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Lowe's to deploy kiosks to help customers get solar power

Demand for residential solar power has spurred Lowe's to implement kiosks that quote pricing options.

May 22, 2011

Residential solar power is in such demand that Lowe's and Sungevity, a solar-leasing firm, announced an agreement this week to make solar more accessible to customers via in-store kiosks.

Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe's, which operates 1,750 stores in the United States, Canada and Mexico, will offer Sungevity's free "iQuote" to customers in its stores. Customers who want more information on solar power will plug in basic information at a kiosk, including home address, roofing material, utility company and monthly kilowatt usage. If any details are unknown, it can be skipped. A satellite image of the customer's house immediately pops up on the screen and, within 24 hours, Sungevity sends an iQuote via email.

"IQuote preempts the need to get a home visit. We get a satellite view of your house ,and we use aerial photographs to design the right system for your home, and we'll match it in term of economics and the electricity rate, and we'll break that all down into a lease payment scheme," said Danny Kennedy, founder of Oakland, Calif.-based Sungevity. "You sign a contract online, and you pay a monthly bill going forward, which in most people's cases is less than their current electricity bill."

The kiosks will roll out as a pilot to 30 California Lowe's stores by the end of July. "We'll ramp it up as we get comfortable with it and get out to the remaining eight states we serve. The real partnership with Lowe's is bringing this outside of the solar state. The industry is growing gangbusters," Kennedy said.

Sungevity operates in eight states. In addition to California, it provides services in Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

California was chosen for the initial rollout because it's a solar-friendly state and is an ideal testing ground to make sure the solar offering is done correctly before expanding, said Chris Ahearn, Lowe's spokeswoman.

Growth of industry

In a study by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and GTM Research, California ranked as the top state in solar deployment in 2010.

Overall, the solar industry's market value increased 67 percent in 2010, according to SEIA, rising from $3.6 billion in 2009 to $6 billion in 2010. This makes solar the fastest-growing energy sector in the U.S. economy.

According to SEIA, the top 10 states for solar deployment are, in order, California followed by New Jersey, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Florida, North Carolina and Texas.

Customers asking for solar

Ahearn said that the growing interest in solar power and inquiries from customers are what spurred the partnership.

"We are seeing a lot of interest in alternative energy sources, particularly as energy costs rise for consumers. They're looking for ways to save money on energy for their home, and there's a great interest in solar," Ahearn said.

"One of the barriers of entry has previously been the price tag to get solar systems. Part of the reason we think the Sungevity partnership will be beneficial is because it will offer customers a new way to look at solar. It's easy to identify online if your home is a good candidate for solar, and you can get quick information on the cost of solar. And it's a lease, which makes it more accessible for customers," she said.

Customers will lease the solar panels from Sungevity, typically in either 10-year or 20-year contracts, and the lease covers monitoring, maintenance, repairs, insurance and a money-back performance guarantee. There is typically little or no deposit.

"We just think this sets the stage for mass adoption of solar power when people in mid-America go down to their Lowe's store for a light bulb, and they can join the growing number of Americans who are benefiting from solar savings," Kennedy said.