Utilities and Solar Companies Battle Over Arizona’s Rooftops

Kyle Ritland, Marketing and Customer Experience
Kyle Ritland, Marketing and Customer Experience
June 28, 2015
1 min read

The explosive expansion of U.S. residential rooftop solar installations, which increased by 51 percent last year, threatens utilities’ traditional role as electricity suppliers. The backlash has been most intense in Arizona, where utilities levied or proposed new fees for customers installing rooftop solar systems. 

The utilities’ new fees have spurred high-profile negative media campaigns by solar advocates. However, the battle is also advancing technological solutions that align rooftop solar with the new rate structures and the grid’s needs. “It’s making innovation happen much faster,” says Russ Patzer, CEO of Chandler, Arizona-based solar provider Sun Valley Solar Solutions.

We invite you to read the full article to learn more about how many Arizona solar providers, including Sun Valley Solar Solutions, are planning solar storage and off-grid solutions that evade the utilities’ solar fees.

 

About the Author

Kyle Ritland, Marketing and Customer Experience

Kyle Ritland, Marketing and Customer Experience

After working in technology marketing throughout the Pacific Northwest and Silicon Valley for more than 20 years, Kyle opted to follow his heart and focus his talents in solar energy.

As the head of Marketing at Sun Valley Solar Solutions, Kyle works hard to demystify the ever-changing solar landscape in Arizona and across the country. He especially enjoys helping people separate fact from fiction by presenting solar transparently and accurately, rather than relying on hype or deceptive marketing tactics that are far too common with some solar companies.

When not touting the benefits of solar, encouraging his friends to opt for paper over plastic, or growing his own vegetables, Kyle is generally found hiking with his pointer Bravo or preparing a home-cooked meal for friends.

“If you truly understand how solar works it’s easy to see through the gimmicks. The opportunity for savings is very real when you have the correct information”