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It’s no secret that financing has found a permanent residence within the solar industry. Solar arrays carry high up-front costs which, without financing or leasing options, make them unaffordable for the majority of home and business owners. As the solar market continues to become more competitive, manufacturers and distributors are forced to expand their services and adapt to consumer trends.

Financing a system often relieves all of the upfront costs for the consumer. In most cases, the solar array will not offset 100% of the electrical usage. This leaves the home or business owner with a monthly payment for the array along with any additional electrical usage pulled from the utility company. Though it may seem like just another bill to add to your monthly expenses, the combined total is generally significantly lower than the original electric bill...

While renters continue to flood the market and home ownership continues to decline, more consumers find themselves ineligible for a solar array. Unless the homeowner agrees or takes initiative to have a system installed, renters have little to no choice in the matter. Until now, solar shares have allowed renters and home owners alike a “slice,” or share of a larger system. It makes solar energy accessible to those who cannot physically house the system at their residence due to lack of ownership or site issues.

The magnitude of the share varies, depending on local laws, legislature and in some cases, space. Some of the smaller-scale projects are referred to as “solar-gardens” or a community based system. This would allow local residents to pool their resources together, giving them greater purchasing power while reducing the upfront costs. The solar shares range in array size; some providing just enough electricity for a handful of households, others are large enough for a business or even an electric company...

Google, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Recurrent Energy recently announced their investment in a portfolio to bring four solar photovoltaic facilities to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, which will receive 88 megawatts of solar power.

"The investment is a clear demonstration of solar's ability to attract private capital from well-established investors like Google and KKR," said Arno Harris, CEO of Recurrent Energy. "This transaction provides an example of the direction solar is headed as a viable, mainstream part of our energy economy."..

NRG Energy recently announced an agreement with the New Meadowlands Stadium Company for the energy company to design, install and operate solar panels atop the football stadium, which will power the LED lighting a display system at the facility.

"Our goal is to provide our fans with the best possible game-watching experience, one that is exciting, enjoyable and environmentally conscious," said Woody Johnson, CEO of the New York Jets. "Our partnership with NRG illustrates our commitment to this cause as we continue to explore eco-friendly initiatives to make MetLife Stadium the best in the world."..

The California Public Utilities Commission recently approved the 25-year contract purchase between Pacific Gas and Electric and Sempra Generation's Copper Mountain Solar 2 project in Boulder City, Nevada, which will supply the company with 150 megawatts of solar energy.

"Copper Mountain Solar 2 represents another big step forward for Sempra Generation as we continue growing our portfolio of contracted renewable energy assets throughout the U.S.," said Jeffrey W. Martin, president and CEO of Sempra Generation. "There is a lot of excitement about starting construction on this major solar project, [and we] look forward to delivering another important source of clean energy to California consumers."..