1 Block Off the Grid Rolling Out California’s Largest Community Solar Initiative
San Francisco-based 1 Block Off the Grid (1BOG) announced today that it is teaming up with Real Goods Solar for a 100-home solar campaign in the city. 1 Block Off the Grid is an initiative that promotes residential renewable energy systems through education, private finance, and community purchase programs.
Essentially, the organization uses the power of community as a bargaining chip to make solar more accessible to homeowners.
With this initial solar campaign, 1BOG was able to negotiate up to 48% off 2 kW solar systems from the market price for its participants. According to 1BOG Founder and Managing Partner Sylvia Ventura, 2 kW is the average size of a home-based solar system in San Francisco.
Now that 1BOG has partnered with Real Goods Solar for solar panel installations, members can begin to reap the benefits of community-based solar. “There’s a much shorter payback period with the 1BOG rebate,” said Ventura.
And 1BOG isn’t stopping with San Francisco. The company already has 40 people signed up in Washington, DC, 15 people signed up in Las Vegas, and a number of people signed up in Portland, Oregon. Ultimately 1BOG hopes to expand into 12 cities. “We definitely have a lot of work ahead of us,” said Ventura. “But right now our priority is to complete the San Francisco campaign—to have a proof of concept.”
If the first campaign works out, sign me up for the second.
>> Calculate the solar potential of your California home with Renewzle’s solar power calculator and San Francisco Solar Power page.
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August 19th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
This could be the future of alternative energy. more and more people in the US are becoming “greener” & “greener”! when the one in NY comes up, I’m also in.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:11 am
I remember writing about San Francisco’s new subsidy program and calling it a “big green tax cut”. A lot of people didn’t like that. =P
Nothing gets conservative types more riled than to equate their precious tax cuts to environmental efforts. After all, how can you call it a tax cut when there’s no millions to pad the pockets of the ultra-wealthy??
Back on topic, I like the spirit of the 1BOG group, they’re kinda like a solar commune, so to speak… Very neat.
Quote:
and a number of people signed up in Portland, Oregon
*YAY*
August 20th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Yeah Jason us “conservative types” all think
the same way. And we all hate the environment
and want coal burning plants for all.
If this comes to Atlanta i’ll sign up.
August 20th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Looks like Jason is operating with some funny stereotypes.
August 20th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
This is a great small step. I don’t consider a 2kw system “off the grid” but it will cover some of your peak daytime power use. Here is a nice, simple calculator for different parts of the country:
http://www.wunderground.com/calculators/solar.html
August 20th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Considering the majority of “Conservatives” are Fiscally conservative, this is something that should be of interest to all of us. If this lowers our energy costs with our electric carriers and therefore we pay less to the government in taxes, it’s one thing that I’d think both sides could agree with. It’s green for the socially liberal and makes sense for the fiscally conservative.
Ya gotta love it.
August 20th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I like the idea, people grouping for better prices, but a 2KW system is hardly an off the grid system. A 2 KW system in my area, Montana, would generate $22.40/month worth of electricity. I use 5 times that in the summer and 10 times that in the winter. Many homes use less then I do. Our house is all electric so our KW usages covers heating and cooling.
Worse the cost of the system, even at 48% off would be prohibitive. They won’t recover the lost interest, at 5%, on the money the systems cost even after tax rebates and incentives. A typical system costs about $6000 per KW for materials. installation is extra. That would be $6240 for a 2KW system at 48% off. I would lose $26/month interest, at 5% on your $6240 to gain $22.40/month in electrical savings. Yes there are tax rebates and incentives but there will also be installation costs unless you intend to do it yourself.
I hate being the bearer of bad news but solar voltaic will not be an option until the panels are mass produced and the price drops below $100 per panel per 225 watt panel. Curently the best way to save on power usage is to insulate, conserve and incorporate some form of passive solar heating.
August 20th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
LordGotmilk:
As I see it, the problem is that “conservative” *no longer* means “fiscally conservative”, it now means “socially conservative”!
I’m all for fiscally conservative; these damn politicians are spending ridiculous amounts of money on crap, and now the national debt has doubled in just 8 years!
It’s time this country was run by someone who actually has real-world experience in finance, isn’t so old as to not know how to use email, and isn’t so greedy or power-hungry as to sellout at every turn only to stay in power. Problem is, I don’t know any front-running candidates like that.
August 20th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Call that cutting edge thinking? SolarCity started this kind of program two years ago by signing up over 80 homes in Portola Valley, and has run many since then.
August 20th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I went to the wunderground.com website and input my Florida home lat/long… If I buy a Kyocero KD-205GX-LP panel for $840, I can generate 317KWhr/yr…
Downside: 26 year payback at 0.10c/KWhr, not including batteries, controllers and labor for installation… OUCH!
I hope someone can come up with cheaper solar panels in the next 10 years by a factor of 5 or so. It would be nice to recoup the investment within 5 to 7 years to encourage more installation, especially with a lot of people not willing to invest upgrading a home if they only live in them for 3-5 years.
Ciao,
Doc
August 20th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
What if installed solar panels were part of the building code? I assume having insulation is. Right now you would need to reduce your house size about 10% to cover the cost of solar (1Kw/1000 square-feet of house). It would be part of the amortized cost and you would have a lower energy bill each month. Lower some places than others of course. Instead of a 2200 ft^2 house you’d get 2000 ft^2.
August 21st, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Doc,
The worst part is your investment of $840 would gain you $42 a year interest if you bought a 5% CD. Your electrical savings, on that same $840 invested in the panel at 0.10/KW, would only be $31.70 for the year. Not only would you not get back your investment in 26 years you would actually lose $10.30 a year in income besides. I watched a video of how solar panels are made by hand. The process needs to be automated and streamlined to make t more economically appealing. A 15KW system needs to sell for under $10000. Thats the price point to target. At that price point solar voltaic will sell.
August 24th, 2008 at 11:13 am
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August 27th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
this is an awesome initiative
September 1st, 2008 at 12:31 am
[...] so they still get a cut when their customers use less. As a result, you see huge solar projects and initiatives rolling out of states like [...]
October 15th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
I think …. the invoking of solar power in a home is not only about financial return. Electric prices are rising and the providers need to realize that there is another solution besides them for our energy needs. Above someone stated that a 2000 watt system was not enough, I disagree! 2kw at peak sun means (minimum of 5 hours sun) 1kw/hr from 9-11 2kw from 11-4 1kw from 4-6 (14kw to 9kw per day) which is approximately 420000 watts per month or 420kw per month. I utilize 650 (pretty conservative but I use an electric water heater). All in all solar power is the future, teaming up to buy it in bulk is VERY smart and cutting edge. I wish that I could find someone willing to split up a 100 acre purchase in south texas! Go green or die!
November 11th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
[...] we last wrote about 1 Block Off the Grid’s(1BOG) community solar initiative in San Francisco, many of you [...]