Yesterday (March 21), One Block Off the Grid launched solar discount campaigns in Long Island, N.Y., and Philadelphia. People interested in adding solar to their homes can apply for the 15 percent discounts between now and May 21, 2011. The deals are available to all homeowners in their respective cities, according to One Block Off the Grid.

People who want to install solar in both cities can sign up at the organization’s site to have their home evaluated by Mercury Solar Systems, one partner in the campaign. The other partner is solar manufacturer Canadian Solar, which is offering the discounts on their modules.

“As news spreads about solar rebates, we expect to see a dramatic uptick in adoption in many markets, including Pennsylvania and New York State. We advise homeowners to move forward with investigating solar now in order to avoid having to wait in line later, as many households in New Jersey are now having to do,” said Shannon Coulter, director of community at One Block Off the Grid.

The organization works with solar manufacturers and installers to negotiate group discounts for communities. “To date, we have launched 50 other group deals in nine different states, with plans to launch in several more in the coming months,” Coulter said.

The organization formerly offered discounts in both cities, Coulter said. “Both Philadelphia and Long Island met our measure of success, which is why we're offering the deal again in both markets,” she said.

The campaign in Philadelphia also comes as the city’s utility is poised to raise rates for the first time in years.

“With the utility rate hike in Philadelphia, and no more cap to prevent further increases, now is definitely the time to go solar," said Dave Llorens, CEO and founder of One Block Off the Grid in a press release.

The campaign in Long Island comes as the Long Island Power Authority re-upped funding in its rebate program.

“Now that the LIPA rebate is once again fully funded, we’re encouraging Long Island homeowners to move forward with going solar now,” Llorens said. “The LIPA rebate is strong and can cover up to $17,500 of a homeowner’s solar installation costs.”

At present, the organization is offering group discounts in a total of 14 cities across the country and discounts planned for 20 more cities, according to One Block Off the Grid’s site.

Image courtesy of One Block Off the Grid.