Solar Energy Discount Now Available to 23 Million in U.S.

June 15th, 2010 by Tina Casey

Residents of Orange County, Inland Empire, and the southern part of New Jersey have joined Los Angeles to become the newest areas of the U.S. that now have access to a 15% group discount on home solar energy installations. The discount is offered by 1BOG (One Block Off the Grid), an organization that helps you buy home solar power by pre-negotiating the discount with solar energy companies, then putting together groups of potential buyers. All together, 1BOG is now available to more than 23 million people.

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1BOG, which hosts CleanTechnica, has the goal of bringing solar energy out of the margins of U.S. power consumption and into the mainstream. To that end, the discount system is designed to be user friendly and informative. Joining the group is free, and members receive free guidance on solar energy before deciding whether or not to go ahead with the installation.

Taking the Mystery out of Solar Energy

1BOG has established installation and performance standards for its installers, which include Heliopower (Orange County and Inland Empire), Trinity Solar (Southern New Jersey), and REC Solar (Los Angeles). All of the details are available on the organization’s website, including specific information on the solar panels used by each company, along with general information on different types of solar panels. Once signed up, group members are contacted to determine if their home could make a suitable site for a solar installation. If they are interested in moving forward, the installer will get in touch and perform a free home assessment.

Solar Energy for Everyone

Between shade trees and other factors, not every home is suitable for solar energy. Home owners who can’t get an individual solar installation can take heart, though. In at least one shade-rich neighborhood, residents have pooled their resources to finance and install a central community-based solar array at a church, and utility-based solar installations are spreading rapidly, too.

For more information about 1BOG group discount campaigns, see:

Image: Sunlit house (altered) by bcgrote on flickr.com.

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Tags: 1BOG, community based solar, solar discount, utility-based solar

About the Author

Tina Casey Tina Casey specializes in military and corporate sustainability, advanced technology, emerging materials, biofuels, and water and wastewater issues. Tina’s articles are reposted frequently on Reuters, Scientific American, and many other sites. Views expressed are her own. Follow her on Twitter @TinaMCasey and Google+.

Solar Jobs in Arizona

You’d be surprised at how many states are offering these discounts and how quickly … you don’t have to live in the southwest only to qualify.
Cale

I keep hearing about this 1BOG out of California offering this big discount on solar in NJ at $5.00 per watt. However, there are companies already here in NJ that are offering solar for less than that and offer 0% financing with no payments and no interest for 12 months, allowing you to actually generate SREC income, get electric bill savings and use your 30% tax credit before you have to pay a cent. Then after 12 months you take your SREC income, the savings from the free energy you have produced and your tax credit, paydown your O% loan and get a home equity loan to payoff the rest! So you only have to finance about 45% of the system and you contnue to generate SRECS and energy savings! I did it and I have had a positive cashflow since day one (I’m making more in SREC income and electric savings than my loan payment costs). I know everyone keeps thinking this is such a good deal, but honestly, it’s no different than what is already available in NJ.
- Tina Casey
  
  Great! There are more options out there today than there were just a couple of years ago, so it pays to check around and see who’s offering what. Organizations like 1BOG are a good place to start for people who don’t already have some solar energy know-how, since you can get some free basic guidance without feeling any obligation to buy in.
Alex

I don’t think they will have this discount in delaware any time soon