April

Below are the updates and additions we've made to the partner program. It's an extremely exciting time of the year in solar and we're in a great position to capitalize on the opportunity ahead of us over the next few months and remainder of the year! More detail can be found on the Partner Development Page, and please contact your PSM if you have additional questions. 

1. Funding Updates

   • Lifestyle Lease - a new lease offering is now available in CA and we are seeing $200-$300 more per kW comparing the same rates with Sunrun! It's a new product so the process is not as well developed as Sunrun but it is a very viable alternative to Sunrun, especially in competitive situations. They offer a 20 or 25 year lease and a 2.9% or 0% escalator. The product is available in SDG&E, SCE, PG&E, and SMUD and can be requested through the proposal request form. Additional information is available in the Lifestyle Funding Documentation folder on the Partner Development Page. 

   • Sunrun Verification Call - is required in order to get funding approval and you cannot receive M1 payment until this is completed - Job Aid link HERE. Please ensure your reps are completing this call as soon as the agreement is signed as this is currently a large bottleneck to jobs moving forward. 

   • Sunrun Referral Promo - Sunrun customers can receive $350 for anyone they refer to Sunrun! Please submit the referrer name through the proposal request form. 

   • Sunlight - 5 year 1.99% with a 13% dealer fee (great option for customers torn between loan and cash)

   • LoanPal - 15 year 4.99% with a 13% dealer fee

2. BPS Update

   • Battery and Storage - battery backup systems are now available for loan and cash customers in CA and MA. This is limited to new installs only (no existing systems), and no additional savings will be calculated into proposals as it will simply be added to the cost of the system. We feel strongly this is the future of solar and are excited to roll this out! 

3. Market Update

   • 2018 Rhode Island FIT is a go! The FIT program officially opened this week and we're expecting it to last anywhere from 60-90 days. If you plan on selling the FIT in RI, we recommend starting now to take advantage of the incredible incentive. The current REF grant block is closed with the next block opening in August, which may be perfect timing depending on when the FIT cap allocation is reached. We have much better insight this year to the present allocation amount and will keep you updated over the next few months. 

   • MA SMART Program - although nothing is finalized we expect the current SREC program to end around July or August (possibly sooner) with the new SMART program then being implemented. The SMART FIT rate will be close to $0.15/kWh, down from the current SREC value of $200 ($0.20/kWh). When the program dates are finalized, we will add the new incentive into proposals 60 days prior to the program being implemented to allow customers to reach PTO in time to get locked in under the SREC 2 program. Bottom line is we want to push as many deals through the current program to maximize customer savings, even through the SMART rate will continue to be a great deal for customers. Attached are two proposals for better insight to how this will effect the MA market, comparing the SREC 2 and SMART program.