EnergySage creates local marketplace for solar energy systems in Austin

EnergySage comparison shopping platform to help Austin homeowners and business owners get the best deal on solar and help TX solar installers efficiently grow their businesses.

Press Release

AUSTIN, TX – April 20, 2015

EnergySage is pleased to announce the launch of the Go Solar Austin Marketplace on Earth Day, April 22, 2015. The EnergySage Marketplace is expanding in Austin with the help of the Energy Systems Transformation Research Group (EST) at the University of Texas.

Through The Marketplace, all Austin Energy customers will be able to easily and quickly research and comparison-shop for solar and receive multiple online quotes from pre-screened solar installers. The Marketplace will also help solar installers gain access to a large pool of well-informed clients, significantly reducing their customer acquisition costs.

Professor Varun Rai, Director of EST and a commissioner on the Austin Electric Utility Commission says the partnership is an exciting one for anyone who uses electricity in Austin. “Over the years research in my group at The University of Texas at Austin and by other researchers has suggested that increasing market transparency and competition, provision of targeted information, and facilitating peer-to-peer interactions reduce uncertainty and search costs for customers of clean energy technologies like solar PV. EnergySage’s innovative online platform and its great team were key factors why we decided to work with them in the Austin and the broader Texas market. As the solar market in Texas grows EnergySage could play an important role in helping lowering costs, making the market more consumer-friendly, while increasing transparency, quality control, and trust.”

Vikram Aggarwal, EnergySage’s CEO, says establishing a marketplace in Austin is a natural next step for the company. “Adoption of solar is exploding across the nation, and Texas is tenth in the entire country for the amount of installed solar capacity, and with the state and local incentives available to consumers going solar is within everyone’s grasp. We’re very excited to share our resources with Austinites and help the city expand its solar footprint.”

When customers enter EnergySage’s Austin portal they’ll be greeted with a variety of informational resources about going solar in Austin, from local financial incentives that help to reduce the price of solar to answers to common solar questions. Residents can start by getting an estimate that instantly evaluates their home or business to determine if solar will work for them and outlines the approximate costs and benefits of going solar with each kind of financing option: buying, loan or lease. Residents who want to move forward to get some quotes from local installers, can create an account on the EnergySage Marketplace. Installers that have been vetted by EnergySage will then be able to post an online quote that is customized for their property. Consumers can use online tools to evaluate and compare their quotes, and can speak with EnergySage Solar Advisors to assist them in making a well-informed decision.

EnergySage injects simplicity, choice and transparency into the solar energy market. By providing extensive informational resources and an innovative online solar shopping Marketplace, EnergySage provides significant benefits to both consumers and solar installers. Consumers can easily and quickly gather quotes from multiple prescreened solar installers, and compare their options in an apples to apples format. EnergySage Solar Advisors are also available to help customers evaluate quotes and make solar choices that are right for them. This multi-pronged approach has proven effective in creating significant demand and accelerating solar adoption. Consumers using the EnergySage website adopt solar at rates 2 to 3 times higher than industry averages and pay prices that are on average 10-20% less than market benchmarks.

The EnergySage Marketplace will help solar installers in Texas grow their business and increase profitability by reducing the cost of customer acquisition. EnergySage reduces customer acquisition costs by more than 50% by facilitating connections with educated, purchase-ready customers, this increase close rates and reduces sales cycle times. By making it easier and less costly for both installers and consumers, EnergySage is transforming the industry into one that is not only highly efficient, but also scalable.

About EnergySage, Inc.

EnergySage provides the first comprehensive online marketplace for consumers and businesses interested in converting to solar energy. By enabling people to comparison shop for “apples-to-apples” competitive quotes from pre-screened installers and financiers, the EnergySage Marketplace typically delivers cost-savings of up to 20 percent when compared to going directly to installers. EnergySage also simplifies today’s complex solar industry by providing tools and unbiased information that enable people to fully understand their product and financing options as well as their return-on-investment scenarios. Many leading organizations have forged partnerships with EnergySage to promote the adoption of solar energy, including Connecticut Green Bank, Staples, Walgreens and the World Wildlife Fund. For more information, please visit: www.energysage.com.

Estimate your savings with our Solar Calculator www.energysage.com

EnergySage.com is operated by EnergySage, Inc.