Apr 22, 2014 05:35 PM EDT By Jaleesa Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

The University of Utah is sponsoring a community solar program that offers discounted rooftop solar panels and installation for students and other residents associated with the school, the Deseret News reported.

The U Solar Program, which launched Tuesday, offers enrollees a 25 percent discount on installation through Oct. 1 and is available in Salt Lake, Summit and Davis counties to university communities, the Deseret News reported.

"It's a Groupon model for solar panels," Kate Bowman of Utah Clean Energy, a nonprofit organization that ran two previous community solar programs in Utah and is now helping the U administer its program, said in a statement.

Participants in the U Community Solar program will have the opportunity to give the renewable energy credits produced by their solar panels to the university for the lifetime of the system. Renewable energy credits are typically purchased by organizations as a way to support renewable energy. This local offset program will help the university achieve its carbon reduction goals.

"We are pleased to offer members of the U community real benefits from our campus sustainability efforts and in the process make an even bigger positive environmental impact," University of Utah President David W. Pershing said in a statement. "Through this unique program, we will truly make a difference locally."

Homeowners who participate in the program will work directly with one of the two selected installers: Creative Energies or Gardner Engineering, to get a bid based on the size, location and energy use of their home. Homeowners will contract directly with the installers, and the panels will be installed on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants must sign a contract with their installer before Oct. 1 to guarantee the group discount.

"This program makes it easier and more affordable for people to power their homes with solar energy," Myron Willson, director of the U's Sustainability Resource Center, said in a statement. "Both installers went through a rigorous selection process, considering quality and price - a process that some homeowners may not have the time or expertise to conduct."

For more than 10 years, students have paid a dollar each semester to reduce the impact of fossil fuel use by the university and to support local investments in renewable energy. Much of the money has been used to purchase renewable energy credits on the open market, and now a portion of those funds are being used for the one-time organization and promotion of the U Community Solar project.

"We're happy to use the funds for this because it brings our impact closer to home," Sam Ortiz, president of the Associated Students of the University of Utah, said in a statement. "Advancing sustainability and clean energy use is a top concern among students."

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