Help Solar Energy Gain Adoption in the US

Kyle Neering

kanyi — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:17:17 +0000

Kyle Neering

Kyle is a 20 year old resident of Sonoma County and an avid supporter of the proliferation of sustainable energy practices. He is currently attending Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo and studying as an undergradutate Economics major. Once out of school he plans on attaining a graduate degree in the field of resoures economics and eventually working in an industry focusing on the spread of renewable energies.

I came across 1 Block Off the Grid in my search for a summer job. Desperate for a job, I eagerly applied to be a Solar Advocate, not thinking much other than I had finally found potential employment. However, after starting in the field and getting to know the program a bit better, I fell in love with the business model. I have always been an advocate of sustainable energy, yet understood that there are serious costs to the individuals who chooses to do their part. With 1 Block Off the Grid, I have found an organization that I not only enjoy working for, but can really get behind morally. Its apparent success has inspired me to pursue a future career in sustainable energy. I think that is the best part of the organization as well; it inspires people. In my experience as an advocate I have come across many people who, upon hearing the idea behind our organization, become inspired themselves just knowing that it is possible to make a difference if we do it together and that there are people and organizations out there working hard to make this a reality.

Jeff Billings

kanyi — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:14:19 +0000

“I’m also playing a role in helping local communities reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.”

I moved to the Bay Area from San Diego almost a year ago, and am really enjoying the cultural diversity, political progressiveness, and the awesome natural beauty of this region. I am an avid yoga practitioner, and have found the Bay Area to be a true yoga mecca, with some of the finest teachers in the country. When I’m not on the mat, I love to get out and hike the spectacular trails I’ve been discovering in Marin, the East Bay and even in SF! A friend turned me on to 1BOG a couple of months ago. I had just started looking for a job, so the timing was perfect. It feels good knowing that while I’m making some money to pay the bills, I’m also playing a role in helping local communities reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.

During a cavassing session the other day, I experienced a stark contrast in how homeowners respond to me (and probably other 1BOG Solar Advocates, too) when I encounter them at home. The first homeowner was apparently on an important phone call when I rang his doorbell. He threw open the door and howled at me to “Get the !@?& off” his property or he would call the police. I immediately and gladly complied, probably with record speed! A bit stunned, I realized how dearly some people hold their privacy at home, and how important it is for me to have the utmost care and respect when approaching them.

The second homeowner was apparently sitting at home bored, and was grateful to see me and to have someone to talk to. He invited me to sit on his front porch bench and proceeded to regale me with tales about his life and details of his political philosophy. When I would glance longingly toward his driveway or try to interject about solar power, he would only speed up his pace and intensity. Thankfully, he eventually got tired and I was able to tell him a little bit about solar and 1BOG. Ah, patience.

Nancy J. Cole

kanyi — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:06:03 +0000

“In the end, it comes down to changing people’s long-term views on energy.”

Nancy is 25, a city and regional planning graduate from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and masters candidate in renewable energy management at the University of Freiburg, Germany. Her interests in renewable energy include community-based energy, microgrids, municipalization and localization. Her career plans are to facilitate community-owned and local government-operated clean energy infrastructure.

There are three categories of responses that I hear from people concerning solar energy: ‘it is too expensive,’ ‘it is too new of a technology,’ or ‘it is not my concern.’ The first two are easy to answer: “Yes, it is rather expensive—that’s how 1BOG helps—by organizing the collective purchase to significantly reduce the cost of installation.” When I hear, ‘it is too new of a technology,’ I reply that a breakthrough in power conversion technology will only improve solar photovoltaic efficiencies, but home energy production appliances are available NOW with known performance standards. The last concern is a bit more challenging for me: ‘it is not my concern,’ which reflects an indifference to climate and energy issues. I’m diametrically opposed to this group of folks and therefore have to step back from my own eco-bias and focus on the benefits of cost stabilization and energy independence. In the end, it comes down to changing people’s long-term views on energy. Whether affordability, availability, or clean options are their focus, the bottom line remains that there will be a significant shift in the way that energy is supplied, and 1BOG is making it easy to transition away from fossil fuel.

A Call To Action for Los Angeles

kanyi — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:24:29 +0000

- On THURSDAY, February 19th from 7 to 9pm, we are hosting a solar info and brainstorming session at GOOD Magazine on Melrose Ave. Learn more and RSVP to the event on Facebook. Come to the event, learn about solar, and about organizing, and bring your friends.

- Email five people in your community about 1 Block Off the Grid.

- If you would like to help us get the word out in Los Angeles, or if you have any questions? Email us!

On the first day of his presidency, Mr. Obama told his campaign staff that work was not done; that his election was only the beginning; that the real work was to begin now, to “make our communities right, and our neighborhoods right, and our jobs right.” It was one of the most interesting and powerful speeches he’s made: it was a call to action.

Now that Mr. Obama has been elected, many are wondering how they can answer that call to action. Today, I am writing to you to tell you about a campaign called 1 Block off the Grid that you can join today and make a difference immediately.

1BOG as we call it, is a community-based program that utilizes volunteers to organize residents locally into a buying club that uses solar experts to negotiate group discounts with solar installers. The result is as a group we get the best price, the best products, and the best service for our community. The goal of our campaign is to make solar affordable for all and easier to understand which we hope will create a tipping point in its adoption.

So far, we have already launched in the San Francisco and Bay Area of California and have already doubled the rate at which people are putting solar on their homes. If we continue to grow at our current rate, we will be the most powerful green buying community in the United States by June of this year. However, to accomplish this goal, we need to dramatically scale our volunteer efforts to a national level.

Today we are happy to announce that we are launching a 1BOG campaign in Los Angeles and we need your support. You can participate NOW in three crucial ways:

- Email this letter to 10 people right now. People who would be interested in the things we are doing, and who would help. You should use this template, and encourage each of your friends to do the same.

- Sign up for solar with 1BOG. There is no commitment to buy, but just signing up gives us buying power for everyone. Just go to www.1bog.org . It’s free to get an evaluation from a solar installer, and it helps everybody in the community!

- Join us as a volunteer, an organizer or intern. It doesn’t require much of a commitment – no more than a few hours a week or on the weekend – and it is a way to continue the community building and positive activism that our country needs, and that our President demands of us. It will be a challenge to organize a community for solar, but we’re confident that we can impact energy consumption and alternative energy in Los Angeles with a concerted effort from the entire community. Email Kanyi@virgance.com to get more info and get started today.

If we are all part of the solution, if we make the sacrifice, and the commitment, we will make change that we will remember for the rest of our lives.