One Block off the Grid
How 1BOG is saving you money on solar panels
What’s better than greening your home? How about when your whole community jumps on the green bandwagon and saves you money in the process. Sound too good to be true? Well, it’s not with the help of 1BOG.
What is 1BOG?
1BOG, which stands for One Block off the Grid, is a company focused on providing homeowners with group discounts up to 15-20% on solar panels. One Block off the Grid is a metaphor for eliminating one block’s worth of dirty energy usage out of every city per campaign by switching to solar energy.
Their mission is to spread the adoption of solar panels across the nation, one community at a time. 1BOG organizes people in a community to get discounted solar panels for their homes. Their website, 1bog.org, answers any questions you might have about solar panels, including the benefits, myths, and costs, to educate you before you invest in solar panels. 1BOG also explains, in an easy-to-follow manual, how they provide members with solar panel discounts.
How does 1BOG work?
Their logic is simple: A person alone has little power to negotiate discounts on green home improvements; however, as a group, they can give to you and others huge discounts on solar panels.
There are three problems that consumers have with solar panels that the company hopes to eliminate:
- Solar panels are expensive
- Solar panels can be confusing to learn about
- How do you decide which solar panel installers to trust to do a good job?
If you are thinking about installing solar panels for your home, and are experiencing any of these problems, the solar company strives to eliminate them by:
- Offering group discounts, averaging 15%, to your community by negotiating with solar panel providers
- Offering reliable, in-depth information about solar panels on their website
- Negotiating with the best installers for low prices and high quality. The group’s solar panel team chooses trustworthy installers for you, so you don’t have to worry about finding an installer yourself.
How do you become a member of 1BOG?
Anyone who owns a home or an investment property and is interested in installing solar panels can become a member of 1BOG at the very low price of FREE, no obligation required. According to 1BOG, “The more people sign up for the program, the bigger the savings and the better the terms we are able to negotiate with installers and manufacturers. Our goal is to get solar on more roofs, and that involves cutting the cost of your solar system significantly.”
After you sign up, spread the word to your friends, family, and neighbors to become a member of 1BOG. You can even become a field organizer or volunteer to spread the adoption of solar panels around the nation. Once 100 people in your area sign up, 1BOG begins a campaign, negotiating with installers in your community to provide solar panels to you at a discounted price. 1BOG will run a new campaign in your community three times a year, so newly joined members can experience the benefits of 1BOG’s program even if they join after the first campaign.
When 1BOG runs a campaign in your community, your home will need to be assessed to ensure it is suited for solar panels. Your home will be evaluated on the following solar criteria:
- Level of shading
- Orientation of roof
- Amount of space available for panel mounting
- Roof inclination, material, condition, and age
- Electrical service requirements
If your home is found suitable for solar power, you can receive the discounts that 1BOG has negotiated with solar panel installers for you and your neighbors. “As long as there are interested residents willing to commit to solar, 1BOG will be available to negotiate on behalf of the community and help neighbors join together to get cheap solar safely on their roofs.”
1BOG Cities
The solar company will run campaigns in any city in the US, so long as 100 people in that area become members.
Currently there are 9 active cities where One Block off the Grid is running campaigns:
- North Jersey
- San Francisco Bay, CA
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Diego, CA
- New Orleans, LA
- Denver, CO
- Sonoma County, CA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Coachella Valley, CA
Soon to be launching campaigns in:
- San Antonio, TX
- Honolulu, HI
There are 12 cities that are very close to getting the program:
- Austin, TX
- Miami, FL
- Aspen, CO
- Boston, MA
- Brooklyn, NY
- Philadelphia, PA
- Chicago, IL
- Las Vegas, NV
- Portland, OR
- Seattle, WA
- Sacramento, CA
- Washington DC
If you live in any of these cities, it’s not too late to join and receive discounts on solar panels. If you don’t see your city mentioned above, join now so that your city will become an active city in the future.
Why should I become a member?
Solar panels can be expensive for homeowners; however, by becoming a member at no charge, you and your community can enjoy quality solar power for a discounted price. So how does the business keep operations running if no membership fees are collected? They pay for operation costs with the fees that solar installers pay in exchange for customer referrals.
Another benefit of being a member is the solar financing options available. To eliminate the large out-of-pocket cost for solar systems, they have partnered with SunRun, the nation’s largest residential solar electricity provider. All eligible members have access to SunRun’s solar service and financing options. Instead of paying for a whole solar system yourself, with SunRun, they buy and maintain your solar system for you. All you have to pay for is the power the solar system produces.
SunRun has two service options:
- SunRun Power Plan- $1000 upfront, and a low fixed rate every month for your electricity
- SunRun Total Solar- Similar to purchasing a solar system, you pay upfront, eliminating your monthly electricity bill, but the Federal Tax Credit immediately applies.
The Federal Solar Tax Credit allows a 30% tax credit of the out-of-pocket cost you paid for your solar system.
One of the most important reasons to become a member is: Becoming a member increases the chance that your neighbors will become members, which increases the amount of homes that use solar power. The more homes that rely on solar power, the better it is for the environment.
If you have been thinking about going solar but don’t know where to start, join 1BOG to learn about what it means to go solar, interact with your community, and pay less for your solar system.
Links
February 25th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
wow this is great, i had no idea there was so much help like this out there! i live in one of the cities getting close- maybe i can be the 100th home?
February 25th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
How interesting…I’ll have to check this out in my own town and get something going around here.
February 25th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
so cooooooool! does it have to be residential? what about commercial areas?
February 25th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
omgsh. really? do they have to be 100 people on the same block or 100 within the city?
February 25th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
does it have to be on a single block or just 100 people in the city?
February 25th, 2010 at 6:54 pm
SO YOU SIGN UP AND THESE GUYS DO ALL THE WORK FOR YOU? PRETTY COOL
February 26th, 2010 at 11:45 am
Sun Run is a great organization!
February 26th, 2010 at 12:19 pm
Very helpful. I’ve always wanted to go solar but often I and other people don’t know where to begin. This may be it!
February 26th, 2010 at 12:24 pm
So even after they do all they can to get you solar panels, how much would you still be paying?
February 26th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
awesome! so these panels are like practically free?
February 26th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
I wish I would have known this before, I’m sure it would have made shopping for panels a lot easier.
February 26th, 2010 at 12:40 pm
i want to do this in my neighborhood!!!!!!!!!
February 26th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
I think ALL major cities need this, immediately.
February 26th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
ALL METROPOLITAN AREAS NEED THIS NOW.
February 26th, 2010 at 12:47 pm
if every neighborhood in the country did this, that would be amazing.
February 26th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
shawn_d- uh YEAH! could you imagine what would happen if every neighborhood in the states just started switching to solar???
February 26th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
every time i read about solar. i wish just a little more that i could afford it.
February 26th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
whaaaaaat. too cool. i want this in my hood.,=
February 26th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
How much funding is there currently for solar panels?
February 26th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
jesse- DO IT!
February 26th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
i may look into this just a little bit more…
February 26th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
so cool. this its the greatest to get start with solar
February 26th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
what a great organization!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 26th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Yeah does this have to be only residential???
February 26th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
GO SOLAR!!!
April 22nd, 2010 at 2:42 am
Very nice! I’m sure a lot of people who pursue living green will benefit from this advocacy. “Green” oriented sites such as http://www.TintBuyer.com are also doing their share in helping others in pursuing green living. They discuss how window tints can be labeled as one of the most effective ways to conserve energy consumption, in our home, office or car, it is a practical way to save money from energy bills while caring for the environment. Window tints are cost-effective, energy-efficient and definitely eco-friendly.
November 9th, 2010 at 11:14 pm
It takes 14yrs to payback emission it took to build errect operate dismatle dispose of such units a life cycle of say 15yrs max. Capturing nox sox mercury from fossil fuel is best
Robert Vincin
December 20th, 2010 at 4:07 am
Sounds good. Even I am already member of the BOG, I find out that My colleague had good space for solar panels. So I think that I inform him for this innovative offers. Good job..
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