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!
Sam Weinberger participated in 1BOG’s San Francisco April ‘09 Campaign. Read on to hear about his experience going solar!
“I’d been thinking about going solar for over a year when I signed up to be part of One Block Off the Grid’s San Francisco community in April 2009. My roof was not shaded with trees and my electricity bills were high as I work from home. I had done some of my own research, spent hours interviewing local installers and collecting quotes and proposals, but each of those installers was selling their own specific product and I still had general questions that were unanswered.
I put the whole solar idea on the back burner until I read an article about 1BOG in the San Francisco Chronicle. I signed up online and within a few days got a call from a 1BOG solar adviser who was able to answer all of the questions that had gone unanswered by the installers I had met with previously. They told me exactly what to expect and even gave me a list of questions to ask the solar installer company they partnered with, Real Goods Solar. Read the rest of this entry »
If both of those are true then it’s your lucky day. Solar Power International, the country’s largest solar conference with 25,000 industry leaders from around the globe, is coming to your neighborhood. The event will be three days long and 1BOG Founder Dave Llorens will be speaking there. While Dave is great, here’s the exciting part for you…
On Wednesday October 28th, the conference organizers are throwing the exhibit floor open to the public for free.
The evening features over 900 exhibits of the latest solar technology , a job center for aspiring industry workers, and special educational sessions on timely solar issues, taught by top-notch colleagues like Andy Black of On-Grid Solar and Liz Merry of Verve Solar. It’s a great opportunity to learn the latest about world of solar. And it’s free.
Wednesday, October 28th
5:30 to 8:30 pm
Anaheim Convention Center.
Details here:
http://s36.a2zinc.net/clients/sepa/sepa2009/public/Content.aspx?ID=359&sortMenu=105009
Hank found us through an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, signed up, and after he got his new asphalt shingle roof installed, had a solar system installed as part of 1BOG’s SF Bay Area Solar Energy Group Purchase Campaign. Installed August 20th, the system was OK’ed and interconnected to the grid by PG&E on September 10th. Hank says the meter on his Orinda, CA home is currently spinning backwards. “Hooray,” Hank says. He was nice enough to send us some photos of the job.
Congrats Hank, thanks for being a part of this.
You’ve already taken a major step in addressing climate change by installing or considering solar power for your home. Through the Ecology Center’s Climate Change Action Groups and one-session Facilitator Trainings, you can join with other community members in a supportive, engaging and creative setting to deepen your commitment to mitigating climate change.
Upcoming Ecology Center Climate Change Action Groups:
JULY
Mondays from 6-8pm: July 13, 20 and 27 OR
Tuesdays from 6-8pm: July 14, 21 and 28
AUGUST
Mondays from 6-8pm: August 3, 10, 17 and 24 OR
Tuesdays from 6-8pm: August 4, 11, 18 and 25
During these weekly sessions, you will work in a team with a small group of Bay Area residents to calculate your carbon footprint, create a measurable personal action plan to reduce your footprint, and make substantive changes in your community. All sessions are held at the Ecology Center, 2530 San Pablo Ave (at Dwight), Berkeley. Participation is free. A $10 fee (at cost) will be charged for the Low Carbon Diet workbook. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Already have a light footprint? Learn how to start your own Climate Change Action Group by attending a facilitator training.
Upcoming Facilitator Trainings:
Thursday, July 30, 6-8:30pm
Check the Ecology Center website for August training date (TBA)
To register, contact debra@ecologycenter.org or call 510-548-2220 x240. For more information, visit www.ecologycenter.org
There are many ways in which we are quite different from most other organizations. We have a team of people whose backgrounds vary from solar salesman to real estate agent to campaign organizer to summer camp counselor to city government policy maker. Each of us serves a very unique purpose, and it is incredible watching us work together. Well, it’s incredible to me.
And my favorite part of 1BOG’s extended family has to be the field team. We’ve got people who are out knocking on doors (check out the volunteer page to see them strategize), and getting the word out about our program launching in Oakland and Berkeley.
You think the 1BOG team has diverse backgrounds? This past weekend we had volunteers and organizers meeting to set tactical strategy for their weekend canvass. In one room we had an interior designer, a journalist, a green activist, a business school student, a biochemical engineer, a political campaign organizer, and a college student.
Hit up the volunteer page if you wanna bring your skills to a very diverse table that is helping get the word out in communities all over the country.
As you may know, I’ve been working on our Sonoma County campaign and have been doing a lot of research on the AB 811 municipal solar financing that the county is offering. I came across a fantastic blog post by Galley Eco Capital about the loan program, check it out.
Galley Eco Capital has a strong commitment to sustainability. The firm advises clients about how to maximize profits from their sustainable real estate investments. Here at 1BOG, we know that making sustainable choices doesn’t have to mean paying more or sacrificing profit, and so we love to see companies embrace this business model.
