Know someone with high energy bills? Or someone who only turns on the AC for an hour a day to save money? Maybe someone with a pool? (Those things are total energy hogs!) If you do, and you think they might be ready to start talking about solar, then send ‘em our way.

Of course, solar isn’t for just anyone – yet – so here are some tips to help you figure out if your neighbor/cousin/sister’s friend’s uncle would be a good fit:

• They have high electric bills, like $100 a month or more
• Their home has large, ample roof space
• There is minimal shading surrounding their home
• They have or are planning to install appliances that will increase energy usage – stuff like hot tubs, an electric vehicle, massive TVs in several rooms
• They live in an area that supports solar

If they qualify for and receive an online presentation from one of our solar consultants, you get a $25 Amazon gift card to do with as you please. To get that referral, simply share your referral link or send your referrals to our sign up page and ask them to let our solar consultants know you sent ‘em.

We’ll begin tallying referrals on May 19 and will be in touch with your results by May 31. You can also track your referrals live on your member profile page if you need immediate gratification. Good luck, and get those gift cards!

Courtesy David Hockney

Last month, EcoOutfitters asked 1BOG to participate in one of their Solar Chats on Twitter. Now, most Twitter gatherings involve a lot of hubbub, a troll or two, and not a whole lot of substance. Fortunately, though, the EcoOutfitters team has refined these events into well-oiled machines that are not only fun and informative, but attract a fairly massive audience. At about halfway through our chat, we peaked as the top trend on Twitter. Pretty remarkable.

All that aside, it got me thinking about the various ways we use social channels to tell stories and convey information. We’ve become so accustomed to social broadcasting that we can easily convey strong storylines, messages, and ideas in as little as 140 characters. Find an inspiring article about something you care about? Blast it out on Twitter. Somebody fracking in your town and you don’t like it? Share it on Facebook. Big news you want to shout from the mountaintops? Post it on your blog and enable sharing options, then watch it gain audience. These are all linear ways of storytelling, and they’re great – even par for the course at this point. But there is a whole other breed of social media that might be even more valuable than current incumbents, and that is the visual.

One of the most refreshing points in the Solar Chat was the discussion about how visual elements have become so surprisingly valuable beyond just friend-to-friend. A picture is worth a thousand words, and everybody’s got a camera in their pocket these days that empowers them to capture whatever inspires them, whether it’s a delicious sandwich or oil sludge drifting down a residential street. And you can take it beyond photos on the fly. For example, we here at 1BOG like to explore the possibilities of visual vs. linear storytelling with our infographics, many of which continue to circulate months after we initially posted them.

There are studies that show how long it takes a book, article, or any other piece of writing to keep or lose its audience, and the amount of time is usually measured in mere seconds. If you don’t like the opening sentence of an article, chances are you’ve already disengaged. The beauty of visual storytelling is that it provides multiple points of entry and allows people the room to find one that suits them. When someone is greeted with an image – be it graphic, hand drawn, or a photograph – they can let their eyes wander, form opinions, look for details, absorb, and share the message. They are not required to embrace or agree with someone’s words, but rather they are simply required to react to what they see.

So far this has been a good thing for solar. People regularly send us photos of their solar experience, whether it’s the panels on their roof or their meter dropping into the negatives. More importantly though, they blog about it or post it on their Facebook pages so their friends and family can applaud and encourage them. But the single most valuable thing when it comes to all this sharing is that tiny shift in someone’s mind when they realize that solar is not only possible, but something to brag about. And that happens more frequently when they see a picture of solar on their friend’s roof than when they read about it in an article.

Linear storytelling via articles and blog posts is essential in dispelling mythic boundaries and educating people about going solar. But we can’t underestimate the value of non-linear mediums – infographics, photos, even word clouds – as ways of inspiring incremental or wholehearted shifts in popular thought. Social channels are perfectly created to empower that, and we need to use it to full advantage.

Ashley is the Director of Communications at 1BOG and oversees media relations, social channels, blog content, and about half a dozen other fun things. She’s into telling stories about the importance of renewable energy and engaging in conversations that lead us all to a healthier planet. You can reach her at ashley (at) 1bog (dot) org, or follow her on Twitter at @aseashore.

1BOG has been helping individual homeowners go solar for five years now, and we’ve weathered the ups and downs of the market. Now, we are beyond thrilled to be part of Pure’s vision for the future of energy.

We have more exciting news coming up that will directly impact homeowners looking to go solar in what we think is the best way possible. So, keep your eyes and ears peeled – the solar game is changing.

Lots of folks rely on a myriad of excuses not to go solar – and they are all malarkey. Naysayers gonna naysay, but after our initial post, we were inspired to take another swipe at the hilarious reasons we still hear from solar unfriendlies.

Reason #4: It’s prohibitively expensive with a significant out-of-pocket expense.

Thriving nationwide solar providers offer low upfront options with minimal capital outlay if you don’t have money to use as solar for an investment. Meaning, the homeowner would pay significantly less per month to the solar company than to the utility provider. Aw, how adorable… what an ideal utopia that would be!

Reason #5: Solar companies only provide rough estimates, then real people get screwed with the real costs.

When a homeowner is a good candidate for solar, we create customized and personalized solar packages according to that specific homeowner. Reputable solar providers are in the business of closely working with the customer to design an array and financial option that fits them best. We always aim for the highest savings, maximum panel production, and decreased carbon footprint. Solar proponents say by taking the time to create a perfectly suited answer to an ever increasing electric bill and rising carbon emissions every residence will create sustainable communities and save a lot of money in the process. Sounds about as fishy as salmon season.

Reason #6: No one sees the solar process through from beginning to end. Or, there are so many cooks in my kitchen that I don’t know who’s doing what.

We won’t deny that the installation and interconnection channels can be a bit burdensome at times, but we will definitely shout from the rooftops about the practices we implement to make sure the post-sale process goes as smoothly, efficiently, and quickly as possible. We make sure to do any hand-offs to our partners as smoothly and clearly as possible and are more than happy to advocate for any of our members should things go awry. In other words, in every case possible, we strive to be that familiar face for you as you go through the solar experience.

One Block Off the Grid is solely in the business of making the often confusing, uncharted waters of solar manageable and smooth for sailing. We offer free, no obligation online consultations to inform the homeowner and deduct what the best plan would be to combating rising electrical rates and producers of dirty energy. We take all the hard work of it, so all the customer has to do is sit back, relax, and let the experts work out the best possible solution. If everything could be that easy!

Rachael Mammen is the Solar Specialist Supervisor (did say that five times fast, and it was not pretty) at One Block Off The Grid. She more thoroughly enjoys having her alter-ego as a sarcastic Captain Planet. For more satirical morsels and advocating renewable energy, follow her on Twitter at @rachaelmammen. Keep eyes peeled for after the jump there will be more tongue-in-cheek tidbits of solar misconceptions. 

Right. If that were the case, we wouldn’t still be debating whether or not climate change is real, or reading about the plights of everything from polar bears to bumblebees, or wrestling with the merits of solar over, say, fracking.

So, on this April 22, we invite you to do nothing short of contemplate your carbon footprint. We’ll be carpooling, walking, or biking to work, recycling our trash, composting our leftovers, debating which apex predator we’d rather save (polar bears are winning with a slight margin over tigers), and getting as many people as possible to go solar. (Incidentally, if you haven’t heard, we’re upping the game today: If you go solar by 7pm PST, we’ll give you $500. That’s green everybody can use.)

Of course, we’d love to hear what you’re doing as well! Drop us a line in the comments or email me at ashley (at) 1bog (dot) org. We even have a nifty survey you can take about what you’re doing on this greenest of holidays.

Happy Earth Day, from all of us here at 1BOG. (This is us, by the way.)

L-R: Peter, Hunter, Todd, Thomas, Marcus, Kevin, Andrew, Rafael, Oz, Keith, Tiffany, Cecil, Tibet, Cayden, Joseph (hiding), Rachael, Kai, Heather, Ashley, George, Paul, Tom, Matt, Tim, Joey. Photograph by Aaron the Awesome.

It’s beyond David and Goliath, isn’t it? A fairly nascent industry is going up against heavyweights that can clobber us into next week with sheer spending power and the influence that money can buy. On top of that, we’re challenging well-ingrained habits among ordinary folks accustomed to paying their good ol’ utilities companies for energy. It’s tough to wrap your head around another way of doing things.

But as much money as the oil and gas industry have spent, they do have a crucial Achilles heel: public opinion. No matter how spectacularly humanistic their marketing campaigns are, all it takes is one photo of a duck covered in oil or a black stream of goo drifting down a suburban street in Arkansas to remind people that the real cost of oil reliance is that it is ultimately destructive to our planet.

On the other hand, solar fights the good fight. We are the solution to the problems that people see with oil. Well, we’re one solution (and we’re biased, obviously). But as an industry we can’t go toe-to-toe with Exxon in Washington – and that’s actually okay. Why? Because we know that change really starts in that place where oil and gas always flounder: public opinion.

The solar industry has known from the very beginning that transparency is our ally. But that also leaves us open to a lot of misinterpretation – both selective and genuine – as people grapple with the complexity of this new thing they’re being asked to do. It isn’t enough to be honest with your customers these days. You have to give them the tools to make their own decisions. Empowering people with information is the new way of doing things, and that is something the oil and gas industries can’t seem to grasp where as, at least here at 1BOG, we strive to do every single day.

A good public relations strategy isn’t just about getting great articles or making headlines. It’s about inspiring change – a lot of change – through as many avenues as possible. Everything counts, from SolarChats hosted by EcoOutfitters to posting op-eds in major publications, or even attending town halls and HOA meetings. There are conversations to be had everywhere. So while solar might not be able to match oil and gas giants dollar for dollar in lobbying, when it comes to the public arena, we can outmatch them simply by continuing what we’re doing: educating, being transparent, and fighting the fight the ultimately ends with betterment for the planet and the people on it.

Ashley is the Director of Communications at 1BOG and oversees media relations, social channels, blog content, and about half a dozen other fun things. She’s into telling stories about the importance of renewable energy and engaging in conversations that lead us all to a healthier planet. She’s also into muay thai, so if PR doesn’t work, she’s got some flying elbows for the oil regime. You can reach her at ashley (at) 1bog (dot) org, or follow her on Twitter at @aseashore.

To get a better understanding of the big picture, let’s take a few steps back.

Created by 1BOG. Source: EIA

First, some facts. In 2011, energy generated in the U.S. was distributed fairly evenly among residential, industrial, and commercial categories, at roughly one-third each with residential having a slight edge over both commercial and industrial. So, although power plants generate a whole lot more power, when put in the perspective of consumption, the playing field evens out quite a bit.

But then we have that slight edge that residential has over commercial and industrial categories, and here’s where it gets really interesting. Since residential is the largest consumer of electric power, its size allows solar to make more of an impact than if we focused solely on the other sectors which makes it a natural target for reductions. However, the size of the consumption is not the only reason to focus there.

If we take a look at the three categories in another way, this time looking more granularly at their demand in monthly increments, in the “Historical peakiness” graphic below you can see that residential power consumption is also the “peakiest” on both a daily and monthly scale. Peakiness basically means the points at which demand is highest. Residential power dominates this, which means that it rules the demand sector for power as well, especially in the winter and summer months when there is a direct need for heating and cooling in the home. Why does this matter? Because “peaky” power is the most expensive power.

Source: EIA

“Peaky” is expensive because grid operators and utilities dispatch power starting from the cheapest and moving to progressively more expensive power. The cheapest power comes from nuclear and hydro dams, then coal and wind, when available, are dispatched. Finally, natural gas turbines match the exact demand, spinning up and down as necessary. This ability to move up and down with the grid is what keeps the lights on and prevents brownouts or surges, but it is very expensive to do this. On the hottest summer days, when all of the cheapest power is already in use, demand dictates the most expensive power be purchased.

However, it does not need to be that way. As it turns out, solar generates power right at the same time it is needed the most – at the peak. For all intents and purposes, solar generation has the effect of shaving the peaks off. Take a moment to really digest that: solar works best when energy is most needed, so a solar home essentially bypasses the entire nuclear-hydro-coal-wind daisy chain. (Incidentally, this has utilities companies freaking out.)

We can actually see this in action in Australia, where solar is being added at a furious rate. For each year that solar is added, the peak summer demand has been shaved progressively downward. Since 2008, that demand has fallen by 15 percent. Furthermore, overall demand fell by 3 percent, whereas it was previously predicted to rise 10 percent! If the trend continues, it will translate into lower demand for new power plants and the transmission lines needed to distribute that power.

The implication of this trend is that residential solar is perfectly suited for reducing society’s most expensive power. That is all well and good for the altruists out there, but there is also a very pragmatic element as well: Whether you want to save the planet or not, as a utility ratepayer you are ultimately footing the bill for that expensive, peaky power in the form of higher costs in the summer and winter. Adopting solar means shaving down your demand, which in turn means that you will see some significant savings on your utility bills, and that always feels good whether it’s for the planet or your wallet – or both.

Since 2008, Tim Haines has pursued his dream of working for a cleantech company through thick and thin, and is pleased to have finally made it. He currently works for 1BOG as a Solar Consultant. For other musings, check his twitter feed @timothyhaines.  

Whatever.

But, we like to have a little fun here at One Block Off the Grid, so we thought it would be a hoot to see what it’s like on the other side of the fence (the dark, withering, nothing-grows-here side of the fence where sun is bad). So here we go. Enjoy all the excuses for not going solar, and behold the reasons that they’re bunk. We’ll be doing this on a regular basis, so feel free to contribute in the comments.

Reason #1: Ugh, it’s really too much work—and we all have so much on our plates today. Although moving to cleaner and cheaper energy does seem like a good idea to a lot of folks, it also seems like a lot of hoops to jump through. If only there was a solar advocate group that streamlined the process for going solar (ahem), someone that did all the heavy lifting and guess work for the customer, vetted the partners/installers to the highest industry standards, and gave the customer an educated, informed, viable solar solution. If only…

Reason #2: Utility companies aren’t THAT bad. We all have a serious, deep-rooted relationship with our utility provider. They never raise the rates, always have the customer’s best interest in mind, and would never inspire us to punch our cat. All that noise about rising energy costs, extraneous/nonsensical charges? Dirty energy produced by coal and other non-renewable energy sources? Just a bunch of propaganda from the solar industry yammering about rights of the sun over rights of the planet.

Reason #3: Solar is anti-tree. Solar companies recommend that homeowners cut down trees just so they can get exposed roof space. Well, yes. This one is kind of true. In order to get the most from solar panels, those gangly, leafy, shade-giving trees should at least be given a skeptical side-eye. But only if they block the southern-facing part of your roof.

We hear over and over how the deals available today to help people go solar are too good to be true. But here’s the truth:  Homeowners can put little to no money down for a 20-year commitment to produce clean energy for a significantly more affordable rate of power due to incentives and rebates. Thanks to these options, a homeowner can become energy independent from their utility company and help decrease carbon emissions. Furthermore, there is a trusted, independent solar advocacy group that educates, informs, as well as simplifies the complicated process of going solar from gathering information to post-interconnection. Yes, and that is where we at One Block Off the Grid come in.

Rachael Mammen is the Solar Specialist Supervisor (say that five times fast) at One Block Off the Grid. She is ecstatic to flex her sarcastic muscle for this tongue-in-cheek post. For other sardonic noshes and a look into fighting the good solar fight, follow her on twitter (@rachaelmammen). Stay tuned for the next episode of Rachael’s witticisms on solar fact and fiction.

Solar Impulse: Powered by Sun, Flies at Night

New developments in solar energy are occurring almost daily that both figuratively and literally will light the future of our nation and the world. There’s the Solar Impulse, a long-range solar-powered aircraft that just flew an entire diurnal cycle, including nearly nine hours of night-time flight. If that doesn’t capture your imagination, India just announced that they’re experimenting with solar in a whole new way: solar-powered roofs over highways. Of course, there’s also the practical innovation happening in Lancaster, California, which will require all new single-family homes to have solar panels beginning in January 2014.

The point is that whether it’s a solar-powered plane or community, the opportunities that solar brings to the world can tickle the imagination.

Think of a future where planes, automobiles, transportation systems and even more industries are powered by the sun. We’re making in-roads already, and what a difference it will make in the climate of our entire planet and in the conservation of the limited resources of our world.

The good news is that there’s a really easy place to start: your home. Thanks to innovations in solar finance, every home can be part of this new wave of energy innovation and enjoy the benefits of this new power source. It starts with a simple phone call. At One Block Off the Grid we quickly assess your current electrical bill and work with your utility company to determine if a solar system would be a good option for your home – for free.

If solar is a good option for you, we arrange for installation by the best qualified experts in your area and determine the potential savings in your energy costs. Most of the process can be done over the phone.

If you’re like me and share an enthusiasm about the future and want to be part of changing your neighborhood, our nation and, ultimately, the world, then solar is a great place to start. And the best place to start going solar is right here at One Block Off the Grid. Check out our FAQ for answers to your most pressing questions, or our Homeowner’s Lounge to see for yourself what life as a solar homeowner can be like.

Ousman Bah is the Managing Director of One Block Off the Grid.

Post provided by

You already know that installing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on your home can dramatically reduce your monthly electricity bills. And with each successive year, those savings only grow with time. As utility rates rise, clean energy from the sun remains consistently free.

But as with any investment, there are start-up costs with solar energy. Even with the impressive savings potential, can you really afford paying for a new system upfront? The answer may surprise you.

These days, there exist a range of solar-related incentives and rebates specifically designed to help make the technology more affordable for average homeowners. Solar PV systems that were once prohibitively expensive are now within relatively easy reach.

Thanks to a number of local, state, and federal incentives, you rarely have to pay full price for a new solar PV installation.

Let’s take a look at some of these incentives.

1.  The Federal Investment Tax Credit

The Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) allows you to deduct up to 30% of the installation cost from your total income. Think of it as a “charitable donation” or “business expense” that you claim on your yearly taxes.

2.  Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs)

Certain states have renewable energy quotas in which utility companies are actually obligated to generate a certain portion of their electricity from clean power sources.

Rather than generate this energy themselves, utility companies frequently “purchase” credits from homeowners who already produce clean energy from their solar PV systems. For example, in a state like Maryland, the average payout for every 1,000 kilowatts (kW) of solar energy exceeded $200 in 2012.

3.  Additional Solar Incentives in Maryland

Maryland is actually one of the most generous solar states in the country, offering a slew of additional incentives for homeowners thinking about going solar. Let’s take a look at a few:

• The Maryland Residential Clean Energy Grant Program pays eligible homeowners an even $1,000 for each newly installed solar PV system.

• The Maryland Clean Energy Production Tax Credit allows eligible homeowners to claim up to $0.0085 for every kilowatt-hour of solar energy produced (this credit only applies to state taxes).

• Maryland offers a 100% tax exemption from the sale and use of solar PV technology.  This can reduce the upfront cost of a new installation by as much as 6%.

• You can also find any number of incentives at the utility and county level to further drive down the cost of your system.

A couple things to keep in mind: First, you can combine many of these incentives to really bring costs down. Second, in addition to government incentives, you might also qualify for solar financing and leasing options. Done correctly, you can push down the upfront cost to $0 while still paying next to nothing on your monthly electricity bills. It’s a pretty sweet deal any way you cut it.

***

Ryan McNeill is the president of Renewable Energy Corporation, a Maryland solar solutions firm serving the Mid-Atlantic. Ryan has written for the ASES, Energy Viewpoints, Renewable Energy World and various other publications covering the renewable energy industry.