A Sizzling Idea: Group Discounts on Solar
Here at Low Impact Living are big advocates for residential renewable energy. We’d like to see every home in the US being fed by solar, wind and/or geothermal power. (And we hope that President Obama will be driving to make that vision a reality!)
But we also understand that very few of us Americans can afford $20,000+ for an installation of a solar PV system– especially these days! That’s why we’re always on the look out for ways people can save on solar. So when I heard about what 1 Block Off the Grid (1BOG) is trying to do, I was intrigued.
1 Block Off the Grid (1BOG) is based in San Francisco, but they are launching a nationwide effort to create community-based buying clubs for solar power. They claim that, “By aggregating consumers and negotiating on their behalf we take the fear out of buying new green technologies, decrease the purchase price, and increase the adoption rate of these technologies.”
If you’ve ever gotten and compared quotes for a solar installation, you know it can indeed be confusing and intimidating. Having a group discount negotiated by a third party sounds like a great idea to us.
1BOG did one set of installations in San Francisco in 2008, and they are just getting their 2009 group ready for another round. They are working with SolarCity for the new installations there. The 1BOG website says they are launching a group for Los Angeles in February 2009. Sign up quick!
I did some research and it seems that one of the participants in 1BOG’s inaugural program in San Francisco cut 43 percent off list price, according to co-founder Sylvia Ventura. But that is not necessarily a standard savings. For the average participant it would probably be closer to about 20 percent off. For a $25,000 solar system, you could save $5,000 — and you’ll get additional goverment rebates as well. Not too shabby!
We also want to remind everyone to always consider a solar hot water system if a solar electric system is too expensive. Solar hot water systems cost in the $4-6K range and will still save you a TON off of your power bills.
Also, to find a solar installer near you click here. You can also get quotes for wind power and geothermal power, depending on where you live.
I think this is a fantastic idea and it’s likely the only way to make it possible for the majority of Americans to afford these technologies. We were interested in building a new home using only green technologies a couple of years ago, but we very quickly discovered it was completely out of our price range which was ABOVE the median home price in our part of the country (Minnesota).
Now this is what I’m talking about! I’ve thought about doing the same concept here in the UK. All seems a bit daunting but it’s a great win/win situation if there ever was one
Call me cynical, but I don’t see how putting solar panels on your home could ever been any more than an environmental ego trip. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge proponent of alternative green power but from my perspective it seems that the average consumer would be better off buying green energy from the grid (which can be done from anywhere) since the economies of scale dictate that a utility will be able to more efficiently generate electricity from green sources given proven demand. So if anything, spending your money on inefficient solar panels will only serve to delay the shift by energy companies from dirty to clean energy by denying them a real picture of actual demand.
there is a BOG scheme being set up in san diego at the moment as well. this is a great way to get people involved in solar energy who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it