August 4, 2022

Salt Lake City is excited to launch a new program, Solar Salt Lake, that will make it easier for residents to install rooftop solar on their homes through discounted bulk purchase pricing and free education from a community-selected solar installer. 

Starting Thursday, residents can sign up to learn more about the program and enroll to have their home virtually evaluated for eligibility.  

“This program is helping to achieve Salt Lake City’s goal of moving towards 100% renewable energy for our community electricity supply by 2030,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall. “We’re working on the utility-scale with our Community Renewable Energy Program, but rooftop solar still plays a critical role in meeting our resiliency, climate, and economic goals. This is another important way that Salt Lake City is taking action to mitigate climate change and improve air quality.”

The Salt Lake City Sustainability Department developed the program under Mayor Mendenhall’s leadership. The program will help up to 50 Salt Lake City residents install rooftop solar on their homes by the end of the 2022 calendar year while taking full advantage of federal tax credits on top of the bulk purchase pricing.

The City went through a competitive Request for Proposals process in spring 2022 to identify a solar installer with a trusted track record that can offer bulk discounts exclusively for Salt Lake City residents. Gardner Energy was selected by the City.

To participate and take advantage of the discount pricing, residents need to sign the enrollment form to have their home virtually evaluated by September 2, and then sign a contract with Gardner Energy no later than September 16, 2022.

There is no financial benefit nor cost to the City to sponsor the program.

“Solar Salt Lake is about streamlining resident access to rooftop solar,” said Debbie Lyons, Salt Lake City Sustainability Department Director. “Since 2011, the City has deployed rooftop solar on more than a dozen municipal buildings. In doing so, we’ve reduced our municipal carbon footprint, saved money on utility bills, and improved local air quality. By launching Solar Salt Lake, the City hopes to enable more residents to take advantage of the same financial and environmental benefits solar has to offer.”

Residents can enroll in the program beginning Thursday, August 4 by filling out the enrollment form on the Solar Salt Lake website. If the information provided on the form indicates the resident household is eligible for the program, Gardner Energy will conduct a remote site assessment and provide an initial financial analysis at no cost to the resident.

Gardner Energy will support participants throughout the process, including helping them choose components that are right for their home, custom-engineering their solar installations, building a durable system, and supporting participants for the life of their system.

Residents will have the opportunity to attend three workshops throughout the month of August to ask questions, learn more about the program, and gain detailed information on rooftop solar.

“Gardner Energy is thrilled to be chosen by Salt Lake City as the exclusive contractor for the Solar Salt Lake Program,” said Meghan Dutton, General Manager for Gardner Energy. “We are excited to offer high quality, low cost solar and battery storage systems to help the residents of Salt Lake City meet their sustainability and carbon-reduction goals while contributing to the modernization of the energy landscape. System adaptability, flexibility, and longevity is fundamental to our work and our team of experts is hyper-focused on providing solutions for today with the future in mind. Program participants can rest assured that their investment is right for them today, and ready for the future.”