Slide 1

1 SOLAR COMPANY Solar Investigation Report

Slide 2

2 PROJECT OVERVIEW Research solar products and services and how companies market and sell them to consumers. This will allow us to better understand the marketing of solar in Massachusetts and what the sales process is like to convert someone to solar. We asked the same 6 questions to 6 Solar competitors.

Slide 3

3 DATA GATHERED

Slide 4

4 WHAT ARE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WAYS YOU HAVE ATTRACTED CUSTOMERS AND RAISED AWARENESS OF SOLAR? Solar Company #1Word of Mouth from Customers Solar Company #2Geotargeting Solar Company #3Company Website Solar Company #4Declined to Answer Solar Company #5Declined to Answer Solar Company #6Declined to Answer

Slide 5

5 WHAT PERCENT OF YOUR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS COME FROM TELEMARKETING, IF ANY, AND WHAT OTHER WAYS DO YOU GENERATE LEADS? Solar Company #1Some SEO Solar Company #2Referrals, Door-to-Door, SEO, Mail Campaigns, Events Solar Company #3Referrals, Partnerships, other Direct Marketing Solar Company #4Referral Program, Lead Generation Solar Company #5Unsure Solar Company #6Word of Mouth, Referrals

Slide 6

6 WHAT ARE THE TOP REASONS PEOPLE CHOOSE TO CONVERT TO SOLAR? Solar Company #1Financial Savings, Environmental Impact Solar Company #2Economic ROI, Environmental Impact Solar Company #3Financial Savings, Environmental Impact Solar Company #4Financial Savings, Environmental Impact Solar Company #5Economic ROI, Environmental Impact Solar Company #6Financial Savings, Environmental Impact

Slide 7

7 WHAT ARE THE TOP REASONS PEOPLE CHOOSE NOT TO CONVERT TO SOLAR? Solar Company #1Lack of Solar & Financial Understanding Solar Company #2Lack of Solar & Financial Understanding Solar Company #3Low Financial ROI Solar Company #4Permit Issues, Systems too Expensive Solar Company #5Unable to see Economic Benefits Solar Company #6Unable to see Economic & Environmental Benefits

Slide 8

8 WHAT PERCENT OF INTERESTED PARTIES HOMES HAVE ENOUGH SUN TO JUSTIFY THE CONVERSION TO SOLAR? Solar Company #1Unsure Solar Company #220-40% Solar Company #3Unsure Solar Company #4Varies; Shading can be a Problem Solar Company #5Unsure Solar Company #6Unsure

Slide 9

9 HOW MANY INTERACTIONS DO YOU TYPICALLY HAVE WITH A CUSTOMER BEFORE THEY BUY? Solar Company #1A Few Interactions Solar Company #2A Few Interactions Solar Company #3A Few Interactions- Combination of Phone & Online Solar Company #4Declined to Answer Solar Company #5Several Interactions Solar Company #6Declined to Answer

Slide 10

10 COMPETITIVE REVIEW

Slide 11

11 COMPETITIVE REVIEW: SOLAR COMPANY #1 ProductsMarketing Tools Energy Efficient Lighting Indoor & Outdoor EV (Electric Vehicle) Charging Stations Residential & Commercial Solar EV Installations PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) Sun Science Synergy Slogan used to express the idea that sun and science are working together to create clean energy Portfolio Photo Gallery Tax Credits, Rebates & Incentives Partners List not yet provided Customer Testimonials

Slide 12

12 COMPETITIVE REVIEW: SOLAR COMPANY #2 ProductsMarketing Tools PV System PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) Leasing Buying Purchase vs. Lease Comparison Blog Project EmPower Resources, Support & Education Non-Profit Community Groups Events Seminars Home Energy Analysis Customer Stories

Slide 13

13 COMPETITIVE REVIEW: SOLAR COMPANY #3 ProductsMarketing Tools Solar Panels Prepaid Leases Solar Inverter Solar Lease PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) The Grid Creative Blog Partnerships Lowes Credo Sierra Club National Parks Helpful Videos Guaranteed Power If system ever fails, Sungevity will reimburse customer Solar Fundraising Program Raises money for non-profit organizations If non-profits refer a customer, Sungevity donates $750 and gives customer $750 credit Online Tracking

Slide 14

14 COMPETITIVE REVIEW: SOLAR COMPANY #4 ProductsMarketing Tools Solar Lease Residential Solar Panels X-Series Solar Panels E-Series Solar Panels Signature Black Solar Panels AC Solar Panels Solar Power Monitoring Systems Business & Government Options Success Stories Promotional Video Insights Blog Events Trade Shows SunPower Foundation Educational Tools Funding Non-Profits Community-based Solar Power Initiatives

Slide 15

15 COMPETITIVE REVIEW: SOLAR COMPANY #5 ProductsMarketing Tools Solar Lease PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) Solar Financing Sunrun Advantage 20 years of experience Best care, quality, and financial deals Solar Success Stories Solar Lease vs. PPA Comparison Massachusetts Installations Page Terminology Page Solar FAQs Videos Informational Customer Testimonials

Slide 16

16 COMPETITIVE REVIEW: SOLAR COMPANY #6 ProductsMarketing Tools Solar Panels SolarPPA SolarLease Home Improvement Insulation Water Heaters Heating/Cooling Systems Air Sealing Solar Thermal Solar Electric Pool Pumps Energy Star Appliances Events Trade Shows Home Remodeling Shows Local Seminars Webinars Customer Testimonials Client Portfolio Case Studies Photo & Video Gallery Partnership with Google $280 million fund to finance residential solar projects Googles largest investment to date in clean energy sector Creates solar financing options

Slide 17

17 INTERVIEWS: INTERESTED CUSTOMERS

Slide 18

18 STACEY C Friends had solar installed on their house Friend Introduced Stacey to Sungevity Friend gets $500 if Stacey buys 10 hours of internet-based research 1.5 hour call with Sungevity Explained how solar lease worked and did an analysis How many solar panels they could fit on the roof Reviewed electricity bills Developed a plan based on length and strength of the sun and their usage The lease would be $100/month for 25 years Pay more than $100 if they use more than avg amount If summer generates more electricity than used, meter runs backwards, saving $/electricity for winter Stacey pays difference between consumption and creation of electricity (avg $10-$20/month annually) Researched but decided to wait

Slide 19

19 STACEY C Process outlined by Sungevity Local comes to do measurement and assessment on the ground to verify Sungevitys calculations If Sungevity can meet their end of the contract, Stacey gets to decide to move forward Install panels, attach to electrical panel, attach converter next to fuse box NStar switches electrical meter to read through the converter (could take 2 months from signed contract) NStar goes live in 7 months (April October) Additional offerings from Sungevity Free installation process 25-year warrantee covering any equipment issues $1,000,000 insurance against house for any damages incurred by equipment Free generator replacement every 10 years Researched but decided to wait

Slide 20

20 STACEY C What kept Stacey from buying? Timing was not right could not install until October Husband did not want holes drilled in the roof If you lease and sell your house, buyer has to buy into lease for it to transfer (otherwise pay for removal) Did some math and felt it was better to own panels rather than lease (more money quickly) Will wait a few years to see if husbands holes in roof issue goes away and when they have the cash to buy themselves (estimating $25K-$30K) Researched but decided to wait

Slide 21

21 KAMALA Has been thinking about solar for 7 years Her sister looked at a house 10-15 years ago that had solar and it had a large system in the basement Thought you needed a lot of basement space, which she does not have Friends sent out holiday card about getting solar Talked to them thought it was doable Friends used them because there was a deal If a certain number of houses used it in Wayland, they all got a discount Called the same company (thinks it was SolarCity) Would not come to her house to talk to her They looked at Google maps and said because of the trees that surrounded her house, she did not get enough consistent sunlight She realized this after looking herself Looking into it but does not have enough sun

Slide 22

22 KAMALA Liked the idea of solar because of the economics of it Grew up in the 70s Her house was heated by electric heat Conserving electricity was important Has always aware of electrical consumption Bought a small house with 3 heat zones Put an addition on and added more heat zones Still has this as a part of her mindset Would like to have solar but cant cut down the trees Feels that it would be a tradeoff she is not willing to make Looking into it but does not have enough sun

Slide 23

23 SONALI Wanted something more green with more environmental value Move away from electric/coal/etc. Be able to recoup the costs quickly Wants panels that can be placed on the side of the house as opposed to the roof Continuing to research so she is well-informed Has used the internet and a couple friends who got traditional solar installed Solution does not need to be unique, but has to have a quicker pay off time frame Her process Look for opportunities that are of interest to her See if she can support solar on her house Conducting Research

Slide 24

24 TAKEAWAYS

Slide 25

25 TOP SUCCESSFUL SOLAR COMPANIES Solar Company #6: Their web presence is the most compelling of the ones that were researched. Their website is the most modern and interactive, and provides a very helpful infographics explaining residential solar. Some of their clients include Wal-Mart, eBay and Stanford University. Also, remarkable is that a third of their business was generated from positive referrals, which is validated by their positive reviews and 80+ testimonials. Probably the most noteworthy is SolarCitys partnership with Google; the fact that Google would make an investment of $280 million gives SolarCity a lot of credibility. Solar Company #3: They have experts who custom-design the systems for clients. They also provide clients with a Project Manager that they are able to keep in touch with. Sungevity also has an advanced monitoring system that clients can use for free, which allows them to track their solar systems output, carbon savings, and more. This provides convenience and transparency, while also being a great marketing tool. They have the Sunshine Network, which is a referral program that rewards customers when they refer new clients. Not only does Sungevity reward their existing client with $1,000, but the new client also saves $500, and there is no limit to the number of people they can refer. The only negative feedback I noted was that a few reviews stated that Sungevity wouldnt come to their house for a consultation, but instead used Google maps to look at their house and concluded that they did not have enough sunlight and/or their roof was a certain shape that prevented them from being able to install solar panels.

Slide 26

26 MARKETING TOOLS Call to Action Buttons Request a Free iQuote Today! Learn More Get started Chat With Us Get educated See for yourself Informative and helpful videos Graphic representation and walk through of process Experts, clients or employees explaining solar Combination of visuals and short bullet points to make information easy to understand Use of charts Especially when describing money saved over time Addressing FAQs Solicited reviews online Best Practices

Slide 27

27 MARKETING TOOLS About (Company) Contact us Products & Services Types Residential Commercial Government Etc. Financing Options Why Solar? / How Solar Works Getting Started Our Process Competitive Advantage Why Solar Universe 128? Solar Universe Advantage Our Commitment/Our Promise Client Reviews, Testimonials, Case Studies, etc. Locations/Solar By State Partners News & Events Blog Essential Tabs/Sections