Tag Archives: GoSolar Mar Vista

Mar Vista’s Latest Solar Home: Mine!

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Phase Two of my home’s solar conversion is complete! There are enough black glass panels on my roof now to qualify it as an electrical generator. You can read about phase one here. Here’s my roof before:  Here’s what it looked like yesterday:

solar roof in processand here it is today — all done: AWESOMENESSSSS.

And check out the a-DOR-able crew who did all the work: It was supposed to take 3 days and they actually finished in 2 days! Swift and efficient. Such sweet sorrow to see them go…

Now all that’s left is to be hooked up to the grid. It may take a while, but I promise to post as soon as DWP says we’re good to go.

And I know I mentioned this before, but the best part may be the fact that, because we’re doing the lease option, um, we haven’t had to write a single check; it’s all in the lease. So, for the next 20 years, we’ll pay exactly the same electric bill we do now.

Want more info on this for your house? Check out GoSolar Mar Vista on OpenMarVista.net or SolarCity.com. And I didn’t get any better deal for writing this than anybody else would. See for yourself.

Mar Vista’s Going Solar with Open Mar Vista and SolarCity!

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SolarpanelsEver think about installing solar panels on your roof? This being sunny Southern California, I can’t imagine it hasn’t crossed all of our minds on multiple occasions. But there’s a lot to consider, and the hefty price tag has always been a stumbling block for many homeowners. (Me included)

Well, there’s a new era in solar now. Instead of buying the panels yourself, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars, the trend is toward leasing the panels long-term instead. This saves on upfront costs and, so the theory goes, provides ongoing savings as well, since the rate gets locked in, even though energy costs will most likely go up.

Luckily for us in Mar Vista, Open Mar Vista has been focusing on solar energy for some time and has partnered with SolarCity, which will be offering special pricing and affordable financing options on both residential and commercial solar systems to those who participate in the GoSolar Mar Vista community program.sc-logo-color-sample

James Brennan, co-founder of Open Mar Vista, points out that there are state and federal incentives for solar, as well as tax rebates, which all help make this an affordable way to get clean energy.  Open Mar Vista has a stated goal of reaching 100% clean energy in Mar Vista by 2018, which was inspired by Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection and its RePower America campaign.

GoSolar Mar Vista participants are eligible for discounts of $500 off the retail price of installation, if they buy the panels, or three free months if they were to choose the leasing option from SolarCity. You can sign up for the GoSolar Mar Vista program here, and I encourage you to do so. Don’t worry, you’re not committing to anything just by signing up; you’re just on the list to get more info. But you must sign up by October 25th, 2009 to be eligible, so don’t wait too long.

In addition, SolarCity is offering free rooftop Wi-Fi antennas as part of the Open Mar Vista Community Wi-Fi network, which is an AWESOME extra benefit. At this rate, Mar Vista will be the most connected and cleanest-running neighborhood in the state in no time!

John Ayers, Open Mar Vista‘s other co-founder, has invited us all to the GoSolar Mar Vista Launch event, on Saturday, July 25th at 6:00pm, at 12024 Venice Blvd. RSVP at GoSolar Mar Vista. This will be a town hall meeting with lots of information available, and there will be delicious food provided by The Curious Palate. Sounds like a party this Mar Vista resident won’t be missing! Hope to see you there.