ARIZONA UTILITY PROPOSES ROOFTOP SOLAR LEASING BUSINESS PLAN

APS wants to put free solar panels on 3,000 homes

Ryan Randazzo, July 28, 2014 The Arizona Republic

Arizona Public Service, the state’s dominant electricity provider, filed with regulators for approval of a plan to build rooftop solar for 3,000 customers at no cost and give them each a $30 per month bill credit in return for all the electricity those solar systems deliver to the APS grid. APS expects a cumulative 20 megawatts of solar capacity from its $57 million to $70 million total investment that allots $7,200 to each participating utility customer, either owners or renters with owner consent, with no financial participation or credit check but only APS approval of the involved roof’s solar resource and structural viability. Implicit in the proposal is the recognition by APS of the value of rooftop solar to its system and its non-solar-owning customers. The APS plan will put the utility in direct competition with the solar leasing companies like SolarCity and Sunrun which were its nemesis in last year’s fight over net energy metering and the $30 monthly bill credit being offered in the APS program is significantly more than the perhaps $20 per month savings offered by the solar leasing companies. click here for more

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