What is a
Group Buy?
Group buys are a form of collective action in which a group of people come together to purchase a product of service at a discounted price. By pooling their resources, the group is able to negotiate a better deal with the seller than they would individually.
Also called collective buying or bulk purchasing, group buys tend to focus on products or services that are expensive or difficult for regular consumers to source.
Group buys result in more leads for installers, lower prices for consumers and bigger energy efficiency gains for communities… a win-win-win!
Why Join a Group Buy?
Why Join A Group Buy?
Cost Savings
A group’s ability to negotiate a lower price for a product or service is the key feature of a group buy. By purchasing in bulk as a group, consumers can enjoy the same “economics of scale” that commercial and industrial businesses have long used to secure lower costs.
Easier Access to Complex Technology
Group buys often feature products and services that are complicated and difficult for non-professionals to understand and procure on their own.
Consumer Protection
Group buys aren’t run by for-profit companies. Rather, they’re community-focused endeavors, often led by a municipality or a non-profit third party. This means there is a heavy emphasis on using highly professional and vetted contractors, and on ensuring participants are getting the best deal possible.
How It Works
Installer Selection
Accredited HVAC installer with experience in geothermal heat pumps are selected through a competitive Request for Proposals process involving an advisory committee of community stakeholders.
Customer Education
Free, public information sessions (we call them “Geothermal Power Hours”) are hosted throughout the community over a period of several months. Attendees can schedule a no-cost site assessment to see if a geothermal heat pump is an option for their property.
Community Promotion
Local jurisdictions, organizations, volunteers, and the program’s three administrators help spread the word to the community to invite as many people as possible to learn about and potentially invest in geothermal heat pumps.
Contracting and Installations
Participants have a deadline to make a solar “go” or “no-go” decision. After that, the group buy pricing goes away. Geothermal installations happen throughout the program timeline.