Solar Panel Kits and more...

Is it any wonder that sites like Groupon are so successful?  Get a bunch of people buying the same thing at about the same time, and you can reduce the cost of the item, benefiting everyone – including the seller, who makes more sales.

Group discounts for solar power?

Group discounts for solar power, offered through companies like One Block Off the Grid, are an especially smart move for a number of reasons.  First, the cost of solar panels is often off-putting to homeowners.  Second, the idea that other people in your neighborhood or region also are installing solar panels may give you an idea of community, or belonging, especially where some people still regard solar power as a “fringe” idea.

Dave Llorens, founder of 1BOG, comments:

“The idea was to put this online and deliver it to thousands of people at a time.  No one wants to have a salesman in their living room, they just want the numbers.”

In order to obtain group discounts for solar power for its potential customers, One Block Off the Grid screens solar contractors in regions that already offer solar subsidies.  The company then works with approved contractors to get them to offer a percentage discount when and if 1BOG brings a large enough group of customers.  If a deal is reached, it is offered on the One Block Off the Grid website.  The only “catch” is that the estimated number of people must agree to buy the panels in order to get the deal.  Usually, people looking to buy solar panels can realize a discount of about 15% in addition to a $500 rebate.

The cost of solar panels is usually much less using group discounts.  Mr. Llorens states that 1BOG only offers deals with a return on investment (ROI)  of 10 years or less.