May 19 2010
SolarCity has acquired technology and energy efficiency services provider Building Solutions. SolarCity is known for providing nonprofits, businesses and homeowners in the U.S. with cost-effective solar power.
This acquisition will facilitate SolarCity to offer various energy-saving services such as efficient heating; home energy evaluations; water heating; lighting and cooling; and building and duct envelope sealing. SolarCity intends to extend integrated energy efficiency and solar services throughout its service areas located in Colorado, California, Arizona, Texas and Oregon.
Providing energy efficiency services will facilitate SolarCity to strengthen its offerings in the areas of energy monitoring, customer service and financing to provide homeowners with additional means of saving money. SolarCity hopes to complete numerous energy efficiency projects every month, once the integration gets completed.
Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act, which can extend rebates of $5.7 million for U.S. homeowners investing in energy efficiency initiatives. This comes as positive sign for SolarCity even as it introduces energy efficiency services. Moreover, 15 states in the U.S. have passed legislation to facilitate Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing for making energy efficiency services more affordable.
Both Building Solutions and SolarCity have comprehensive software portfolios for supporting their services. SolarCity will integrate its solar project management, monitoring and modeling software with the web-based energy efficiency measurement software of Building Solutions for creating a novel analytical tool. Based on a homes’ gas and electricity usage, architecture, appliance selection, ventilation, cooling and heating equipment among others, SolarCity is likely to compute and present homeowners with cost-saving and optimal energy recommendations. Moreover, PowerGuide remote power consumption monitoring platform of SolarCity will enable customers to identify further opportunities to save money and energy.