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PressJanuary 4, 2013 Consumers can dramatically reduce their energy bills if they take a 3-course meal approach to energy efficiency, according to a Connecticut based marketing company.
"Energy savings strategies fall into three categories," explained Kelly Kaminski , vice president of marketing at Soluxe Energy Solutions in Darien, Connecticut. "People who adopt one improvement from each group can reduce their consumption by 50-100 percent" he added.
Kaminski said the company breaks savings strategies into three categories: Fuel, insulation and technology, or "FIT." "If homeowners adopt a balanced meal approach of one strategy from each category they can slash their energy bills," he said.
According to the company, fuel strategies include converting from heating oil to natural gas or improving fuel efficiency through furnace upgrades. Insulation includes sealing the building envelope or sealing leaking ducts. Technology applications include solar, geothermal heat pumps, and energy star appliances.
"By trying to be FIT," Kaminski said, "consumers can reduce their own bills and cumulatively reduce our dependence on imported foreign oil."
Soluxe helps consumers identify the appropriate improvements for their homes and businesses. "We help demystify the world of energy savings," Kaminski said, "and find qualified contractors to do the work." December 26, 2012 Americans are deferring action on energy savings because of confusion about the benefits according to Soluxe Energy Solutions, a Connecticut-based marketing company said today. "Most energy efficiency upgrades produce immediate savings," said Gil Kernan, vice president of contractor relations. "But homeowners continue to believe it will be years before they realize a return on their investment in home improvements," he added. Kernan cited brochures and web sites that refer to "payback times" of two to 15 years for products such as wall and attic insulation, duct sealing, and rooftop solar panels. "The whole notion of 'payback time' leads customers to think that it will be years before they see any benefits from investing in energy savings," Kernan said. "Nothing could be further from the truth." Kernan said that most energy efficiency and renewable energy products yield immediate savings, even if the consumer borrows 100% of the cost of the upgrades. If a customer's monthly payments to a bank are less than his or her payments to the utility, then the benefits are not delayed, he said. "At Soluxe we explain to energy consumers how their utility bill is like a long term debt that never gets paid off," Kernan said. "By making investments in efficiencies and renewables, consumers can swap their utility bills for lower bills that are true debt repayments." Moreover, Kernan said, when the consumers pay off their debt the value of their monthly savings will grow dramatically, without either a utility bill or a bank loan repayment. Soluxe helps energy consumers understand the benefits of investing in clean technology that reduces their monthly bills and increases the value of their homes and businesses, Kernan said. The company connects consumers with licensed contractors that it has reviewed for quality and experience. December 21, 2012 "Homeowners can now see over 20 realistic and affordable solutions that can drop their utility bills 20% or more," said Kelly Kaminski, Soluxe vice president of sales and marketing. "At the same time, our new website helps contractors who meet our tough quality standards check out the products our consumers want and submit an application if they want to work with us." Soluxe Energy Solutions puts energy consumers together with energy efficiency contractors to reduce heating and cooling bills. "Energy is the second or third highest cost component in running a home," Kaminski said, "so a savings of 20% can mean $1000 or more in your pocket and a big boost in your home value." Soluxe's new website, www.SoluxeSavings.com, provides customers with a primer on the most popular energy savings approaches, including rooftop solar, furnace upgrades and conversions from heating oil to gas, insulation, geothermal heat pumps, and micro-cogen. The company was founded in Darien in 2011 by principles of MXenergy, a large retail distributor of natural gas and electricity that was sold to Constellation/Exelon in July 2011. Soluxe currently markets to customers in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey but plans to make its products available nationwide over the coming months. Kaminski explained that Soluxe screens contractors for experience and professionalism and monitors them for responsiveness and quality control. "Homeowners often get stuck with unlicensed or uninsured contractors," he explained. "Soluxe makes sure that you get what you pay for and what you need, not what an aggressive salesman tries to push." The company performs a survey of the consumer's energy and safety needs and evaluates practical solutions for reducing electric bills and bills for heating oil and natural gas, including sealing the building envelope through wall and attic insulation, air duct sealing, and window replacements. The company also evaluates ways of reducing energy consumption through improved efficiency of furnaces and air conditioning units. "For some customers, one of the quickest bangs for the buck is replacing expensive heating oil furnaces with natural gas furnaces," Kaminski said. "Governor Dannel Malloy of Connecticut recently estimated that over 200,000 homes in Connecticut are within 250 feet of a natural gas distribution line but are still paying for expensive heating oil. With natural gas costs about a third of heating oil costs, homes can instantly see a return on their investment," he added. The company projects that over the next few years thousands of homes and businesses will turn to cogeneration, also known as combined heating and power. "Cogen units are like furnaces that produce free electricity at the same time they are heating your home," Kaminski said. "Homes in Japan and Germany have embraced cogens but the product is new in the United States and we believe that it offers a cost-effective way to wipe out a home's electric bill," he said. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Soluxe has also offered homeowners back-up generation with both propane and natural gas options. "Believe it or not, some contractors are still cleaning up from the ravages of Hurricane Irene in 2011," Kaminski reported, "so some of our consumers may not hear from our generator contractors for a couple months, but we are determined to help people avoid long term power outages in the future." Soluxe Energy Savings is committed to helping homeowners and small business owners lower their utility bills. Headquartered in Darien, CT, the Soluxe Energy Solutions leadership team combines decades of expertise in the energy markets and solar technology. Soluxe Energy Savings prides itself on delivering premium customer service, high quality products, and hassle-free installation. Soluxe Solar aims to help customers save money and save the planet at the same time.
October 11, 2012 September 18, 2012 Peppermint Energy Recognized for "Small but Beautiful" Solar Application (2).jpg) Soluxe Solar, a Connecticut-based solar company, has awarded a small South Dakota company with its Solar Flare Award in recognition of its innovative approach to renewable power. "Small really is beautiful," said Jeffrey Mayer, Soluxe's president, in recognizing Peppermint Energy of Sioux Falls, SD with the prestigious honor. "At a time when utility scale power projects have reduced our dependence on carbon-based fuels, this company is creating small-scale applications that will make a difference in people's lives," he said. Peppermint Energy recently announced the development of a desktop-sized "utility in a box," combining solar power generation and storage in one small unit. Dubbed the Forty2, the unit is powerful enough to run a TV, charge laptops and cellphones, and power small appliances. "Most solar development is happening on grid," said Mayer. "With Forty2, Peppermint Energy takes the benefits of power off grid, potentially bringing power to a billion people who now live far from utility grids. "When you think of the children who can now study at night and the small businesses that will be able to access information and markets by computer, you can imagine how Peppermint could transform lives," Mayer added. September 1, 2012 Soluxe Solar Honors Solvatten Water Purifier with Solar Flare Award
 By Gary Thomas Soluxe Solar, a Connecticut-based company that leverages solar power to help small business owners and homeowners fulfill their energy needs, is honoring a Swedish-designed water purifier that can instantly change polluted water into clean, safe drinking water using the sun’s free energy. The company will honor the solar water purifier, The Solvatten, this week with the Solar Flare award. The Solvatten contains two 5–liter compartments with a clear face. When the compartments are exposed to sunlight, the water gets heated up to 130°F. An indicator light in the water purifier changes its color from red to green to indicate that the water is now safe to drink, and the purifier performs its work in every 3 to 4 hours. Jeffrey Mayer, CEO of Soluxe Solar, said that The Solvatten water purifier is a concrete example that shows how solar power improves and saves lives. He also stated that this is the kind of innovation the company is looking to promote and recognize through its Solar Flare award. Soluxe Solar awards the Solar Flare every week to individuals, companies and projects to honor their efforts in promoting solar technology. The company helps homeowners and small business owners to leverage the sun's energy using solar power systems. It is headquartered in Darien, CT, and has years of experience in the solar technology and energy markets. Soluxe Solar’s aim is to assist customers save both money and the planet simultaneously. August 20, 2012 Soluxe Solar awards Solar Flare Award to Delta project in New York  Soluxe Solar, a Connecticut-based solar company, has awarded Solar Flare to the Delta, the first private and completely self-powered building in New York for its contribution to environmental construction. The $700,000 private use building Delta project will be located at the corner of Hamilton Avenue and 9th Street in the Carroll Gardens neighbourhood. It will combine solar and wind energy to generate its own heat, electricity and hot water, which will meet 100% of its energy needs. Post opening in September 2012, Delta will triple as a bed and breakfast, Philly cheesesteak shop and showcase for green building technologies. It is expected to influence carbon-neutral and net-zero energy construction in dense urban environments. The Delta's front facade is clad in sun-deflecting red bricks which are made from recycled glass and cement. Seventy solar panels, each the height and length of a small fridge, lay flat against the building's other two sides. About a dozen and a half more panels hang above windows like awnings, or seem to float above the roof on a metal rack. All these panels together will produce 12 megawatt-hours of electricity a year, about 25% more than the building will use, making it the city's first net-zero solar building. The extra electricity will be sold to the local fossil-fuel power grid, which the building will be able to draw from on cloudy days and at night. A separate green building practice called Voltaic Solaire was employed for Delta. The contractors looked for solar equipment makers that could build racks, brackets and awnings to mount panels in ways that capture as much southern exposure as possible. Schletter Inc., a German firm with US facilities in Tucson, supplied the parts for the project with Japan's Sharp Corp. and South Korea's Samsung Corp. providing the panels. The project has been spearheaded by Brooklyn based alternative energy company Voltaic Solaire and has been built in cooperation with Ikea, Samsung, Sharp, Kingston Block and Eemax. Solar Flare is a weekly award presented by Soluxe Solar, which honours companies, individuals or programs helping advance the solar cause. The building will be unveiled in September 2012. August 30, 2012 Sunshine Helps Bring Clean Drinking Water to Third World Countries  DARIEN, Conn. – August 30, 2012 -- One sixth of the world’s population live in remote locations or third world countries where they have never had access to clean drinking water placing them at risk for death from bacterial diseases like cholera, dysentery and typhoid. All of that may be changing soon however due to a remarkable new Swedish jerrycan which purifies water using only sunshine. The Solvatten, a Swedish-designed water purifier can transform dirty water in to safe, clean drinking water in a matter of hours using nothing but the power of the sun. The solar water purifier is being honored this week by Soluxe Solar, a Connecticut based solar company, with their Solar Flare; a weekly award honoring companies, individuals or programs helping advance the solar cause. “The Solvatten purifier is a perfect example of the power of solar to improve, and in this case, potentially save lives,” says Soluxe Solar CEO Jeffrey Mayer. “This is exactly the kind of exciting innovation we want to recognize and help promote through our Solar Flare award. “ The Solvatten has two 5-liter compartments, each of which has a clear face. When each compartment is exposed to the sun the water is heated to a pathogen-killing level of 130 degrees Fahrenheit. The purifier has an indicator light that changes from red to green when the water is safe to drink and typically does its work in 3 to 4 hours. August 28, 2012 Solar Industry Needs to Clean Up Its Act, Industry Executive Warns DARIEN, Conn., Aug. 28, 2012 -- The solar industry will be "like a falling star" if it doesn't clean up its act, warns Jeffrey Mayer, CEO of Soluxe Solar, a Connecticut-based solar installation company." As solar energy has become affordable, a new breed of aggressive salespeople is threatening to turn homeowners off at the very time they should be getting excited about how affordable solar has become," says Mayer. Mayer's company, Soluxe Solar, recently published a "Customer Bill of Rights" and called on its competitors to adhere to its principles. Among the rights: A right to be told the truth about potential savings on their electric bill. Mayer cites competitors' websites that falsely claim that utility electric electricity prices are going up at a rate of 5 to 7% per year. "The fact is that electricity prices have dropped sharply from 2008, but if you assume that utility prices are going to the moon you make the potential savings from solar look fabulous," he says. "Solar is still a phenomenal investment," he says, "but it doesn't justify misleading the public with false information."Mayer thinks the reason some solar suppliers are talking about high utility prices is to make their product look better. "If you lease your solar system with a 4% escalator every year, you could end up spending more money on solar if utility prices don't rise at a faster rate," he says. "Obviously, sales people would prefer if customers don't see that."According to Mayer, customers who lease their systems could spend more money on solar then they would pay their local utility if they decide to lease their solar panels instead of buying them. "Not only can savings disappear if the solar contract price goes up faster than the utility price but the value of the home will decrease," he said. "After all, why would somebody want to pay up for a home which is costing them more than another home without solar?" Some reports show that in 2011 over 70% of new home solar installations were leased. According to Mayer, Soluxe Solar encourages home ownership over leasing. Mayer acknowledged that with homeownership the resident is responsible for maintenance, unlike the lease model. But he said the concern about maintenance was "overblown" since solar panels "have no moving parts." "I'd rather own a system with minimal maintenance and enjoy the full benefits of ownership than take the risk of paying higher electricity costs or penalties if I decide to move in a few years," Mayer said. "Besides," Mayer added, "why should the leasing companies get all the benefits of federal and state tax incentives and renewable energy rebates and credits?" August 15, 2012 Self-Powered Solar Building Creates New Possibilities in NYC
 DARIEN, Conn., Aug. 15, 2012 -- Green building in New York City will take a huge leap forward in September when Voltaic Solaire officially unveils The Delta, the first private completely self-powered building in the city. The $700,000 private use building, which will triple as a bed and breakfast, restaurant and residence, will combine solar and wind energy to generate its own heat, electricity and hot water – meeting 100% of its energy needs. The project spearheaded by Voltaic Solaire broke ground in 2010 and was built in cooperation with Ikea, Samsung, Sharp, Kingston Block and Eemax. It will serve not only as a showcase for green building technologies but also as an ongoing educational resource for schools and tour groups. The Delta project is being honored by Soluxe Solar, a Connecticut based solar company, with their Solar Flare; a weekly award honoring companies, individuals or programs helping advance the solar cause. "For many years urban green design was defined by what people said couldn't be done," says Soluxe Solar CEO Jeffrey Mayer. "Rather than being defined by limitations, The Delta highlights the incredible possibilities for urban green construction when ingenuity and determination combine and companies come together to create something revolutionary. It is the perfect project to be highlighted by our Solar Flare." The solar company announces its weekly "Solar Flare" honoree on the company's Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/SoluxeSolar and website, www.soluxesolar.com. July 11, 2012 Soluxe Solar Applauds Accomplishment of "Fuel-less Flight" DARIEN, Conn., July 11, 2012 -- When the Solar Impulse HB-SIA, a solar plane that can fly day or night without any fuel, completes the final leg of its 5000 km round trip journey between Switzerland and Morocco it will have made history and paved the way for a new frontier in aviation. It is this accomplishment and its impact on the future potential in solar flight that has caught the eye of Soluxe Solar, a Connecticut-based solar company that honors major developments, accomplishments and innovators in the solar industry with its weekly Soluxe "Solar Flare" award. "The ability of the Solar Impulse to make this journey without fuel has tremendous, far reaching implications on the future of solar flight and what could now be possible," says Soluxe Solar CEO Jeffrey Mayer. "It is a significant achievement from a technological and environmental perspective and we felt the perfect honoree for this week's Solar Flare." The Solar Impulse, which is made of carbon fibre and operates completely without fuel, began its momentous journey in May as it departed from Switzerland. The giant plane which is the size of a jumbo jet but weighs less than a family car is operated by 12,000 solar cells turning four electrical motors. This test flight is said to be a rehearsal for a 2014 World Tour. July 5, 2012
Unique Program Which Brings Solar to Remote Africa Receives Recognition from Soluxe Solar
Darien, CTWhile remote villages in Africa may not be the most expected place to find solar, IndiGo is shining light on unheard of locations through a “Pay As You Go” solar program which allows rural villagers to generate their own power via a photovoltaic panel and battery pack. They can then purchase the produced energy for as little as $1 a week. This unique program has caught the eye of Soluxe Solar, a Connecticut-based solar company. The IndiGo program receives this week’s Soluxe “Solar Flare” – a weekly honor the company bestows on an individual or company making great strides in the world of solar advancement. “Each day we are seeing solar develop and create opportunities never before thought possible,” says Soluxe Solar CEO Jeffrey Mayer. “The creativity behind the IndiGo program, which not only has tremendous potential to improve the lives of people in these remote locations but also have a positive impact on our environment as well is fantastic. We felt this was the perfect choice for this week’s Solar Flare.” For a more in-depth look at the IndiGo program, visit http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/16/world/pay-solar-africa/index.html June 27, 2012
Soluxe Solar Announces First "Solar Flare" Award Winner Soluxe Solar, a Connecticut-based solar company, has announced its first "Solar Flare" – a weekly honor the company has decided to bestow on an individual or company making great strides in the world of solar advancement. The first Solar Flare is being awarded to the U.S. Navy for the development of a new class of underwater solar panels with the capability to power submerged electronics and sensor systems. The new panels are optimized to produce a large amount of solar power at depths up to nine meters. The new panels will not only provide benefits to the navy but the new technology will also benefit ocean floor researchers, allowing them to spend longer time periods under water while using less energy. "Not only does this development demonstrate the U.S. Navy's recognition of the potential for solar in a previously unheard of capacity," says Mayer. "But it also provides a benefit beyond just its primary use and can help scientists and ocean researchers with their own research and discoveries in other fields." The solar company will announce its weekly "Solar Flare" honoree on the company's facebook page and website, www.soluxesolar.com. For a more in-depth look at the U.S. Navy's underwater solar panels, visit http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2012/photovoltaic-cells-tap-underwater-solar-energy June 22, 2012 New England Ideal for Solar Homeowners who think New England does not get enough sun to justify an investment in solar electricity are “just plain in the dark,” says a Connecticut-based solar company.
Jeffrey Mayer, CEO of Soluxe Solar, said that the most popular objection to solar installations is “not enough sun.”
“Believe it or not, the sunlight in New England is only a little less than Florida, about 15%,” he said.
As a result, Mayer claims, solar panels are as good an investment in New York as they are in states like Texas. “When you take into account the higher cost of electricity, as well as the incentives from state and local governments, solar is actually a better investment up north,” he added.
Soluxe Solar sells solar panels to homeowners and small businesses in the Northeast. Mr. Mayer said that many customers raise objections to solar because of their perception that there is not enough sun in northern lattitudes. Often they overestimate how much solar roof panels will cost, he added.
“We have shown consistently that customers in New York and Connecticut can realize considerable savings with affordable solar power,” he said. May 17, 2012 Beware of Lease Trap, Warns Solar Company All leases are not the same, warns a Connecticut-based solar panel marketing company. “This is not like a decision to lease a car,” said Christopher Grohman, vice president of sales for Soluxe Inc., a marketer of photovoltaic panels to homes and small businesses. Grohman said that the buy vs. lease question is a “no-brainer” when it comes to solar panels. “Buying is infinitely more attractive,” he said. According to Grohman, solar customers who enter into 20-year leases may end up pay more for their solar panels than they would pay their local utility. “We call it the ‘lease trap’,” he said. “Most lease customers will only save money on their solar electricity if the utility prices rise at least 3% a year for 20 years,” Grohman said. Electricity prices have been flat to down, however, and show no signs of increasing, he added. Grohman said that electricity prices are driven by the price of natural gas which is used for most power generation. Meantime, natural gas prices have crashed because of growing supplies of shale gas in the continental United States. “Most energy analysts predict that natural gas supplies will far exceed demand for years to come, which means continuing low electricity prices,” Grohman said. Under the terms of most electricity leases, customers pay an initial price per kilowatt of solar energy produced that is about 10% below the utility price. That price then escalates at a rate of about 3% a year, meaning that after three or four years it will exceed today’s utility price. In addition to the possibility of higher solar costs, lease customers will be penalized if they decide to move in the first five years of their contracts. This is because the parties who own the panels on the customer’s roof, such as banks on Wall Street, will be required to forfeit valuable tax credits and other benefits that they have received at the time of the sale. May 17, 2012 Soluxe Solar Launches New Web Site Soluxe Solar, a supplier of photovoltaic solar systems to homeowners and small businesses, announced the launch of its website this morning. “We are delighted to report that we are open for business,” said Christopher Grohman, vice president of sales at Soluxe. IS&T, a Houston-based consulting group, built the platform which allows customers to learn about the benefits of solar electricity production. Grohman explained that the company chose to take a “soft key” approach to sales. “The internet is about buying, not selling,” he said. “If customers don’t want to visit your site, you can’t make them, but if they take the trouble to find you then you better be able to give them quality information in a use-friendly way.” Soluxe CEO Jeffrey Mayer singled out IS&T for its website development work. “Customer communication is hard enough,” Mayer said. “Scott Lard and his team at IS&T took the trouble to understand our business and translate it into clear, concise language that customers can grasp quickly.” The site design makes a point of using a minimum of 12 point type throughout. “Customers have a right to marketing materials that doesn’t require them to fetch their reading glasses ,” said Mr. Mayer. “I think of my 86-year-old father standing by his kitchen table in Philadelphia: If he can’t read it on the first try then we need to make the type larger.” May 15, 2012 Darien Company Urges Bill of Rights for the Solar System It sounds like the stuff of a science fiction thriller: A company in Darien has called for the adoption of a Bill of Rights for the Solar System. Only the solar system, in this case, is not the Milky Way but the rooftop solar panels that homeowners are starting to install on their homes. Soluxe Solar, a marketer of photovoltaic panels for single-family homes and small businesses, called on its competitors this week to adopt a Bill of Rights for consumers of solar. “Solar is taking off as a popular home improvement, but unfortunately some contractors are beginning to cut corners and deliver shoddy installations,” said Jeffrey Mayer, CEO and president of Soluxe Solar. “Before the industry gets a black eye we are hoping that our competitors will agree to adopt a basic set of rights.” Soluxe Bill of Rights is patterned on a similar document that Mr. Mayer developed at MXenergy, a retail energy provider that he served as CEO for 12 years before its sale to Constellation in 2011. The Bill of Rights, which can be found on the company’s website, include:
Mr. Mayer noted that Soluxe Solar has been waging a vigorous campaign to highlight the risks to homeowners of most long term leases and said that the Bill of Rights emerged from the company’s frustration. “Time and again we see solar installers promising consumers that they will save money with solar,” Mr. Mayer pointed out, “but in fact the fine point of the contracts may result in customers paying more for solar than they would pay their local utility companies.” May 10, 2012 Soluxe Solar Earns Connecticut License May 10, 2012 Solar Company Questions Times Reporting http://nyti.ms/JgBPmt A Connecticut-based solar panel marketer has raised questions about the content of a New York Times story published yesterday that highlighted the growth of solar installations.
The Times story, by Diane Cardwell, reports on the widespread sale to homeowners of 20-year leases.
“The Times story reads like a public relations release for the industry and misses the serious risks homeowners face in most of these deals,” said Jeffrey Mayer, Soluxe CEO and president.
Mayer’s company, Soluxe Inc., markets photovoltaic systems to homeowners and small businesses but argues that customers should buy and not lease their solar energy systems, he explained.
“Most of the leases out there will result in homeowners paying more for their solar electricity than they would have paid the local utility,” Mr. Mayer said. “The fact that the Times missed this basic fact increases the risk of a train wreck in our industry, when consumers wake up one day and find that the small print in their contracts has hosed them.”
Mr. Mayer explained that most 20-year solar leases start off with a price per kilowatt below the utility price but escalate that price by about 3% per year. In order for customers to save money, utility prices must escalate by at least 3% -- but in recent years they have been flat to down because of lower natural gas prices, he said.
“These lease deals are good for only one group: Wall Street and the wealthy companies that are taking advantage of the tax credits that the government has been doling out,” he said.
Mayer said that the Times report also missed the risks that arise if a customer leaves his or her home within the first five years of a deal. “Serious penalties can arise because of the tax credits that will be forfeited, but the Times misses this entirely,” he added. Mar 22, 2012 Soluxe Announced "Go Green, Get Green" Campaign February 15, 2012 New Jersey Veteran To Join Soluxe Solar Chris Grohman joins Soluxe after serving as Northeast business development manager at Allied Building Products, a national distributor of roofing and other building products.
“We are delighted to have Chris on our management team,” said Jeffrey Mayer, Soluxe’s CEo and President, “After a long search, Chris stood out as someone who shared our mission to provide unparalleled service and quality to the mass market of solar consumers.”
Prior to Allied, Grohman was a founder of Cross River Solar, a New Jersey company that became a prominent marketer of photovolataic solar panels in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania markets.
“Solar pricing has reached the point where it is a practical, affordable home improvement for the mass market of homeowners and small businesses,” said Grohman. “I am excited to be joining a company that shares my vision for marketing solar to all consumers and not just a niche eco-friendly market.” Soluxe Solar markets rooftop solar panels to residential and small commercial consumers in the Northeast. Currently, 46 states permit homeowners to “net meter” their rooftop solar, i.e., to receive credit for solar energy that they produce during the day in excess of their needs. The excess can then be used to offset their energy consumption at times when the sun is not shining. December 15, 2011 Buy, Don't Lease, Says New Solar Company Darien, CT, December 15, 2011 – Consumers should steer clear of $0 down solar installation offers, according to a Connecticut-based solar company. Jeffrey Mayer, CEO and president of Soluxe Solar, issued a statement today criticizing a number of competitors who are promoting 20-year lease deals that require no down payments. “You know what they say: Sometimes a deal that sounds too good to be true is just that,” he said, adding: “It’s not true.” Mayer warned consumers to read the find print of their contracts. “Homeowners around the country are getting suckered into deals that they will regret,” Mr. Mayer said. “Some homeowners thought they were going to save money with rooftop solar and are going to end up paying more for their solar than they would pay to their local utility,” he said. A number of residential solar marketers offer consumers to install solar panels for as little as $0 down in exchange for a 20-year lease. The homeowner pays the installer each month for the electricity generated from the panels and at the end of the lease has the option of returning the panels, renewing the lease, or paying down the residual value of the lease. Under the lease arrangements, the consumer does not own the panels. Instead, they are owned by banks or companies such as Google that take advantage of tax credits and benefits. “Most of these long term leases have escalators in them that will likely exceed the utility price of electricity in a few years,” Mayer warned. “Over a 20 year period, consumers could end up paying substantially more than they would have paid if they stayed on utility power.” Mayer acknowledged that consumers with leases may benefit if the panels have problems and need to be replaced. But he argued that the risks outweigh the benefits, especially since most panels carry a 25-year warranty. “Solar panels have no moving parts and are virtually maintenance free,” he said. “In exchange for a fairly worthless maintenance guarantee the customer is giving up the flexibility to move and is decreasing the value of his home.” Mayer cited studies that show that homeowners that buy their solar panels realize an increase in the value of their homes. By contrast, he said, homes with leased panels may actually decrease in value. “Good luck trying to get a homeowner to buy a house where the electricity costs for solar are greater than the utility’s prices,” he said. “Besides, if somebody leases panels and tries to move in the first five years they will have to pay a penalty equal to the value of the tax credits that the owners will give up,” he said.
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