1BOG.org makes the news on c|net, check out the article by Elsa Wenzel. 

“Over the next decade, between $3,000 to $6,000 will be available to each homeowner to cover the installation of solar panels, as well as $10,000 for businesses and nonprofits, and $30,000 for nonprofit affordable housing.” “The subsidies would support some 50 megawatts of solar power across 10,000 buildings.”

“Sylvia Ventura, whose condominium has 2.5 kilowatts of rooftop photovoltaics … foresees a “feeding frenzy” among solar installers and start-ups that could confuse consumers.” “Ventura wants communities to harness collective bargaining power to further lower residential solar setup costs. She and husband, Dan Barahona, launched One Block Off the Grid, a grassroots effort aiming to coordinate additional, privately funded subsidies for enough homeowners to make up the equivalent of a city block.”

*As always, if you are interested in lowering the cost of solar energy for your home by buying in a group, sign up at 1bog.org today.

Supes OK Rebates for solar power systems. by Wyatt Buchanan, Wednesday, June 11, 2008

San Francisco supervisors gave final approval Tuesday to a program that will create a $3 million fund to provide rebates for residents and businesses that install solar power systems.

The supervisors also gave initial approval to another solar rebate program, sponsored by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, to create a $1.5 million fund for nonprofit organizations and low-income residents at or below the city’s median income level. That money would fund a one-year pilot program.

Under the $3 million program, sponsored by Supervisor Bevan Dufty, residents could receive between $3,000 and $6,000 for photovoltaic systems that produce at least 1 kilowatt of electricity. Businesses could receive $1,500 per kilowatt installed, with a cap of $10,000.

Today’s Chronicle article by David R. Baker, Staff Writer: Gasoline isn’t the only fuel whose price is rising.

Pacific Gas and Electric Co. wants to raise electricity rates by 6.5 percent to cover the soaring cost of natural gas, which fuels most of California’s electric power plants. The utility filed a request for the increase with state regulators on Tuesday.

If approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, the increase would come in two steps.

Electricity rates for all customers would rise by an average of 4.5 percent in October and an additional 2 percent in January. PG&E has different rates for different types of customers, and some would see a larger increase than others. The monthly electric bill for a typical home would rise a total of $1.30, to reach $73.43.

The commission is expected to vote on PG&E’s request by Aug. 21.

While it gets less public attention than oil, diesel and gasoline, natural gas has seen its own wild swings in price. The fuel now costs 63 percent more than it did a year ago, more than PG&E predicted.

“What we’re telling the (utilities commission) is that our costs for providing electricity are significantly higher than we expected them to be,” said David Eisenhauer, a spokesman for San Francisco’s PG&E.

To make matters worse, this year’s thin snowpack in the Sierra means that California won’t get as much power as usual from its hydroelectric dams.

“That drop in hydro means we have to go out and buy more power from natural gas,” Eisenhauer said.

Natural gas has grown in popularity as a fuel for new power plants because it burns cleaner than coal, and that popularity has pushed up the price. Natural gas also has been caught up in this year’s bull market for energy-related commodities. Just as investors have poured money into oil, betting that its price will rise, so have they invested in natural gas.

The fuel now costs more than at any time since hurricanes Katrina and Rita shut down offshore natural gas wells in 2005. Natural gas sold on the New York Mercantile Exchange closed Tuesday at $12.44 per million British thermal units. A year ago, it cost $7.61.

“Year over year, it’s been a pretty shocking increase,” said Bill Brewer, vice president of Summit Energy, a company that buys natural gas in bulk for businesses that use it. “Typically, you’re not talking about these kinds of prices unless there’s a hurricane coming through the gulf.”

Consumer advocates who scrutinize PG&E’s rate requests acknowledge that natural gas prices are soaring. But they note that the utility already has requested other rate increases. In May, for example, PG&E asked state regulators to raise rates by $2.3 billion, spread over six years, to pay for improvements to the company’s electrical grid. A decision on that request is pending.

“Unfortunately, this is only one among many rate hikes,” said Mindy Spatt, spokeswoman for The Utility Reform Network. “It remains to be seen whether this is avoidable or not, but certainly, some of the others are.”

San Francisco-based 1BOG.org Launches US Largest Community Solar Initiative

1 Block Off the Grid – 1BOG.org, a San Francisco based solar community advocacy group today announced the launch of its first citywide solar conversion challenge in San Francisco. This will be the largest ever solar community conversion in the US. The goal of the 1BOG.org citywide challenge is to take one entire city block “off the Grid”.

1BOG.org is committed to make solar accessible by offering information, assessment tools, financing and funding to San Franciscans who are considering solar options for their home. The city has set a goal of 10,000 solar roofs by 2010; to date less than 700 residences have solar on their roofs.

“Solar is still costly, pricing out most households. The industry has been slow in bringing forward solutions to help convert large groups of homes to this readily available renewable energy alternative,” said Sylvia Ventura, Co-Founder and Managing Director of 1BOG.org. “We realized in our initial research for our own solar system that most hurdles to residential solar adoption can be cleared with a well designed program that addresses, cost, information on government incentives/tax benefits, financing and logistical support. With that in mind, we designed 1BOG.org to target all of these barriers and help San Franciscans make the move to solar.”

1BOG.org provides substantial financial support and better pricing by negotiating with solar manufacturers and installers. In addition, 1BOG.org helps mobilize and organize neighbors by providing logistical support, community education, financing options and information on latest industry trends, legislation and incentives subsidies.

San Francisco based 1BOG.org has already gathered key support from public officials in City Hall and generated interest from the industry. 1BOG.org is hosting an online Solar Registry and is expected to reach a committed 100 KW of solar capacity by the end of July. 1BOG.org’s executive team has initiated the funding phase for San Francisco’s pilot campaign, and is currently approaching potential sponsors and financial partners.

About 1BOG.org

1BOG.org was founded by two San Franciscans, entrepreneurs and committed environmentalists turned solar advocates. 1BOG.org is a citywide solar energy initiative designed to drive wider solar energy adoption through education, private financing and community purchase programs. 1BOG.org is committed to helping bring San Francisco to the forefront of cities with highest solar energy use in the US, leading the way in a fight against global climate change. For additional information about San Francisco’s 1BOG.org Solar Challenge, please visit http://www.1bog.org or call Sylvia Ventura at 415.601.5336.

Press Contact
Sylvia Ventura
1 Block Off the Grid
press@1bog.org

From Wade Crowfoot at the mayors office:

Excellent news on the solar front:

The full solar rebate program that we all have been working to pass was approved by the Board of Supervisors today at first reading.  This is a huge accomplishment, and one that comes thanks to the tireless advocacy of so many of you.  Assessor Ting deserves enormous credit for convening the Solar Taskforce that came up with the idea and for his steadfast leadership throughout.  As well as so many indivduals who called and emailed Supervisors in the last several days.

Supervisor Dufty led the effort to pass the full program at the Board meeting and other Supervisors voting yes included Supervisors, Alioto-Pier, Ammiano, Chu, Elsbernd, Maxwell, and Sandoval .  (Supervisors voting against the solar program were Supervisors Daly, McGoldrick, Mirkarimi and Peskin.)

In order for the ten-year program to become law, the Board must approve the program at a second and final reading at next week’s Supervisor’s meeting.  (While legislation authored by Supervisor McGoldrick to disallow rebates was defeated, a competing scaled-down program proposed by Supervisor Mirkarimi will also be considered at next week’s meeting.)  We are so close to achieving the full program, and just need our votes to hold.  If we pass the legislation at second reading next week, the rebate program can likely begin within a month.

In the next day, please take an opportunity to thank those Supervisors who voted to support the full solar rebate program and tell them how much this means to the issue of renewable energy.  This will be critical to ensuring a positive vote next week.

Thanks much,
Wade

 

*As always, If you are interested in lowering the cost of solar energy for your home by buying in a group, sign up at 1bog.org today.