That’s right, California. Show SunRun your June 2011 electric bill. If you’re the unfortunate sot with the highest electric bill submitted to SunRun’s “Battle of the Bills” contest, SunRun will install a free photovoltaic system with its solar power service for 20 years.

And, if your bill is among the top 11, you can receive up to $1,000 off a SunRun system.

The grand prize winner will receive a solar array of up to 3 kilowatts to help offset his or her energy use, according to SunRun spokesperson Susan Wise.

In addition to the grand prize, five first prize winners will receive $1,000 off SunRun’s solar power service and five runners up will receive $500 off the service.

“In California you can get [solar] for zero-down,” she said.

The company launched the campaign to show people there are alternatives to high energy bills.

“We need to try to make people aware that people can control their energy costs,” Wise said.

SunRun’s solar power service allows homeowners access to a photovoltaic array at little or no upfront cost. The service is available in Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and as of this week, Maryland.

Other companies like Sungevity and SolarCity and One Block Off the Grid offer similar services in select states.

In lieu of the high upfront costs of solar, homeowners sign a 20 year solar lease-type or power-purchase-type agreement with SunRun and pay the company a monthly fee for the array. Winners of the California contest will have their fee reduced if they choose a solar power service option, according to Wise.

Homes in parts of California’s hottest regions like Bakersfield and Fresno are likely to have some of the highest costs in June because of air conditioning, Wise said.

“They are going to have high bills, so it may not be a mansion that wins this contest,” she said. “The goal of the contests is not to give away free solar to people who are wealthy. We want to help out people who really do need to be aware of their electricity spending.”

This is the first time SunRun has offered such a contest—at least since Wise has been with the company.

“It’s a really good indicator that the market’s getting advanced enough. I’ve seen a couple other companies doing the same type of things,” she said.

The company could expand the contest in the future.

“If it’s really successful, and we get a good response, it’s something we’d think about scaling to other states,” Wise said.

For more information, or to enter the contest, please visit www.sunrunhome.com/highestbill.

Image courtesy of SunRun.