Solar installations in the U.S. will be cheaper than ever, if Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has his way. He’s working on the Ten Million Solar Roofs Act that could create one million well-paying jobs and provide 10% of U.S. energy. If the bill passes, we’d see federal rebates of $1.75 per watt to cover up to half the cost of a new solar system. This is on top of the current 30% federal solar tax credit and many state incentives.

Sanders’ goal is to install ten million solar panels and 200,000 solar water heaters on American homes and businesses. This would generate 30,000 megawatts of PV electricity, tripling U.S. solar energy capacity.

Another smart thing about this bill is that it encourages distributed energy. Basically, it is much quicker and easier to install solar on buildings already connected to an electricity grid than to deal with the headache of building a new power plant and transporting the energy to people who need it.

The fact is, solar is good for the U.S. Families with solar panels save money on their electricity bills and increase home values. And, as we at 1BOG know, solar installations create many more long-term jobs than a coal or nuclear plant.

In a recent Grist interview, Sanders states: “The average nuclear power plant will produce about 1,000 megawatts for that $10 billion dollars. [With solar] we can produce 30,000 megawatts for $30 billion and they’re going to produce it for $300 billion.”

Hmm, does spending an unnecessary $270 billion during a recession sound a little odd? We thought so. If you’d rather go with Bernie’s idea, then call your senators and tell them how you feel! Here at 1BOG we’re excited about this meaningful step toward energy independence and green job incentives.

Believe it or not, you can get up to 16% off a solar installation in New Jersey right now.

The state’s solar industry has grown at lightning speed in the last few years and there are lots of ways to get a solar bargain in New Jersey.  In addition to the 30% federal tax credit (which is even stronger since last year’s stimulus package), homeowners can earn state rebates of $1.75 per watt to put solar panels on their roof.  These rebates go far towards reducing the payback time of a system.

Also, New Jersey has something called Solar Energy Renewable Credits (SRECs), which are credits that you can sell to your utility company.  An average-sized system can earn you credits worth about $4500 per year for up to 15 years. Make your utility pay you for power, instead of the other way around!

Solar leasing programs are on the rise as well, so many NJ residents can install panels with no money down.  Leasing programs allow you to set up panels on your roof and pay part of the cost each month, rather than the entire cost at once.

Last but not least, 1BOG’s Northern New Jersey community program continues to help people go solar at 16% off standard rates until March 25th. We want to make it even cheaper ad easier to go solar in the garden state, so we’re glad to do the legwork to find a quality solar installation company and negotiate a discount rate.

See 1BOG’s North Jersey solar campaign home.

1BOG loves seeing solar in new places. We recently read about a completely solar powered yacht that will set sail on a round the world trip next year.  PlanetSolar is a catamaran featuring a 103 kW solar array provides fives times the energy the ship needs to run.

A beacon of environmentalism, during the trip, the boat will make multiple stops around the world.  The skipper, Raphael Domjan, is committed to sustainability and has long sought a way to sail around the world using minimal energy.  Domjan also plans to use this trip to illustrate how solar can be used in shipping.  Shipping is the primary way the world transports good and is responsible for over 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.  We have yet to help a nautical 1BOGer to go solar, but if this idea can further solar adoption, 1BOG is all for it.

One of the PlanetSolar stops is San Francisco – 1BOG will definitely be there to check it out!

Check out awesome 1BOG customers Glenn Trewitt and Wil Renczes sharing their experiences going solar with 1BOG on CBS local news station KPIX with Len Ramirez this evening!

http://cbs5.com/video/?id=62401@kpix.dayport.com

Last week, the California State Assembly passed AB 510, a bill to increase the cap on net metering for California residents. 

Basically, net metering works like this:

• When utility customers are using energy from the grid, their meters spin forward.
• When customers use energy they have generated from their solar panels, the meter spins backward.
• Customers are then only charged for the net amount of grid energy used.
• If this bill is signed, customers will be able to do only pay the net amount until 5% of the utility’s peak demand is reached.

If Governor Schwarzenegger signs this bill, which we hope he will do, this new bill will become law.  Currently, net metering is capped at 2.5%.  This bill would double that cap to 5%.

This is good news for anyone considering solar.  Being able to decrease energy bills and save money makes solar more attractive and affordable for homeowners.  With the continued government support of clean energy and energy efficiency (like the upcoming SF PACE program),  the number of California residents going solar is sure to increase!

Howdy, Texas 1BOGers!  We’re excited to announce the launch of 1BOG’s first Texas solar program in San Antonio today.  We know Texas gets a lot of sun and homeowners use a lot of energy to keep themselves cool.  That makes the state the perfect place for solar – and for 1BOG!

This campaign features the lowest-ever 1BOG solar price at $4.80/watt. We negotiated this price with our partner installer, Standard Renewable Energy (SRE). San Antonio also has great solar incentives, with rebates of $3/AC watt, making solar even more affordable.  With this price and the rebates, there’s no reason for San Antonio 1BOGers not to go solar!

In addition to working with SRE, we’re also happy to have the support of non-profit Solar San Antonio.  They’ve been helping San Antonio go solar and by working together we can make an even greater impact.

Take a look at our press release for more information and to sign up, visit our San Antonio solar page.

San Francisco, Calif. – February 17, 2010 – One Block Off the Grid (1BOG), the nation’s largest solar group purchase company, today announced the launch of San Antonio’s first solar group purchasing campaign and 1BOG’s first ever campaign in Texas. Homeowners throughout the entire city of San Antonio can now sign up for free to join 1BOG’s San Antonio solar campaign for the group discount rate of only $4.80 per DC watt, the lowest solar price ever offered to any 1BOG community. After a rigorous evaluation of solar installation companies, 1BOG selected solar installer Standard Renewable Energy (SRE) as its campaign partner to service the San Antonio 1BOG community.

Now, San Antonio homeowners who want to go solar but don’t know where to start can sign up online for free to receive impartial advice from a 1BOG solar advisor. Then, homeowners in the 1BOG community are eligible for the pre-negotiated 1BOG group discount rate from SRE. In addition, homeowners can use 1BOG’s Online Solar Estimate Tool to receive real-time information about the cost and payback of a solar investment for a specific home.

Read the rest of this entry »

Last Friday, we held our first customer appreciation lunch with three wonderful customers from our first campaign: Thomas and Joyce Beutel and Maria Chacon. As a way to help build real dialogue and community around going solar, 1BOG is going to have regular customer feedback sessions so that we can keep working to meet your needs and work toward our goal of tipping the scales for solar adoption. Read the rest of this entry »

Solar Group Purchase Company Raises $5 million From Global Venture Capital Firm For Rapid Expansion

The gang walks to the bar, post funding news.

San Francisco, Calif. – February 11, 2010 – One Block Off the Grid (1BOG), the nation’s largest solar consumer advocate, today announced that the company has closed a $5 million round of Series A financing from New Enterprise Associates (NEA). NEA is a leading global venture capital firm with more than $11 billion in committed capital and a 30-year track record of successful investing.

Since late 2008, 1BOG’s innovative model to provide group discounts and vendor-agnostic advice, have helped bridge the gap between homeowners and solar installers. The company is responsible for the installation of around 600 residential solar electric systems to date. The financing will support 1BOG’s national expansion strategy to rapidly boost US adoption of residential solar. Read the rest of this entry »

The gang checking out our new bank account balance.

We are thrilled to announce today that VC firm NEA has invested $5 million in 1BOG! The money will support our continued growth and expansion across the US, bringing solar onto the roofs of as many Americans as possible!

NEA has also invested in household names such as Groupon, Salesforce and Tivo, as well as Bloom Energy, oPower and Suniva on the cleantech side.

Here’s the press release. Also, lots of great publications have covered the news including San Jose Mercury News, Techcrunch and CNET. Thanks to all who helped make this possible!