SAN MATEO, Calif., Jan. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- SolarCity (NASDAQ: SCTY) today announced SunRaising, a referral program that allows nonprofit organizations to raise funds by encouraging members to adopt solar.

Nonprofits can enroll in the SunRaising program now by visiting the registration website. Each time a supporter of a specific SunRaising partner organization signs up, SolarCity will donate $200 to that organization. Homeowners who go solar through a SunRaising partner will also receive their system's first month of power for free from SolarCity as a thank you for helping their local nonprofit.

More than 100 nonprofit organizations—including food banks, hospitals, booster clubs, community centers, schools and recreational groups—have already joined and made referrals under the SunRaising program. These referrals have led to solar energy system installations projected to offset approximately 60,000 metric tons of carbon compared to energy produced from fossil fuels. In addition, the program has helped more than 400 homeowners take the first steps towards going solar while helping to raise thousands of dollars.

One of the first SunRaising partners is Riverkeeper, an environmental organization dedicated to protecting the integrity of the Hudson River and its tributaries, as well as the watersheds that provide drinking water to New York City.

"Solar is both viable and economical for most home and business owners in New York and can play a large role in protecting one of America's greatest rivers, the Hudson," said Paul Gallay, President of Riverkeeper. "One of the greatest threats to the Hudson is an aging nuclear power plant so, not only does SolarCity lower New Yorker's energy bills, but when consumers opt for solar, it plays an integral part in replacing the power from this harmful plant and others like it."

Desert Sands Educational Foundation, a Southern California nonprofit focused on strengthening public education, also became a SunRaising partner earlier this year.

"Desert Sands Educational Foundation is excited to be a part of the amazing things SolarCity is doing to improve the world," said Jan Diaz, Board Member of Desert Sands Educational Foundation, which has already generated 20 referrals through word of mouth and social media promotions. "SunRaising has been a great way to promote clean energy and receive funds to support the students of Desert Sands Unified School District."

Interested nonprofit organizations can register to become SunRaising partners at www.solarcity.com/sunraising. Once enrolled, each organization will be assigned a local SolarCity energy consultant to help get them started.

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.

This release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements about savings and fundraising potential. 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 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.

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SOURCE SolarCity

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