October 12, 2009

Sonoma County, CA, USA: Sharp Solar Selected for 1BOG Sonoma County Solar Group Purchase Program

Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group and One Block Off the Grid (1BOG), a solar advocacy group that harnesses the power of collective buying agreements, have teamed up to offer even greater discounts on solar solutions for Sonoma County homeowners. 1BOG, the nation’s largest solar bargaining collective, organizes groups of homeowners who are interested in purchasing solar power.

Leveraging the power of community, 1BOG is able to negotiate solar group discounts with installers – and now also manufacturers. The Sonoma County solar group purchase campaign, 1BOG’s sixth active area and tenth program, marks the first time that the company has dealt directly with a solar panel manufacturer to aid in further lowering the cost of solar systems for its members.

“Up until now, we’ve been limited to negotiating lower prices with installers only, but with the Sonoma County group purchase campaign, we’ve extended our reach and gone straight to the source to obtain even greater savings for our customers,” said Dave Llorens, 1BOG co-founder and general manager. “We’re happy to deal directly with Sharp to offer its powerful and reliable modules as the flagship product for this group purchase.”

“We’ve been very impressed by 1BOG’s grassroots model and support its mission to increase interest and adoption of solar energy in communities across the country,” said Ron Kenedi, vice president of Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group. “Ultimately, we share the same goal of accelerating the widespread use of solar energy, and we are pleased to help make solar energy a more affordable choice for residents of Sonoma County.”

The Sonoma County campaign began this month and is open to new registrants until November 9.

Residents of the area can go to http://solarsonomacounty.1bog.org/ for more information. 1BOG is also partnering with installer Real Goods Solar for discounted installation fees. Through the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program, homeowners are eligible for increased financing options that help offset the significant upfront cost of going solar.

All group participants in the 1BOG Sonoma County campaign will have their houses outfitted with Sharp’s high-grade ND-216UCI solar modules. These modules offer high performance, high efficiency and durability for reliable and powerful electricity output. Backed with a 25-year warranty, 1BOG members can be confident in the caliber of their solar electricity system with Sharp panels.

Further details about: Sharp and One Block Off the Grid