CHATSWORTH, Calif., Aug. 22, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SolarCity® (Nasdaq:SCTY), a leading provider of clean energy, has opened its first operations center in the San Fernando Valley to accommodate customers as far north as Santa Barbara County. The 16,800 square-foot facility is staffed by 61 full-time employees today, and SolarCity currently has 15 job openings at this location. SolarCity already has approximately 2,000 customers in the San Fernando Valley. The company has also begun or completed projects to provide solar power to some 60 school facilities within the Los Angeles, Glendale and Simi Valley Unified School Districts, and will be providing solar electricity to the headquarters of the Las Virgenes-Triunfo Municipal Water District within the next year.
SolarCity's new Chatsworth location was inaugurated today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by staff of Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), Senator Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), who presented SolarCity with her annual Sustainability Award recognizing a business, person or organization dedicated to preserving the environment by living and working responsibly, and Los Angeles Councilmember Mitchell Englander.
"We are happy to see private enterprise bring jobs as well as clean air to Chatsworth and the entire San Fernando Valley region," said Sherman. "We continue to do all we can in Washington to help companies like SolarCity thrive so that our community benefits economically and environmentally."
"With the growth of companies like SolarCity, California serves as a global example that job growth and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions can go hand in hand," said Pavley, author of the state's landmark climate change law, A.B. 32. "We must accelerate sustainable solutions such as solar that put people to work in places like the San Fernando Valley and help reduce utility bills for residents, schools and businesses."
"One way Los Angeles continues to lead the renewable energy movement is by making it easier for companies like SolarCity to do business here," said Englander. "The growth of solar in our community acts as a job creator and economic stimulus."
SolarCity has grown to become the #1 full-service solar power provider in California and the U.S. by making it possible for customers to install solar panels for free and pay less for solar electricity than they pay for utility bills. More homeowners, schools, and businesses today are making the switch to solar to reduce their electricity costs and use clean, renewable power.
"Chatsworth alone enjoys 279 days of sunshine annually, which is about 35 percent higher than the national average and makes the San Fernando Valley ideal for solar power and the savings it brings," said Jim Cahill, SolarCity's regional vice president of operations for Southern California. "We're delighted to have a home in the Valley and look forward to creating more local jobs as we expand our services for homeowners and businesses in the region."
SolarCity was chosen earlier this year as winner of the Sustainable Business Award by the Sustainable Business Council of Los Angeles for its outstanding contribution to the region's green economy.
Homeowners and businesses in the San Fernando Valley who are interested in SolarCity's services can contact the company directly at 1-888-SOL-CITY (1-888-765-2489) for a free, no-obligation solar consultation or visit SolarCity online at www.solarcity.com/request. Candidates interested in available employment opportunities in the San Fernando Valley can contact SolarCity via its online jobs form at www.solarcity.com/jobs.
About SolarCity
SolarCity® (Nasdaq:SCTY) provides clean energy. The company has disrupted the century-old energy industry by providing renewable electricity directly to homeowners, businesses and government organizations for less than they spend on utility bills. SolarCity gives customers control of their energy costs to protect them from rising rates. The company offers solar power, energy efficiency and electric vehicle services, and makes clean energy easy by taking care of everything from design and permitting to monitoring and maintenance. SolarCity currently serves 14 states and signs a new customer every five minutes. Visit the company online at www.solarcity.com and follow the company on Facebook & Twitter.
This release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements regarding future deployments, future hiring and future environmental and economic impacts of SolarCity projects. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved, if at all. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward looking statements. You should read the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our annual report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which identifies certain of these and additional risks and uncertainties. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.