Solar Energy Marketer Kicks Off Local Campaign
By K Kaufmann
The Desert Sun
October 11, 2009
One Block Off the Grid kicks off its campaign this week to encourage Coachella Valley residents to go solar by announcing that HelioPower of Murrieta will be the installer for the buying group of desert homeowners it hopes to create.
The San Francisco-based firm — known as 1BOG — organizes buying blocks of 100 or more residents in an area and hooks them up with a vetted solar installer that commits to offering low rates to all members.
A for-profit company, 1BOG makes its money by charging the installer a marketing fee based on the amount of electricity that can be generated from the panels it installs.
For all Coachella Valley cities, including Thousand Palms and Sky Valley, HelioPower’s basic pricing will be $5.49 per watt, the lowest rate 1BOG has ever negotiated, said CEO Dave Llorens.
That means a 4 kilowatt system, about 20 panels, will have a net cost of about $10,857, after state rebates and the federal tax credit for solar energy, said Scott Gordon, HelioPower’s vice president for residential sales.
For Coachella Valley residents, the break-even point for such a system could range from five years to 12 years, depending on their energy use and their power provider, Gordon said. Southern California Edison customers, who pay tiered rates, would get a quicker return on their investment than east valley residents in the Imperial Irrigation District service area, who pay lower rates, he said.
Random calls to other solar installers in the area found per watt prices running $7 to $8, depending on the system.
Llorens said 10 installers were invited to bid for 1BOG’s Coachella Valley drive, with six actually submitting proposals.
The campaign to sign up members in the valley will officially begin Monday, he said.
“We want to get 50 homes to go solar,” he said. “We think it could be a big success because (the valley) is a great place to go solar.”
HelioPower was also 1BOG’s installer for a recent San Diego campaign, and Gordon said the company used the success of that campaign to negotiate an even better price from one of its suppliers, Canadian Solar.
“We have committed to 5 megawatts of panels,” he said.
As it did in San Diego, the company will also offer more expensive panels, with higher generating power, at prices running from $5.84 to $6.99 a watt, Gordon said.
Those prices are 30 cents to 40 cents per watt lower than the company would normally charge, he said.
The package will also include computer monitoring of the system so any maintenance problems are detected quickly, Gordon said.
“The monitoring is key,” he said. “If there’s any problem, we know about it within four hours.”
Steve Fleischman of Rancho Mirage, who bought a solar system from HelioPower four years ago, gives the company high marks, even without a discount.
Fleischman got bids from five or six other companies, but he said “(HelioPower) was the one that came forth with the right information. Their analysis was correct; what they said is truly happening.”
Fleischman said his 10 kilowatt system has cut his electric bills from about $3,200 a year to under $1,000. “To watch that meter go backward, you have a sense of empowerment,” he said. “It’s yours.”
Additional Facts
Running the numbers
One Block Off the Grid’s Coachella Valley campaign begins Monday and will be open to residents in all nine incorporated cities, plus Thousand Palms and Sky Valley.
Residents will have until Dec. 12 to sign up on 1BOG’s Web site, www.1bog.org. HelioPower will contact all members for a solar evaluation by Jan. 12.
Cost for a sample, 4 kilowatt system at the basic price of $5.49 per watt*:
Retail price: $23,000
With 1BOG discount: $21,960
Estimated California rebate: $6,450
Federal tax credit: $4,653
Net price: $10,857
1BOG and HelioPower will host an online seminar on the Coachella Valley campaign at 7 p.m. Oct. 22.
* HelioPower estimates assume a customer with an unshaded, south-facing roof.
