http://1bog.org 1bog negotiates discounts for solar power for your home buy organizing the community into a group Thu, 02 Jul 2009 21:35:12 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Maybe it's because I'm passionate about renewable energy, or maybe it's because I work for 1BOG and spend most of my waking hours thinking about increasing solar energy, but I can't help associate Independence Day with our modern struggle for energy independence.  While it's not 1776 and the Red Coats ... http://1bog.org/happy-independence-day/ What are they made of? Photovoltaic solar panels are used for most residential installations. These panels use silicon, a semiconductor, to generate energy. Silicon, also used in computers, is an expensive material responsible for about 60% of the overall cost of a solar electric system How do they work? Solar panels ... http://1bog.org/how-do-solar-panels-work/ Say goodbye to our old, ridiculously slow solar map, and hello to our new map with clustering. It's blazing fast. Zoom in and out to see how many people are signed up in your neighborhood. As people who are interested in solar energy on their homes sign up at ... http://1bog.org/new-solar-map-now-without-the-slow/ Our organizers and volunteers have done a spectacular job of getting the word out in their communities, dropping flyers at coffee shops in Denver, or going door-to-door in San Diego and Berkeley, or attending neighborhood council meetings and info sessions in Oakland. It is always tricky entering communities that previously have ... http://1bog.org/a-note-about-canvassing/ I just got done flying back from Denver and boy are my arms tired. Badum-ching. Seriously, I hate flying, and flying over the Rockies into Denver during a thunderstorm is... bumpy. We were meeting with some of the finalists for the group purchase campaign for solar energy in Denver ... http://1bog.org/back-from-denver-solar-energy-group-purchasing-heads-to-the-rockies/ Solar is getting a makeover.It used to be something that people thought was reserved for elite environmentalists. But now, thanks to social media, rebates, and group purchasing, solar is starting to be more accessible to the masses.  Not only is solar popping up maps across the country, it's also popping ... http://1bog.org/affordable-solar-in-social-media/ One Block Off the Grid was founded with the intention of causing the tipping point in the adoption of affordable solar energy in as many places around the country as possible.  We've been enjoying the ride that has resulted from negotiating on behalf of communities for discounts on solar installations, ... http://1bog.org/1bog-and-home-energy-audits/ Our name is One Block Off the Grid but we don't work block by block and we don't take homes off the grid.  It's a more of a metaphor, so let me at least explain why we don't take homes off the grid, what it means to have a grid-tied ... http://1bog.org/demystifying-the-terms-grid-tied-and-battery-backup/ [caption id="attachment_3130" align="left" width="300" caption="Which has to go? The Tree or the Energy Production?"][/caption] A solar easement is a right to sunlight. It is a restriction that attaches to your neighbor’s property, prohibiting anything on their property from blocking the sunlight reaching your property. While a problem with access to sunlight ... http://1bog.org/whose-right-to-sunlight/ Hundreds and hundreds of people have take our solar quiz. So how did they do? How much do people know about solar and what do they know? Find out which questions stumped them... HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT MORE THAN 50% OF OUR QUIZ TAKERS ANSWERED INCORRECTLY: Basic Questions California's state rebate ... http://1bog.org/how-much-do-you-know-about-solar/