will introduce its ZEROCELL™ in the USA, Europe and UAE before the end of the year. The company is establishing a network of distributor partners ranging from retailers to solar companies to utilities. ZEROCELL and HOUZE® will start accepting online reservations at www.ZEROCELL.World and schedule installations beginning in October.

“The ZEROCELL makes solar make sense. Solar without the right energy storage solution isn’t really logical,” said David Goswick, CEO of HOUZE® (the “ZE” stands for Zero Energy). “Our mission is to democratize and accelerate a movement that enhances quality of life today, and protects the environment for future generations by providing smart, safe, secure energy that is affordable.”
The ZEROCELL is a multi-functional appliance that serves as the nerve center for an open-source smart digital IoT ecosystem. The ZEROCELL is a plug-and-play system that seamlessly transforms both existing and new homes into smart zero energy homes. The ZEROCELL stores and manages energy generated from either on-site-harvested energy or from off-site-renewable energy transmitted by the electric grid.

Spruce Introduces Residential Solar Loan, Simplifies Solar Sales Process

LAS VEGAS, NV--(eSolarEnergyNews)-- Spruce Finance is making residential solar finance sales easier than ever by adding a new solar loan to its existing power purchase agreement (PPA) and lease product suite. (The term “loan” includes both traditional loans and retail installment contracts, or RICs, which are available in different geographies.) The loan and PPA are available on Spruce’s new platform, SpruceFlow™, which uniquely allows solar companies to offer homeowners multiple products from a single finance provider, on a single platform, with a single credit check.