Soligent and SunWize to Combine Operations to Form Largest Provider of Solar Distribution and Dealer Services in U.S.

ROHNERT PARK, CA and SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwired - Mar 21, 2014) - Soligent and SunWize, two recognized leaders in providing equipment and services to solar dealers and installers across the country, are pleased to announce that they are combining their solar distribution operations.

The combined company, which will be called Soligent Distribution, will be the largest solar equipment distributor in the Americas, serving over 4,000 solar installers, energy efficiency firms, electrical contractors and roofing companies. The combined company will have estimated annual revenue in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Soligent Distribution will be able to provide its customers with a broader array of product offerings as well as a growing portfolio of advanced services like project financing, materials management, permitting, project installation and cloud-based applications to help independent solar dealers and installers drive out soft costs and enhance their competitiveness.

"Soligent and SunWize, both pioneers in the industry, have been delivering solar solutions to the market for over twenty years. We are thrilled to be combining our capabilities and areas of expertise to better meet the needs of solar dealers and, ultimately, the end customer," said Jonathan Doochin, CEO of Soligent. "Our motto is 'We stand for dealers' and with this transaction we will deliver innovative products and services that drive our customers' businesses forward."

"The first two decades of the solar industry revolved around advancing the state of technology and lowering the cost of equipment," said David Kaltsas, SunWize President and COO. "The next ten years will be about developing innovative services for getting solar to market more easily. By teaming up, we will be able to create and deliver new sustainable energy solutions to meet the needs of an expanding customer base across new markets."

The solar industry is at a historical inflection point. Approximately 6 GW of residential, commercial and utility-scale solar capacity are expected to be added in 2014, a 26% increase over the record established in 2013, according to GTM Research. Meanwhile, the costs of solar systems have dropped by approximately 50% since 2010.

As a result, the channels for bringing solar technology to market will experience a rapid evolution. Thousands of contractors, electricians and other experts in new and existing markets will add solar as a core part of their business, while established solar installers and developers will optimize their internal operations and business plans to more effectively leverage their skills. Streamlined methods for buying, shipping and installing equipment will be required, along with cloud-based systems for managing systems over their lifetime. New financial and ownership models are being developed to serve an increasingly diverse base of end-users.

Soligent is at the forefront of developing services and technologies for making solar dealers more competitive. Earlier this year, Soligent introduced Solar Engine, an integrated set of services, as a first step in addressing these needs. Solar Engine allows independent solar installers, energy efficiency firms, electrical contractors and roofing companies to leverage Soligent's in-house expertise, technology and extensive network of financial partners and solar professionals to prepare permits and bids, execute projects, obtain financing, manage materials and eliminate other "soft" costs.

By adopting Solar Engine, customers can increase their profitability by an estimated 10% on average while substantially reducing the time-to-completion for residential and commercial solar projects. For more on Solar Engine, please click here.

About Soligent Distribution and Soligent
Soligent Distribution LLC, a subsidiary of Soligent Holdings, Inc., is the largest solar distributor in the Americas, supplying renewable energy solutions to thousands of solar installers and contractors nationwide. By developing fulfillment, financing and other services designed to reduce the time and cost required to install residential and commercial solar systems, Soligent is helping accelerate adoption of solar while making independent solar dealers more competitive and profitable. For more information, please contact us at 1-800-967-6917 or www.soligent.net.

About SunWize Technologies
SunWize finances and builds sustainable energy systems for the public, private and residential sectors. For over twenty years, customers have selected SunWize to deliver sustainable energy solutions on time and within budget. Based in San Jose with offices in CA, NY, OR, HI and AZ, SunWize has deployed 100s of MWs of solar throughout the Americas. For additional information, visit www.sunwize.com.