Image via Wikipedia
[email protected] Offers Buildings Discounts For Going Green Together
Group buying is moving into the commercial clean energy space thanks to [email protected], a program designed by San Francisco’s Department of the Environment to make solar panels more affordable for business owners. Businesses have three options for acquiring solar panels through the program: Purchasing, leasing, and securing a loan. A federal grant covering 30% of installation costs is also on offer.
[email protected] hopes to sign on at least 20 building owners in the San Francisco area by the end of the year, which could translate to as much as 2 megawatts of solar power.
While the program is innovative in simplifying solar for commercial buildings, it is not the first to harness group buying power for solar. 1Bog has a similar model for home-based solar installations, and SolarMosaic provides a crowdfunding platform for bringing solar to community buildings such as schools and churches.
The group buying model could discount the panels by 10-15% and reduce the cost of administrative fees by as much as 75%.
Related articles
- City unveils first solar power ‘Groupon’ model (sfgate.com)
- Printable Solar Panels (neatorama.com)
- PHOTOS: Next-gen solar tech at Intersolar (gigaom.com)
- The “Solar Panel” Effect on Home Sales (freakonomics.com)
