Best New Innovation: One Block Off the Grid

Although collective buying of solar panels isn't a new idea, the concept has received fresh energy and success thanks to San Francisco-based 1BOG (One Block Off the Grid). The company uses a combination of community organizing, social media and traditional marketing to get homeowners to sign up for solar evaluations. 1BOG then negotiates significant discounts on equipment and labor, and helps entire neighborhoods or communities take advantage of tax incentives and understand the intricacies of owning a renewable energy system. Part co-op, part marketer and part motivational speaker, 1BOG is working in many regions, from California to the East Coast and impoverished sections of New Orleans.

See all the 2011 Heart of Green Award nominees for best new innovation.

— Brian Clark Howard