Hagman says his solar panels soak up so much sun that he often sells the excess power back to his local electricity company.

We’re loving this Guardian piece today on former Dallas star, Larry Hagman, who has been on the solar bandwagon for some time. We’ve written about him before, but couldn’t resist showcasing solar’s unlikeliest hero again after he served up the perfect riposte to Sarah Palin’s infamous mandate to “drill baby drill” with the much more timely decree to “shine baby shine.” Could it be that Hagman is a proud member of the “reality based community?” After Hagman installed solar panels on his roof on his 46-acre estate in Ojai (near Santa Barbara, California) he saw his annual electric bill drop from $37,000 to $13. Now he’s actually making money by selling the excess power back to his local utility.

Fortunately solar power is no longer just an option for celebs and oil magnates. All over the country, communities are banding together to get group discounts on solar, bringing down the cost of panels and installation, on average, by about 15 percent. Check out our list of active group discounts on solar.

Denver-ites – we know you have been busy this summer bagging 14′ers and watching Ubaldo Jimenez’s fastball baffle opposing hitters. But we want you to take a minute to relax, sit down, and grab an ice cold adult beverage from our heroes at New Belgium because we have some amazing news for you: 1BOG’s solar group discount campaign is back and better than ever!

This time around we have negotiated an amazing price for 1BOG members from one of our favorite installers, REC Solar: $5.20 per watt! Yep, you read that correctly – our latest 1BOG member cost for solar is 15% lower than our previous Denver campaign and well below current market rates.

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An international gathering of Feed in Tariff conference participants struggle to come up with a catchier name for the incentive that's already been wildly successful in Europe

At a surprisingly spicy conference on Feed In Tariffs (FiT) in San Francisco today, keynote speaker Micheal Brune of the Sierra Club observed that in the United States, the secret to implementing something similar to Germany’s wildly popular Feed in Tariff program might be to come up with a punchier name. We’re not so sure. Germany is living proof that you don’t have to call it “iGrid” for homeowners to understand the basic gist: that utility companies have to pay you cold hard cash indefinitely if for any excess solar or other clean energy you generate. Behold: the win-win policy innovation known as a Feed In Tariff.

Denver residents, listen up…One Block Off the Grid is back! That’s right – 1BOG is returning to the site of our most successful community solar campaign to round up another group of homeowners and make the process of going solar cheaper, easier, and more pain-free than ever! 1BOG is excited to be back in the Centennial State because we love the clean air, big mountains, and friendly people. Not to mention the 300 sunny days each year!*

The 1BOG team is hard at work finalizing all the details for our new Denver campaign. But one thing we know for sure – when you combine federal and state incentives, lots of sun, and the amazing 1BOG group discount we’ve already negotiated for Denver residents, you have a guaranteed recipe for solar success.

Stay tuned for more details or sign up to learn more about the upcoming 1BOG Denver group purchase campaign next week!

* We know that the old Chamber of Commerce claim that Colorado gets “300 days of sunshine” is a bit, well, sunny (pun intended), but we like it anyways!

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In general, DIY projects are a good thing, from hacking IKEA furniture to making bento boxes. But solar panel installation is something that’s best left to professionals, both for your own safety and to protect your home.

1. You could hurt yourself.

Whenever you’re working with electrical wiring, there’s a very real risk of electric shock. As soon as you attach wiring to a solar panel on your roof, it’s immediately live. If you don’t truly know what you’re doing, you could be seriously injured. When you wire your inverters, you could come in direct contact with electrical energy; worst-case scenario, this could cause electrocution. Even a minor shock can cause an involuntary muscle reaction as you jerk away from the the electricity, and if you’re on your roof, this could cause you to fall. Which brings us to our second point: it’s also dangerous to work on steep roofs, high above the ground, especially if you’re not experienced.

2. You could damage your house.

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The summer heat hit 102 degrees in New York yesterday and across the nation, everyone’s crankin’ up the AC, so it’s a great time for a few basic reminders on moderating energy use and saving money in the process.

1. Have you turned up the thermostat?

Air conditioning is one of the biggest energy users in the home; by raising your thermostat just a few degrees, you can make  a big difference in energy savings. One simple way to feel better in the heat? Take off your clothes. By wearing less clothing– shorts instead of jeans, tank tops instead of long-sleeved shirts– you’ll feel better and may be able to turn off the AC completely.

2. Have you drawn the curtains?

By keeping sunshine out of your house during the hottest parts of the day, you’ll help keep your home cooler. (Depending on how closely you followed the instructions to disrobe, you may already have pulled down your shades). You can also plant a tree outside to help shade windows.

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Okay, so we know that sometimes even our sweet 1BOG group discounts on solar and the promise of an easy installation isn’t enough to convince the fence-sitters. So it thrills us to report that now the deal for going solar in SF just go even sweeter: San Francisco’s popular solar rebate program, GoSolar SF,  recently announced that it’s restocked its coffers to the tune of $5,000,000.

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1BOG member Roger W.'s installation in Lake Pontchartrain

1BOG members in New Orleans have been asking some great questions about going solar in the Big Easy.

1. Can I take the panels with me if I move?

So you just got your shiny new solar panels installed on your home, like in the beautiful New Orleans roof pictured above, but a couple years later you discover your dream home is located down the street and you decide to move. While you might think it is fairly easy to get a solar installer to help you move your panels to your new house, current laws require that the solar panels remain in their original location for at least five years. After that, you’re free to strap those panels on your back and make your new dream home that much dreamier. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re like us (and millions of other people around the world), get up at odd hours and, in some cases, even skip work to watch the World Cup this year, you’ll see something new: solar power! This year Chinese solar panel manufacturer Yingli Green Energy is one of the World Cup sponsors, along with the usual suspects like Adidas and Coca-Cola.

The first solar company ever to sponsor the World Cup, Yingli said they wanted to reach new customers. They’ll also get attention from those who already know something about solar power, like soccer-crazed fans in Germany and Spain, two of the countries with the most solar panels in the world. Read the rest of this entry »

Orange County and Inland Empire residents pay attention: As a region you are behind in the renewable energy times.  Say we measure regional adoption of solar as a staircase with 10 steps.  Step 1 means no one has gone solar in your area, step 10 means lots of people have gone solar in your area.  Bay Area residents would be sitting on step 7, while SoCal residents who have Southern California Edison (SCE) as their utility provider would be chillin’ three steps behind on step 4!

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