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SolarCity, Solar Panel Company, Establishes Hartford Office

By JANICE PODSADA

February 07, 2012

SolarCity, a California-based solar panel company, is establishing a Hartford office, its first Connecticut location.

The company, which develops and installs solar panels, bills itself as a one-stop-shop for a range of clean energy services, including energy efficiency evaluations.

The company said it is expanding to Connecticut in large part due to the programs available through the Connecticut Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

SolarCity gives customers the option to purchase their systems or have the panels installed for free, paying only for the solar electricity they produce.

Solar panel systems can also be purchased in the traditional way, company spokesman Jonathan Bass said.

"If they purchase the system they own it. If they finance it, we own the system and they pay for the electricity," Bass said.

Customers who choose the free solar panel option pay by the kilowatt.

"It can be as little as 12 cents per kilowatt hour," Bass said.

In contrast, Connecticut Light & Power standard service residential customers currently pay 16.35 cents per kilowatt hour.

"Connecticut residents pay some of the highest electricity rates in the nation. We can give them the option to reduce those bills and do something positive for the environment at the same time," said Ed Steins, the company's Northeastern regional director.

SolarCity has offices in Oregon, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey, among other states

The company will have a booth at the Hartford Flower & Garden Show. The event takes place from Feb. 23 through Feb. 26 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.

For more information go to http://www.solarcity.com

The company said it will be hiring locally. For employment information go to http://www.solarcity.com/jobs