One Block Off the Grid: Our History and Mission

Five years ago, a San Francisco couple decided their monthly energy bills had grown too large and it was time to get the solar system they’d been considering for some time. For nine long months after that, the couple negotiated a complex maze of solar pricing — one deliberately designed to make it difficult for homeowners to know whether they’re getting a fair price or compare quotes between installers.

The couple also encountered a labyrinth of federal, state, and local incentive information — one that made it difficult if not impossible to know how much money they would get back from these programs or when. Throughout the process, the couple wished they could ask other solar system owners for advice, but they didn’t know any. It was like trying to buy a new car without knowing anybody who owned one!

When the couples’ solar panels were at last being installed, dozens of their neighbors saw what was happening and approached them for advice on how they, too, could go solar. The couple realized a business model had been born — one that would create an easier, more transparent way for homeowners to get a fair quote from a reputable solar installer, all without any hard sell tactics or deceptive pricing.

Thus, One Block Off the Grid came into being: a company that vets solar installers, negotiates great turnkey deals on solar with reputable providers, provides over-the-phone quotes, and gives prospective solar homeowners direct access to homeowners who have already installed solar for unvarnished information and advice.

A mission driven for-profit, One Block Off the Grid received a $5 million round of financing from New Enterprise Associates (NEA), a leading venture capital firm with more than $11 billion in committed capital and a 30-year track record of successful investing. An executive team, headed up by CEO and Co-Founder Dave Llorens, formed around the mission to dramatically increase solar adoption in the United States.

Since 2008, One Block Off the Grid has provided hundreds of deals in over 40 U.S. states and has helped thousands of homeowners go solar. One Block Off the Grid has been featured in dozens of publications including The Wall Street Journal, CNN Money, The New York Times, The Economist, Huffington Post, USA Today, Wired, and GOOD.

In 2010, One Block Off the Grid added new solar leasing options to its line-up of offerings, sponsored the first-ever solar deal on Groupon.com, and received a Heart of Green Award for “Best New Innovation.”