Celebrating, Harnessing the Power of the Sun

There’s a reason a day of the week is named after the sun, why it was worshipped by ancient civilizations and why National Solar Appreciation Day takes place the second Friday of March. It makes life possible. The sun is essential to the air we breathe, our food supply and plays an increasingly important part in supplying the electricity needed to power our economy.

As we work to address extreme weather and climate change, Southern California Edison estimates that by 2045 about 50% of single-family homes will have rooftop solar. Not only will it supply solar power to those customers’ homes, it will also help power the grid.

For SCE customers thinking about installing solar panels, there’s a tool that can make the process easier and save them money. SCE’s Marketplace features a solar service to help customers make more informed decisions when it comes to installing and financing a solar rooftop system. The service also lets customers shop for an energy storage system at the same time or later. The easy-to-use service is free for customers.

To find out if going solar makes sense single-family homeowners simply need to enter their address and average monthly bill. If they decide a solar rooftop is right for them, they can get cost comparisons from a network of vetted solar companies and financing options, if needed.

When SCE customers use the service to install solar panels, they will receive a $500 SCE Marketplace discount. Having multiple companies compete for their solar business typically results in the best pricing option. The service also shields customers from high-pressure sales tactics, a common customer complaint.

How It Works:

Making the Decision

• The customer fills out their information to determine if going solar makes sense for their situation.
• If it makes sense, and they want to further explore their options, they will be asked to register to provide additional information, such as energy usage information, so a call can be scheduled with a local, unbiased, dedicated Electrum energy advisor. The advisor is there to assist them through the entire SCE Marketplace process, including evaluating offers, selecting a solar contractor, obtaining financing (if needed) and installing a solar rooftop system.
• After the initial call, a rooftop solar system, tailored to the customer’s home, is designed based on the customer’s energy usage. This ensures that the system is the right size for the home and that each solar company is providing a bid based on the same system blueprint.

Comparing Costs

• The system design is then sent to a contractor network to get offers based on the customer’s needs. If needed, financing terms will also be gathered.
• Once the contractor’s offers are received, they will be analyzed to determine the top three options. The offers are ranked based on more than 50 different criteria, including price, warranty, equipment quality and more.
• The top three offers are sent to the customer. The advisor reviews the offers with the customer, including the calculations of projected savings, overall costs and more.

Installing the Solar System

• If the customer decides to move forward with an offer, they will be given a contract from the selected solar installer to review and sign.
• After the contract is signed, the advisor puts the customer and the selected solar installer’s project manager in touch.
• A dedicated customer service representative will continue to remain involved during the installation process to answer any questions and ensure a positive outcome for the customer.
• Following the installation, the energy advisor will follow up with the customer quarterly to make sure the system is performing as expected and the customer is satisfied.

Since the solar section of the marketplace launched in January 2020, more than 26,000 customers have used the site to learn about solar rooftop and energy storage options for their home and review project bids.