The partnership is establishing an investment fund to finance $65 million in solar projects to assist Honda and Acura customers with the initial cost of solar power installation.

Many Honda and Acura customers and dealerships in SolarCity’s 14-state service area may be eligible for the special offer. SolarCity and Honda expect to be able to accommodate thousands of interested homeowners in the fund.

Honda and Acura dealerships in SolarCity’s service territory may also be able to take advantage of the offer to install affordable solar power through the partnership.

Additionally, the partnering companies said they will explore opportunities to integrate solar power and electric vehicle recharging, envisioning a future in which Fit EV and Accord Plug-In Hybrid owners will be able to charge their cars from the power of the sun, thereby reducing household CO2 emissions to nearly zero.

Honda and SolarCity have established the $65 million investment fund to remove what both companies qualify as a pervasive obstacle to the broader adoption of solar power: the high initial investment associated with installing solar power.

Through the partnership, the first for any automaker, Honda and Acura customers and dealerships will be able to install solar power with little or no upfront cost, depending on the customer’s choice of plans.

Customers will be given a choice to pre-pay for their solar electricity or pay a monthly payment that will be lower than the cost of their current utility bill, with insurance, repairs and monitoring service included.

SolarCity said it has developed a proprietary system that has greatly simplified the process by which homeowners can go solar. From an initial phone call or Web consultation, SolarCity can quickly assess whether a homeowner is a good candidate for solar, and can design a custom solar system to meet a customer’s specific energy needs.

SolarCity offers service in all or parts of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.

Honda and Acura customers interested in these new clean energy options can find more information here.

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“Part of our renewable energy goal as a company involves helping other organizations learn how to successfully implement renewable energy strategies,” said Rob Threlkeld, renewable energy manager for GM. “Joining SEIA enables us to reach a pool of like-minded companies committed to making solar energy a significant energy source.”

GM said that last year, SEIA ranked GM as the No. 1 automotive solar user in the United States. Overall, it placed No. 13 among other companies, such as IKEA and Walmart, making significant use of solar power.

“SEIA is thrilled that General Motors has made solar deployment such an integral part of their global sustainability practices,” said Solar Energy Industries Association President and CEO Rhone Resch.  “Transportation and energy are intrinsically linked, and GM’s decision shows the company’s keen understanding of the synergies between the two industries. We’re looking forward to having GM at the table to discuss how we can provide clean affordable transportation and energy options for the American people.”

Solar Energy Industries Association President and CEO Rhone Resch and General Motors Renewable Energy Manager, Rob Threlkeld.

GM declared its solar arrays in the United States generated enough electricity in 2012 to power 800 U.S. homes. That number is expected to double in 2013.

GM’s U.S. solar installations include:

• 1.8  megawatt rooftop solar array at Toledo (Ohio) Transmission Plant expected to generate 3 percent of the plant’s electric consumption.
• 1.237 megawatt array on the rooftop of its White Marsh, Md. plant near Baltimore – one of the largest in the state – generates nearly 6 percent of the facility’s electric consumption.
• 1 megawatt solar array on the rooftop of its Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. distribution center. It was the first public solar project in the United States at 1 megawatt when it began operating in 2006.
• 900 kilowatt rooftop array on its parts distribution warehouse in Fontana, Calif.
• 516 kilowatt ground-mount solar array at Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly – the largest of its kind in Michigan.
• 350 kilowatt ground-mount array at GM’s Lake Orion Assembly Plant will provide enough energy to power the equivalent of 45 homes annually in Michigan.

GM stated that in the United States alone, 2.1 percent of the company’s energy consumption comes from renewable resources.

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