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.

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.

It may sound like I’m going overboard, but I can’t help myself: how awesome is it to have free access to the internet? It’s extremely awesome.

Wi-fi is present in many places, but not often for free. Airports have networks that charge by the minute, as do Starbucks and other cafes. I’ve recently found a few free hot spots, including the food court at the Westside Pavilion, and yes, Culver City does offer free wi-fi in the downtown district. But what’s so cool about the Mar Vista wi-fi is that it’s a Citizen’s Initiative.

Started by James Brennan and John Ayers, the Open Mar Vista Wi-Fi project aims to provide access to the entire community by having sponsors provide the Meraki antennas and the Verizon Fios fiber optics with 500 – 1000′ ranges spreading the internet love around. So far, sponsors have been mainly the businesses along Venice Blvd., between Centinela and Inglewood, and there’s a cluster around Beethoven school, but there are a handful of residential sponsors, and Mar Vista Mom has recently – and proudly – joined the movement, and so a little bit more of the Mar Vista community is now covered.

Access For All, I say! 

By the way, check out Open Mar Vista — it’s another great way to stay connected to our community.