EnergySage launched its Solar Marketplace for New York State this week. The company is receiving funding from the Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative as well as the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The Marketplace site is designed to help streamline the process of matching customers interested in solar with installers offering them the best deals. EnergySage CEO Vikram Aggarwal claims it can help installers reduce customer acquisition costs by 50 percent – savings that in turn may be passed on to customers, along with other benefits of using the site.
The portal allows potential customers to rapidly estimate financial returns from solar projects installed at their site, solicit prescreened price quotes and compare the quotes. The application focuses on financial benefits of solar and takes into account system costs, electricity costs offset, state and federal incentives, financing structure, and other factors that affect project economics. For each quote provided, EnergySage shows:
EnergySage uses GPS data to identify specific rooftop locations, screen the locations to ensure they can support solar, and estimate system output. The company also screens installers to ensure they are qualified. Marketplace is now available in Massachusetts, where it is based, as well as Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, New York State and Austin, Texas.