Group Buys are important tools for increasing solar deployment in a market in a short period of time. When done correctly, they can be beneficial to everyone involved, including residents, businesses, local organizations, and jurisdictions. They work by aggregating demand for solar, usually in a small geographic area, achieving economies of scale. They lower the solar installers’ “soft costs” further by providing up-front customer education en masse, leading to a higher-than-average conversion rate for solar leads. Home and business owners see lower prices for their solar array, and communities move toward achieving their sustainability goals.

How it works

• A solar installer is selected through a competitive Request for Proposals process involving an advisory committee of community stakeholders.
• Free, public information sessions (we call them “Solar Power Hours”) are hosted throughout the community over a period of several months.
• Local jurisdictions, organizations, volunteers, and MREA help spread the word to the community to invite as many people as possible to learn about and potentially invest in solar.
• As more people decide to go solar, the price comes down for everyone.
• Participants have a deadline to make a solar “go” or “no-go” decision. After that, the group buy pricing goes away.
• Solar installations happen throughout the program timeline.

In a solar group buy, people learn about solar together with neighbors, local business owners, and community leaders. Working in partnership, we provide high value education that informs people about the technology and the investment potential. Solar is contagious: a short burst of market activity can lead to an increase in solar deployment for years to come. And, because the more people who go solar, the lower the price for everyone, Solar Group Buys inspire many people to go solar who otherwise wouldn’t.

Who Benefits?

PROPERTY OWNERS: Property owners get access to lower prices for high quality solar arrays that save them money on their electric bill for decades and increase their energy independence.

COMMUNITIES: Communities reach their climate goals faster through the education and investment of their residents in solar photovoltaics.

THE ENVIRONMENT: Emissions from hundreds of thousands of pounds of fossil fuels are avoided thanks to dozens of property owners producing their own clean electricity.

For a more detailed overview of the group buy program design, timelines, and roles, download the Group Buy Overview.

If you have questions about MREA’s Solar Group Buy Program please contact:

Peter Murphy
MREA Solar Program Director
peterm@midwestrenew.org