CHICO, Calif., Oct. 6, 2011—SolarCity® and the Chico Unified School District today announced a 1.6-megawatt solar power installation spread among five District sites and the launch of SolarChico™, a collaborative community initiative offering residents and businesses discounts on solar power. SolarCity will also donate a portion of the SolarChico program’s revenues to the District and conduct free educational solar workshops throughout the community. More information is available at www.solarchico.org.

“Chico Unified School District is excited to support the City of Chico’s emissions reduction goals and celebrate our shared commitment to clean energy with our SolarChico Community Program, which we hope inspires more of our community to go solar,” said Kelly Staley, Chico Unified School District Superintendent. “SolarChico will generate new funds for the District, which we will utilize for much needed facilities projects.”

Under SolarChico, Chico residents and businesses who go solar with SolarCity through December 31, 2011 will receive a $1,000 discount, whether they lease or purchase a solar system. As part of the program, SolarCity will also offer Chico homeowners a comprehensive evaluation of their home energy use and recommendations for efficiency improvements for $99, a 67% discount off the standard price of a SolarCity Home Energy Evaluation.

The installations will include more than 6,600 solar panels at Pleasant Valley High, Chico High, Marsh Junior High, Chapman Elementary and the District’s corporate yard. Together the five sites comprise one of the largest commercial solar projects in Chico and are expected to produce more than two million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. The solar production is expected to be sufficient to offset 85% of the sites’ total energy use and could save the District $3 million in energy costs over the next 20 years. The five solar power systems are also estimated to offset more than 86 million pounds of carbon dioxide over their lifetimes, the equivalent of taking 9,000 cars off the road for a year.

SolarCity will finance, install, own and maintain the District’s five solar power systems, while the District will pay for the power they produce through a 20-year power purchase agreement. SolarCity has installed solar power for more than 100 schools and universities in the U.S.

“SolarChico can allow Chico homeowners and businesses to pay less for solar power than they pay for electricity from the utility company,” said Dennis Cox, SolarCity’s regional director in Central California and the Sacramento Valley. “We’re hopeful that Chico home and business owners will take advantage of this $1,000 limited-time discount and follow the lead of the Chico Unified School District to save on their energy costs.”
 

About SolarCity

SolarCity® (NASDAQ: SCTY) provides clean energy. The company has disrupted the century-old energy industry by providing renewable electricity directly to homeowners, businesses and government organizations for less than they spend on utility bills. SolarCity gives customers control of their energy costs to protect them from rising rates. The company offers solar power, energy efficiency and electric vehicle services, and makes clean energy easy by taking care of everything from design and permitting to monitoring and maintenance. SolarCity currently serves 14 states and signs a new customer every five minutes. Visit the company online at www.solarcity.com and follow the company on Facebook & Twitter.