New Orleans Chosen as First Satellite City to Participate in New Nationwide Solar Community Purchasing Program -- One Block off the Grid Taps South Co

New Orleans, LA and San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) May 24, 2009 -- Today, One Block off the Grid (1BOG), the nation's top consumer advocacy group for residential renewable energy, and New Orleans-based South Coast Solar, Louisiana's largest solar energy company, announced that the Metro New Orleans area will be the program's first official city outside of California for its groundbreaking new solar community purchasing program. The program, which will enable Louisiana homeowners to organize as a community and buy solar in bulk at a significantly cheaper rate, was started in June of 2008 in San Francisco, CA, and has since been hailed as a major success.

1BOG General Manager Dave Llorens says homeowners looking to buy solar panels often complain that going solar is too expensive, too complicated, and that it's often difficult to know which installers to trust. ''That's where we come in,'' said Llorens. "IBOG is about safety in numbers. Throughout the entire process, we are essentially acting as the community's solar advocate. Once a certain number of homeowners have expressed an interest in going solar, we are able to negotiate on behalf of the entire community with one installer that has been vetted from our rigorous selection process."

Organizers with the San Francisco-based 1BOG cite several reasons for choosing the Metro New Orleans area as the first satellite city, including a demand from residents who want to rebuild smarter and greener and a solar tax incentive program considered by many in the industry to be the best in the nation. South Coast Solar was tapped by 1BOG to be its exclusive solar provider in Louisiana after an extensive review and selection process. "We checked out the installers in the area and were very pleased with South Coast Solar's installation practices and their products. Their premier panel manufacturer, SunPower, audits installations from its partners. You could see the level of quality in their work, and we looked at over half a dozen installations," said Llorens.

"The bottom line is the more homeowners who participate, the more money everyone saves," said South Coast Solar President Troy Von Otnott. "We're proud to have been chosen through this rigorous selection process. Our goal at South Coast Solar has always been to compete on quality, design and solar knowledge with the best companies in the country, and the selection by 1BOG validates that effort. Beyond the corporate recognition, we're thankful for 1BOG selecting New Orleans as we work hard to position Louisiana as the new frontier for renewable energy in the U.S. To some extent, we've accomplished that by this important partnership with One Block off the Grid. "

South Coast Solar/1BOG program participants are eligible to receive several thousand dollars off the retail cash price of a residential solar energy system, as well as a comprehensive design and installation package including power production guarantees (a rarity in the industry) and free wireless monitoring services, which can be accessed in real-time from an LCD display or web browser 24/7. Although a solar leasing program is not currently available in Louisiana, one may be on the horizon, depending on what happens during the current session of the Louisiana Legislature. Senate Bill 92 by Senator Nick Gautreaux (D-Abbeville) would make 3rd party financing options like solar leasing available to interested homeowners. Executives with both South Coast Solar and 1BOG say solar leasing programs or residential power purchase agreements have proven to be extremely effective in California and could dramatically kick-start renewable energy adoption in Louisiana as well.

The South Coast Solar/1BOG Solar Community Purchase Program officially begins on June 1, 2009. To be eligible for the program, homeowners need to register with One Block off the Grid at www.1BOG.com

1BOG and South Coast Solar will host several web-based seminars or "webinars" to provide program details, an overview of the benefits of solar power and answer questions from potential participants. Interested participants should visit www.1bog.org/webinars to register. For questions or additional information about the program, call South Coast Solar at 504-940-8250 or email info(at)southcoastsolar.com

About One Block off the Grid - 1BOG

1BOG is the largest community-based initiative focused on driving the widespread adoption of renewable energy and sustainable solutions through education, community building and group purchasing programs. San Francisco-based 1BOG was founded in June 2008 and quickly demonstrated the power of community purchasing for solar energy in San Francisco, and has since expanded to 20 cities. For more information please visit http://www.1BOG.org.

About South Coast Solar

Headquartered in New Orleans, South Coast Solar (SCS) is Louisiana's premier Solar PV, Solar Thermal, Solar Pool Heating integrator in the Southeast. SCS is Louisiana's only provider of SunPower solar panels, the world's best, most efficient, solar energy systems. Locally owned and operated, SCS is the industry leader in commercial and residential sales, customer service, and installation. Additional information about the company is available at www.southcoastsolar.com.

Media Contacts:

Dave Llorens            

One Block off the Grid        

San Francisco, CA        

408-833-9135             

dave(at)1bog.org            

Catherine Shreves

South Coast Solar

New Orleans, LA

504-416-7032

cshreves(at)southcoastsolar.com

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