By TIM
FAULKNER/ecoMass.org News staff
CAMBRIDGE — Think of
it as the Expedia for the residential solar business. EnergySage,
the online one-stop shop for going solar, tries to take the confusion and indecision
out of making the leap to renewable energy. The solar marketplace offers
multiple quotes from local installers that include rebates, tax incentives,
financing options and an accurate payback on your investment.
The company rolled out
the service in February in five states, including Massachusetts and Rhode
Island.
Here’s how it works:
Installers reach out to you. Pre-approved
installers call to arrange a visit to your home or business for an estimate.
Get quotes. After the site visit, installers
post quotes on your EnergySage page. Their quotes include information about the
brand of panels, out-of-pocket costs, net annual savings and annual rate of
return. All of the state and federal incentives are included, as well as
lease-vs.-buy comparison.
Make a decision. All the information is there to compare
prices, including profiles of the installers, their completed projects and
customer testimonials. There’s plenty of educational information about how
solar works, as well as definitions of solar lingo and terms.
As solar panel prices
continue to fall, the EnergySage platform aims to lower the so-called soft
costs. These include installation and the customer acquisition costs, which is
the time and money installers spend to reach prospective customers.
Soft costs can account
for as much as 50 percent of installing solar panels. That cost also includes
fees for permitting and inspection, financing, and connecting to the grid.
“The cost of the
panels is now cheaper than acquiring the customer,” said Vikram Aggarwal, CEO
and founder of EnergySage. As solar becomes more cost competitive with other
energy sources, there is still a vast area between the customers and installers
for saving money and "that’s where EnergySage is playing,” he said.
Installers like
EnergySage because it reduces a customer’s decision time from months to weeks.
The installers pay EnergySage a commission for any new business, presumably a
worthwhile investment for the time saved.
Customers benefit by
having an aggregated cost comparison that simplifies the search and helps them
make a decisive choice about going solar.
Hence, the company's
slogan: “Solar Shopping Made Simple.”
Solar projects of 1
megawatt or less for homes, businesses and multi-housing units are the target
market, but expansion of other renewables such as wind and geothermal are
planned.
EnergySage is also
available in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey and Colorado.
Aggarwal said the
Massachusetts and other markets are doing well while Rhode Island continues
building its network of installers within the service.
Rhode Island solar
installers, developers and consultants have expressed frustration about the
lack of growth in the small-to-medium renewable market. As the solar market
continues to create jobs and grow nationally, states such as Massachusetts,
Connecticut, Vermont and New Jersey consistently rank in the top 10 for new solar projects
installed per capita. Meanwhile, Rhode Island sits well in the bottom half of
national rankings.
Eileen Newman,
corporate communications spokeswoman for EnergySage, said Rhode Islanders
likely need more information about rebates and other incentives offered by the
state. A state tax credit and new financing system are making their way through
the Rhode Island General Assembly.