Sungevity Announces Energy Independence and Savings to Five Northeast States
7/26/2011
OAKLAND, Ca
“Sungevity’s ‘Rooftop Revolution’ is a true first in the solar industry and drives directly to what we believe – that going solar is a lifestyle choice that makes dollars and sense,” said Patrick Crane, Chief Marketing Officer, Sungevity. “We introduced the most innovative and efficient process to go solar with our online iQuote process, shattered the price barrier of adoption with our solar lease, and recently forged a major partnership with Lowe’s, the world’s second largest home improvement retailer. Now, with our ‘Rooftop Revolution’ campaign, we are taking the leadership position in breaking through the last major barrier to adoption – raising awareness around the ease, accessibility and most of all, the affordability of solar energy.”
New findings in a telephone survey of 1,012 U.S. adults conducted by Harris Interactive, commissioned by Sungevity, show that the time for solar is now. According to the findings, just over seven out of ten U.S. adults (71 percent) are overwhelmed by rising energy costs and that number is higher in the Northeast[1] (78 percent). In fact, Northeasterners are more likely than Westerners[2] in the U.S. to say they feel overwhelmed by rising energy costs (78 percent vs. 66 percent, respectively). Furthermore, about three in four U.S. adults (74 percent) agree solar power should be the residential energy source of the future, but findings also show a lack of awareness in solar power availability. Only about one in four U.S. adults (27 percent) are aware that homeowners can lease residential solar power systems instead of buying solar panels and nearly half of U.S. adults (45 percent) believe residential solar is only practical in primarily sunny areas, a common misconception. Despite this, nearly half of U.S. adults (48 percent) believe incorporating solar power systems is a practical option for most residential homeowners, and 33 percent of U.S. adults are at least somewhat likely to consider installing solar power for their home within the next five years. In fact, the findings show that nearly 9.4 million Americans (4 percent of U.S. adults) say they will definitely consider installing solar power for their home within the next five years.[3]
Sungevity introduced its proprietary iQuote process in 2008 as an easy, efficient means to residential solar adoption. The company experienced rapid growth after launching its $0 down solar lease option in 2010 – Sungevity’s solar installations grew ten fold from 2010 to 2011. In the first quarter of 2011, Sungevity hired three key C-level executives – Mac Irvin, Chief Financial Officer, Paul Stroube, Chief Information Officer and social media expert and former head of marketing at LinkedIn, Patrick Crane as Chief marketing Officer. In May of 2011, Sungevity and Lowe’s forged a significant partnership that set the stage for the mass adoption of residential solar. Sungevity is now in a hyper-growth phase and will hire approximately 200 new employees by the end of 2011, doubling its current headcount. The “Rooftop Revolution” is the first major campaign for the company and marks a significant step for the industry as a whole in heightening awareness around solar energy.
“The Solar Foundation is very excited about partnering with Sungevity on their ‘Rooftop Revolution’ campaign,” said Andrea Luecke, Executive Director, The Solar Foundation. “The time has come to heighten awareness around
the benefits of solar energy, not only for the sake of the environment, but also for its direct impact on the economy through the creation of new, well-paying jobs.”
The first phase of the “Rooftop Revolution” commenced on July 1 with a brand takeover of Amtrak’s Acela high-speed rail that runs through each of the Sungevity five new Northeast markets. As part of the brand takeover, Sungevity purchased all advertising elements on the entire Acela fleet, including the train’s popular wi-fi Internet service. Sungevity’s brand takeover of the Acela will run through July 31, 2011.
To follow the Sungevity ice pop truck, go to www.facebook.com/sungevity.
About The Solar Foundation
The Solar Foundation is a national 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1977 that strives to increase the widespread adoption of solar energy through educational outreach, policy research and market transformation. Read more at TheSolarFoundation.org.
About the Survey
This survey was conducted by phone within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Sungevity from July 14-18, 2011 among a nationally representative sample of 1,012 U.S. adults 18 and older. Results were weighted to reflect the U.S. adult population. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Kaplow at sungevity@kaplowpr.com.
ABOUT SUNGEVITY
Sungevity is a global solar energy provider focused on making it easy and affordable for homeowners to benefit from solar power. Leveraging proprietary remote solar design technology, Sungevity can deliver a quote without a home visit and provide homeowners with visibility to potential savings on their electricity bills. The company continues to grow its global customer base and now services 12 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the Netherlands. Sungevity is also the residential solar partner to Lowe’s, and was recognized in 2015 by B Corp as one of the “Best for the World” companies for overall social and environmental impact. For more information, visit www.sungevity.com.
CONTACT:
John Ordoña
Sungevity, Inc.
(510) 496-5673
jordona@sungevity.com