After a week of operations in Rhode Island, Lee Keshishian, regional vice president of East Coast operations for SolarCity, said that the company has already seen “positive sales,” working closely with homeowners to survey, design and install solar panels.

Seven years ago, two brothers who wanted to provide average consumers with clean and affordable energy founded SolarCity. In its first year of business, the company became the top provider for solar energy in California, and it is now number one in the country.

The company was seeing success in Massachusetts and thought Rhode Island would be the next logical step. SolarCity opened its most recent warehouse in Fall River, which makes select cities and towns in Rhode Island available for its services.

What makes the business both unique and successful is that it is involved in every aspect of the process, from surveying a home and designing a system to permitting, installation and maintenance. The whole process can take from three to six months.

SolarCity offers a “MyPower” solar loan, in which payments are based on the productivity of the solar energy system. Unlike with a typical power purchase agreement, the customer remains the owner of the solar panels throughout the payback.

With no upfront costs, harnessing solar energy can save customers upwards of 20 percent on their energy bill.

“You are saving money on day one,” Keshishian said.

Keshishian said because Rhode Island has some of the highest utility costs in the nation, many people might gravitate to solar power for the savings.

“There is a definite consumer group drawn to the idea of clean energy produced on one’s own roof – a controllable energy that also makes a difference environmentally,” Keshishian said.

SolarCity is also working on its first operations center in Rhode Island, which it hopes to have open by the end of the summer. The company has begun training and hiring employees.

Keshishian said that Rhode Island, although currently a “relatively small” solar market, is an “awesome opportunity” to bring new people not only to solar energy, but also into the company.

“We want to take solar to the next level,” he said. “We will be around for a while.”

For now, Coventry, Cranston, Cumberland, East Providence, Johnston, North Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick, West Warwick and Woonsocket are the cities and towns SolarCity services.

When SolarCity opens its newest operations center in Rhode Island, more locations will be available.

For more information, visit www.solarcity.com.