SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Airbnb, the world's
leading community-driven hospitality company and SolarCity Corp.
(NASDAQ: SCTY), the nation's #1 solar power provider, are
announcing a new partnership that will connect Airbnb hosts and
guests with an affordable and sustainable way to power their homes
with solar energy, and are releasing estimates of the environmental
benefits of home sharing for travelers.
Through the partnership, SolarCity will offer members of the
Airbnb community a rebate – up to $1,000 cash back – on all solar panel systems.
The rebate is available to Airbnb members in each market where
SolarCity currently operates, and homeowners can choose the solar
option that works for their homes. Additionally, new and current
SolarCity customers who become Airbnb hosts will receive a
$100 Airbnb travel credit.*
Home sharing is a more environmentally sustainable way to
travel. Based on methodology developed by Cleantech
Group1, Airbnb estimates that over the last year, by
choosing Airbnb instead of hotels, Airbnb travelers in the US have
reduced:
- Water consumption by 4.2 billion liters, the equivalent of
1,700 Olympic size swimming pools
- Greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to keeping 560,000 cars off
the road for a year
- Waste generated by 37,000 metric tons
- Energy consumption equivalent to the amount used by 280,000
homes in one year
"Since 1998 we have had 15 of the 16 hottest years recorded and
climate change is changing the way we make decisions – everyone is
thinking about making better use of what we have. Travelers,
especially millennials, want a more sustainable choice and
homeowners want to make better use of the 13 million empty houses
and 36 million empty bedrooms in the
United States alone. Cleantech Group estimated that the
average Airbnb guest night results in 61% less CO2 emissions as
compared to a night in a hotel. At the same time, Airbnb is an
economic empowerment tool for hosts who can use their homes –
typically their greatest expense – to share space and generate a
little extra money to pay the bills. We're excited to work with
SolarCity to make renewable energy more affordable and accessible
to everyone in the Airbnb community," said Chris Lehane, Airbnb's Head of Global Public
Policy & Communications.
When homeowners go solar with SolarCity, they can take control
of their energy needs by using solar electricity that costs less
than they would pay for utility power. Solar power also enables
them to secure predictable monthly costs for years into the future.
As a full service provider, SolarCity makes going solar easy for
homeowners by handling everything from financing and permitting to
installation and maintenance. The average SolarCity solar power
system is estimated to offset over 150 metric tons of carbon
dioxide pollution over its lifetime, which is equivalent to leaving
more than 166,000 pounds of coal unburned or offsetting 125 road
trips from San Francisco to
New York.
"Our partnership with Airbnb demonstrates the important role
energy plays in our everyday lives – including travel – and how
clean energy can reduce everyone's carbon impact on the world,"
said Toby Corey, President of Global
Sales and Customer Experience, SolarCity. "Homeowners that make the
simple switch to solar energy can save money on utility bills and
fix their energy costs for years to come. This partnership will
create the first opportunity for many Airbnb guests to stay in a
solar-powered home, and allow them to experience first-hand how
easy it is to use clean energy to contribute to a cleaner,
healthier society."
Experts in the environmental community and former city officials
are encouraged by this type of partnership between a renewable
energy provider and a hospitality company that can influence the
green habits of millions of travelers.
"U.S. energy consumers overwhelmingly want more solar powering
their homes and communities, so it's exciting to see business
leaders like Airbnb working to meet that demand head on," said
Adam Browning, Executive Director of
Vote Solar. "This partnership shows that solar is as good for
business as it is for the health of our families and stability of
our climate."
"Cities need to embrace green technology in order to modernize
and thrive. Solar power will allow countless citizens across the
U.S. to reduce their impact on the environment and protect their
home towns for future generations of residents and visitors," said
Michael Nutter, former Mayor of
Philadelphia, PA and Chair of
Airbnb's Mayoral Advisory Board.
"Expanding sustainability programs, particularly in the tourism
markets, is a key driver of economic development initiatives of
cities across the world. Through this partnership, everyday
citizens who use Airbnb to host travelers and explore new
destinations can protect our planet by investing in renewable and
affordable solar power. This is an economic and environmental win,"
said Annise Parker, former Mayor of
Houston, TX and member of Airbnb's
Mayoral Advisory Board.
To learn more about the Airbnb and SolarCity partnership, visit:
http://www.solarcity.com/airbnb.
About Airbnb
Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted
community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique
accommodations around the world — online or from a mobile phone or
tablet. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a
villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel
experiences, at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 191
countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing
community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to
monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of
millions.
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 makes solar energy easy by taking care of
everything from design and permitting to monitoring and
maintenance. Visit the company online at www.solarcity.com and
follow the company on Facebook & Twitter.
Background on Incentives:
*Limited time offer: SolarCity will provide a $1,000 cash back rebate to qualifying customers
that sign a SolarLease, SolarPPA, or Purchase Agreement with
SolarCity through 3/31/2017. From 4/1/2017
to 12/31/2017, the offer becomes a $750 cash back rebate. Airbnb will provide
SolarCity customers who become hosts on Airbnb with a $100 coupon. No more than one coupon per new
host. Additional terms and conditions apply. See
here for more details.
1 Airbnb commissioned a study by Cleantech
Group of the environmental impacts of homesharing in 2014. See here
for the Cleantech Group report. To generate the
estimates included in this press release, Airbnb applied to current
Airbnb data the methodology and assumptions used by
Cleantech Group in its analysis and report. To learn more about the
current Airbnb data, go here.
This release contains forward-looking statements including,
but not limited to, statements regarding customer savings and
benefits. 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
SolarCity's most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, which has
been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and
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.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/airbnb-partners-with-solarcity-to-bring-solar-energy-to-the-home-sharing-community-300346748.html
SOURCE SolarCity