An earthquake or storm hits. Here’s what to remember about your solar system.

Our thoughts are with the California residents in Napa and Solano counties that are recovering from Sunday’s earthquake.

We want to take this moment to remind everyone what to do in the event of an earthquake or severe storm, since your solar system will understandably be the last thing on your mind. Here are a few simple things to remember:

1. First and most importantly, ensure the safety of yourselves and your family.
2. If your utility experiences a power outage, the system will automatically shut down as a safety precaution and will reboot once power is restored. If the system does not automatically turn back on, contact us.
3. We are monitoring the system remotely, but if you notice any visible damage to the system or anything else odd about the system’s performance before we do, turn the system off and give us a call. Do not touch the equipment except to turn it off.
4. We’ve got you covered. If you lease or finance the system from Sungevity, our system insurance covers any damage incurred during an earthquake or severe weather event.

Some Sungevity customers have checked in with us already and have found no issues with their solar systems. If you were impacted by the earthquake and are concerned about your Sungevity system for any reason, don’t hesitate to contact us at: 1-866-SUN-4ALL x5575 (866-786-4255 x5575) or customerservice@sungevity.com.

Hello, New Mexico and Vermont

It’s official: we now can help homeowners in New Mexico and Vermont switch to solar and have some fun along the way.

Adding New Mexico and Vermont expands our footprint to 12 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C. We also serve the Netherlands and Australia.

The expansion coincides with growing momentum for solar power in the United States. The number of solar panel installations in the country surged 73% to a record 1.3 GW in the first quarter of 2014, according to GTM Research and SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association). According to US Solar Market Insights analysis, residential installations have outpaced commercial for the first time since 2002. A separate GTM Research report ranked Sungevity among the top three residential solar installers in the U.S.

New Mexico and Vermont were both identified as markets with an active interest in and opportunity for residential solar energy solutions. New Mexico ranks #10 among U.S. states in the number of solar-powered houses, reflecting residents’ receptivity to solar-based energy. Vermont is experiencing above-average electricity rates, a streamlined permitting process for rooftop solar, and a new policy increasing the net metering cap from 4% to 15% of a utility’s peak load, which enables solar customers to receive more credit for energy they send back to the grid.

“From the beginning, we have called this a rooftop revolution, and the growth we’ve seen in the industry, as well as for our company, bears witness to this. In delivering homeowners a hassle-free way to estimate, design and install a solar solution for their home, we have ultimately doubled our own sales,” said Andrew Birch, Sungevity’s Chief Executive Officer. “Bringing our services to New Mexico and Vermont furthers our mission of strategically increasing our footprint to help homeowners get relief from rising energy costs while simultaneously reducing reliance on fossil fuels.”

Homeowners in New Mexico and Vermont can now request a Sungevity iQuote by filling out an online form at http://www.sungevity.com/get-your-iquote. Sierra Club members in both states who purchase solar installations from Sungevity can earn a $750 discount for themselves, as well as a $750 donation to the Sierra Club through its participation in the Sungevity.org cause marketing initiative. The Sierra Club is one of nearly 115 nonprofits participating in the Sungevity.org program, which has donated more than $1.5 million to nonprofit partners since its inception three years ago in return for referring business to their members.

“Our partnership with Sungevity allows our members to take personal action toward a cleaner planet while doing something good for themselves too,” said Michael Brune, Sierra Club Executive Director. “Home solar is good for everyone, and we couldn’t be happier to expand our partnership into these two new states.”