FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mar 4 2015 12:00:00:000AM
News Media Contact: Joseph Barrios, (520) 884-3725, jbarrios@tep.com

TEP Selects Three Local Companies to Install Rooftop Solar for New Program

Tucson, Ariz. — Tucson Electric Power (TEP) has selected three Tucson-based solar companies to install and maintain residential rooftop solar systems for the TEP Residential Solar Program.

The new program will allow TEP customers to go solar with no upfront installation or maintenance costs. TEP will install rooftop solar panels at participating customers’ homes and provide their electric service for a flat monthly rate that will remain fixed for up to 25 years according to guidelines approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC).

The systems will be installed and maintained for TEP by Custom Solar and Leisure, Solar Solution AZ, and Technicians for Sustainability. All three are working toward accreditation by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, which sets high standards for experience and education in the solar industry.

“These companies have a demonstrated track record of quality craftsmanship and customer service,” said Carmine Tilghman, a TEP Senior Director who oversees the company’s renewable energy programs. “Our partnership with these reputable local providers further extends TEP’s longtime support for our local green energy economy.”

The TEP Residential Solar Program will be available this summer to 500-600 customers. Participants will pay a fixed monthly electric rate that roughly matches their average bills over the previous 12 months, generating significant savings if TEP’s rates or energy costs increase in the future. Participants also must pay a one-time $250 administrative fee.

The first-of-its-kind program offers a new solar option that comes without annual price increases or restrictive contract provisions included in some solar lease agreements. Because participants continue to pay TEP for all their energy, the program also avoids shifting local service costs to other customers. The 25-year contract is easily transferrable to future buyers of the home.

Additional details about the TEP Residential Solar Program are available online at tep.com. Customers can register their interest in the program on the site and sign up to receive future email updates.

The TEP Residential Solar Program will complement TEP’s Bright Tucson Community Solar Program, which offers customers an easy, affordable way to meet their electric needs with locally generated solar power. Participants can buy some or all of their power through the program in “blocks” of 150 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month. More than 1,100 residential and commercial customers are subscribed to the program.

Solar power plays an important part in TEP’s increasingly diverse generating portfolio. The company is reducing its overall coal generation capacity by more than 30 percent over the next five years through increased use of renewable power, energy efficiency and natural-gas generation. TEP has approximately 330 MW of total renewable generating capacity, enough to meet the electric needs of about 70,000 homes.

TEP provides safe, reliable electric service to approximately 414,000 customers in southern Arizona. For more information, visit tep.com.