How Would Thomas Edison Expand the Use of Solar Power?

Most history books say 1882 was the year the light bulb was invented.  This is incorrect. The basic technology had existed for almost 100 years.  The reason 1882 is important is because that's when Thomas Edison extended the adoption of electric power and light to the early majority.  And the methods Edison used are strategically very important to the solar industry.

Edison’s strategy for accelerating the adoption of electric light was based on minimizing disruption to people's lives.  Since gas lamps were the dominant method of indoor lighting, Edison designed his electric lights to look and operate almost identically.  His initial electric lights provided 13 watts of light, almost the same as the 12-watt gas lamps he wanted to replace.  The new electric lamps looked almost exactly like those same gas lamps.

Recognizing that many commercial and residential landowners in New York had invested considerable capital in gas infrastructure to light their buildings, Edison chose to run his first electrical wires through existing gas lines, fitting directly into the system people already understood for the delivery of light. 

The technology was new, but the form and function were decades old.

But Edison's most ingenious strategy was in selecting the location of his first customers -- financial institutions in lower Manhattan.  Seeing the windows of the financial district aglow by night demonstrated electric lighting technology to the metro population living across the Hudson River in New Jersey.

Because the financial community was seen as a credible source of innovative new ideas, Edison helped meet the word-of-mouth-referencing requirements of the early majority, who then shared the idea with their local communities. This endorsement of electric power and light by influential users in a visible location, had a tremendous impact on potential users nearby.

The role influencers play in the adoption of innovation is also a key component of the "Tipping Point" concept.  A tipping point, as described by Malcom Gladwell in his book by the same name, is when an idea, product, message or behavior spreads like a virus.  It is the name given to a dramatic moment in an epidemic when everything changes all at once.

On page 33 of the book, Gladwell describes the need for more than just large numbers of people to create a tipping point.  It requires the participation of so-called connectors -- "people with unique social gifts who have an uncanny genius for being at the center of events."  In other words, connectors are influencers.

To illustrate the need for connectors, Gladwell tells the story of how Paul Revere's midnight ride started a word-of-mouth epidemic, while a virtually identical ride by fellow revolutionary William Dawes did not.  Paul Revere was a connector and William Dawes wasn't.

So fundamentally it doesn't matter HOW MANY people are spreading the message [that solar is cool]…it only matters WHO is spreading that message.

Here's the key question: who are the influencers that can help create solar's tipping point?

Warren Schirtzinger advises solar companies on how to: differentiate their products, grow during an industry shakeout or consolidation, and thrive without government subsidies. He has authored articles as a "Renewable Energy Insider" on REWorld.com and writes about marketing strategies on the solar strategies blog.  Contact him through REWorld or follow him on Twitter @SolarStrategies.