SmartPower’s “Solarize” Hits $100 Million in Rooftop Solar!

​Non-Profit Announces Major Financial Milestone Made With Less Than $3.5m Investments

​Washington, DC – SmartPower, the nation’s leading non-profit marketing firm dedicated to promoting clean energy and energy efficiency today announced a major milestone in its “Solarize” group-purchasing program. In just 3 years – and with investments of less than $3.5 million — the SmartPower Solarize campaigns have resulted in over $100 million of residential solar energy. “This is a major milestone for SmartPower and our Solarize campaigns,” said Brian F. Keane, President of SmartPower. “With investments of less than $3.5 million, we have created over $100 million worth of solar energy throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. It’s a major achievement for the solar industry, the environment and our economy.” SmartPower’s announcement comes amid recent high profile losses among some of the industry’s largest solar companies, the most recent being SunEdison’s stunning demise. Once the darling of the solar industry, SunEdison today teeters on bankruptcy. “We know this is an emerging market,” said SmartPower’s Keane. “What we’re seeing today is similar to the tech boom of the 1990’s. Some companies will thrive, and others will not. But the lesson in our announcement today is that in this emerging marketplace, our Solarize group-buy model, backed by key funders who support clean, renewable energy and utilizing pre-selected solar installers, makes residential and small commercial solar a sound investment that can scale up quickly with minimal risk.” Key features of the Solarize model include support by local communities, pre-selected solar installers with competitive pricing, attractive financing options including a zero-dollar down option, and a 16-20 week campaign with a clear end date. This SmartPower formula has resulted in over 20,000 homeowners requesting solar site visits to see if their homes are good for solar. In 2012 with a grant from The John Merck Fund and an investment from The Connecticut Green Bank, SmartPower launched “The New England Solar Challenge”, a residential solar campaign that morphed into Solarize Connecticut and various “Solarize” campaigns throughout New England. In Connecticut alone, over 18MW of residential solar were installed in three years bringing solar to over 2,000 Connecticut residents. “Added together, these households are greater than any utility-scale solar array in New England,” continued Keane. “And we did it in less time than any utility could.” The numbers at a glance: In three years-

• $100 million of solar installed
• Less than $3.5 million invested
• More than 3500 residential homes “solarized”
• More than 20,000 residents inquired about solar energy for their homes
• More than 28 MW installed
• More than 25,000 metric tons of Green House Gases Reduced Annually

About Smartpower Founded in 2002 by a group of private foundations to help support the growth of clean energy, SmartPower’s mission is to help Americans make smart energy choices. Recently named the “best non-profit marketing firm in the US”. SmartPower’s exclusive
focus on energy efficiency and clean energy results in high visibility, high impact on-the-ground community campaigns designed to transform how consumers use, adopt and invest in clean energy and energy efficiency. SmartPower is leading Solarize campaigns in multiple states. For more information, please visit www.smartpower.org