SolarCity is launching its solar service in Reno, Nevada, for the first time, which allows many homeowners in Reno, Sparks and Carson City to install solar panels with no upfront cost and pay less for solar electricity than they pay for electricity from their utility company. SolarCity can allow area homeowners to go solar for as little as $30 per month [1], with design, installation, financing, insurance and monitoring included. SolarCity plans to open a Reno operations center in April, and expects to hire more than 30 local staff in the next few months.
SolarCity will begin taking the first orders from Reno, Sparks and Carson City homeowners today. The company expects to begin installing solar panels after the operations center opens, and will accommodate customers on a first-come, first-served basis. SolarCity will initially serve customers of NV Energy.
Nevada’s strong sun makes solar power more affordable and gives the state the potential to become one of the largest solar markets in America. SolarCity has already attracted thousands of local customers in the state less than a year after it launched residential solar service in the Las Vegas area. SolarCity is also Nevada’s largest solar employer with more than 1,000 employees in the state. Nevada’s solar jobs increased 146 percent in The Solar Foundation’s 2014 jobs census, and the state now places #1 in the nation in solar jobs per capita.
[1] A 3 kW system starts at $30-$40 per month with an annual increase of 0-2.9% each year for 20 years, on approved credit.