SolarCity, Viridian Offer 24-Hour Residential Clean Energy Package

SolarCity installing solar on a Conn. home. Courtesy SolarCity's Facebook page.SolarCity and Viridian are now offering a combined clean energy package to homeowners in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York. Under this new service, homeowners can get a SolarCity array on their home through a power-purchase agreement for daily power and rely on Viridian’s network of clean energy generation - which includes wind, solar and natural gas - for their electric needs at night.

The combined product allows customers in markets where homeowners are able to choose their electric supplier to get up to 100 percent renewable electricity for their homes, both from the home itself and from the grid. Viridian offers a number of products allowing homeowners to source 100 percent of their energy from renewables, to source 50 percent from renewables and the rest from natural gas, as well as various carbon offset programs.

Under the new agreement, SolarCity and Viridian said they will now be able to offer solar electricity directly to homeowners at a lower rate than their current electricity rates through Viridian's 20,000-contractor network. When SolarCity customers produce excess electricity, they are then able to receive credit for the excess energy, which can be used to offset the rest of their utility bill. Since Viridian has wind and natural gas facilities, it can provide power at night, which means that between the two options, the companies are able to provide clean power option at less cost than than otherwise possible.

"It is our belief that people want to live a greener lifestyle. Since inception, Viridian Energy has been dedicated to providing clean energy for homes and businesses that is also cost effective," said Michael Fallquist, founder and CEO of Viridian Energy. "The addition of SolarCity products deepens our offerings and allows customers another way to live a greener lifestyle. We are pleased to announce the addition of SolarCity products to our customers."

Under the agreement, Viridian will offer the expanded services to current SolarCity customers and potential customers in the aforementioned states.

"Viridian and SolarCity have made clean energy more accessible and affordable to a wide range of American homeowners," added SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive. "This partnership will help far more homeowners realize that it's possible for them to pay less for solar electricity than they pay for utility bills."

The companies plan to further expand the partnership into new markets in 2014 - perhaps markets like California - which recently passed legislation extending net-metering in the state and allowing people to purchase clean energy, if they so choose.