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Solar Panels go Mass Market, as Costco offers Grid-Ready Kits Online

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June 27, 2011

Solar Panels go Mass Market, as Costco offers Grid-Ready Kits Online

By Cheryl Kaften
TMCnet Contributor

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Costco warehouse shopping members can now find solar panels on display, alongside the usual shampoo, jewelry and toilet paper.

The Issaquah, Washington-headquartered no-frills, self-service discount chain already offers one of the largest product selections to be found under a single roof – or on a single website. Categories include groceries, candy, appliances, books and media, automotive supplies, toys, hardware, sporting goods, watches, cameras, house wares, apparel, health and beauty aids, furniture and office supplies.  


Thus, the new relationship with Grape Solar, a Eugene, Oregon-based the solar start-up, seems to be a natural. Several of Grape Solar’s solar kits already are available through Costco’s website. Just go to Hardware section and click on the Generators & Backup Power subcategory. Costco members have a choice of 880W, 2300W, 3680W or 5060W ready-to-install kits, with prices ranging from around $3,600 upward to around $18,000.

“For the first time, a leading retailer with numerous locations, quality recognition and tens of millions of loyal customers has made it possible for end users to buy high-quality solar products at great prices and have the products delivered directly to their homes in a matter of days,” commented Grape Solar President Ocean Yuan.

This venture started with test markets in Costco Warehouses throughout Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Hawaii and Puerto Rico in July 2010. Since that time, the program has expanded to other high-demand solar markets, including Texas, Alabama, and Florida, with dozens more to come online shortly.

In order to make this tremendous undertaking possible, and bring such a complex product to consumers, Grape Solar has established a network of 5000+ installers nationwide to provide local customer support.

The Home Solar Power kits are grid-tied systems that include Grape Solar panels, inverters, and racking systems that are ready to install onto a home or other roofed structure. This easy-to-install kit is designed with the potential for future expansion in mind. The consumer is able to start small, and generate a portion of their own power consumption, or upgrade and make the power company pay them by generating additional power that is sold back onto the utility grid. Users can create larger systems by linking more of the easily connected kits to one another.

Unlike traditional generators, these solar powered systems are entirely self-sustaining, and require no fuel or petroleum products. There are no mechanical moving components in the Grape Solar grid-tied kits; therefore, maintenance is virtually nonexistent. Grape Solar panels come with a 25-year warranty on power output and a 10-year warranty on materials and workmanship. The inverters have a 10-year warranty and so do the racking systems. All of the home solar power kits are eligible for federal, state, and local utility rebate and incentive programs.

“Costco.com provides us with a borderless platform to offer their customers with a wide selection of solar panels and related products at prices that finally make economic sense for the average American home owner,” said Yuan.

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Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard (News - Alert) Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell

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