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.

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.

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!

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

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!

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.

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.

“San Antonio is ripe for solar adoption: the combination of ideal weather conditions, great rebates and a local awareness of energy issues makes this a natural choice for a 1BOG campaign,” said 1BOG Founder and CEO Dave Llorens. “We’re confident that providing a community buying option with transparent group pricing will help build confidence in solar power as a sound investment.”

“As an established San Antonio solar provider, we are thrilled to have been selected to service the San Antonio 1BOG solar community,” said SRE Central Texas Area Manager Rob McPherson. “We take pride in our premium products, reputable customer service, simplified purchase and installation process, which, coupled with 1BOG’s group purchasing model, proves that going solar can be a great investment.”

In addition to 1BOG’s group discount, San Antonio’s municipal utility, CPS Energy, provides substantial rebates of around $3.00 per AC watt to encourage people to go solar.

“We know that thousands of homeowners in San Antonio are ready to go solar and that price has been an obstacle,” said Lanny Sinkin, Executive Director of Solar San Antonio. “The group purchasing discount brought to San Antonio by 1BOG and the lower installation cost offered by SRE, as part of the 1BOG program, will help produce a surge in solar activity beneficial to homeowners and the entire solar industry in San Antonio.”

The San Antonio 1BOG program is available now to local homeowners in the city of San Antonio through May 16, 2010. For more information, details about pricing and products or to sign up, visit the 1BOG San Antonio Solar homepage at http://sanantoniosolar.1bog.org/.

1BOG and SRE will be hosting a free webinar and online information session with details about the San Antonio solar campaign on Thursday, March 4 at 7 p.m. CT. To sign up, visit: http://sanantoniosolar.1bog.org/webinar.

About One Block Off the Grid (1BOG)

One Block Off the Grid (1BOG) is the nation’s largest collective bargaining and consumer advocate, dedicated to making home installations easy and affordable. For every regional campaign, 1BOG conducts a rigorous and impartial selection process to identify an ideal installer partner, based on their pricing, track record of quality installations, reliable warranties, premium products and a viable business model. 1BOG organizes interested homeowners into a large solar buying group to negotiate lowest solar group discount rates from the installer partner so that community members can enjoy the best deal for solar power without having to become solar experts themselves. 1BOG was founded in 2008 in San Francisco, California and has campaigns running in ten cities throughout the U.S. For more information, visit http://SanAntonioSolar.1BOG.org.

About Standard Renewable Energy (SRE)

Founded in 2006, Standard Renewable Energy (SRE) is the nation’s largest Distributed Energy Services Company (DESCO) and leading provider of energy efficiency and on-site renewable energy solutions for homes, businesses and government entities. Products and services include solar and wind energy systems, energy monitoring services, energy audits, high-efficiency heating and cooling products, high efficiency insulation and lighting, solar window film and more. For more information, visit www.sre3.com.

Here’s our positive reinforcement:

• Maria had a tricky roof and had been thinking about going solar for years. She had spent hours shopping for an installer (Dave, our CEO, had been her salesman pre 1BOG days when he worked as a solar contractor!), but eventually went solar through 1BOG.

• Joyce knew someone who worked at a solar company. She learned that the process of going solar would be complicated and hard work. Then she and her husband Thomas discovered 1BOG. Tom and Joyce liked the ease that 1BOG provided—that we did the research and chose a legitimate installer.

Here are some of the areas for improvement we learned about:

• Neighbors who witnessed the installations were curious and inquisitive. We’re going to work on providing more information for future 1BOG members to share with their friends and neighbors.

• All the customers requested clearer guidelines to help them understand the timing for the install process. Our team of engineers is working on some special profile features that, in addition to our solar advisers, will provide a new layer of step-by-step information.

We’ll be hosting these feedback lunches regularly. We’d love to introduce you to our entire team, so please email press@1bog.org if you are interested in a future lunch and feedback forum.

Thanks!

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.

“1BOG’s team has applied a unique yet simple approach to solving the solar market’s incumbent challenges, one that taps into the power of community and makes solar more accessible for American homeowners,” said Ravi Viswanathan, General Partner at NEA. “We believe this company provides the solar industry’s missing link; scaling 1BOG’s model will create a tipping point for mass adoption of residential solar energy.”

By providing unbiased support for homeowners interested in solar, 1BOG empowers people to make sound investments in money – and energy-saving – technology.

“The financial and environmental benefits of solar are well documented, but residential adoption is still less than one percent. By simply applying transparency to pricing and process, 1BOG has the potential to modernize, and turbo-charge the solar industry,” said Dave Llorens, CEO 1BOG. “Our ability to secure Series A funding in a tepid economic climate is testament to our sound strategy to meet consumer demand for clean energy while strengthening overall public perception and support of solar.”

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!