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Marc, Twitter is a great marketing tool for solar. Please check my older posts here on ReWorld about using Twitter--as well as blogging--for solar. I'll also be posting another video about Twitter shortly, where I interviewed some other Solar Tweeters.
Thanks for commenting and sharing your thoughts.
6 days ago
This is a great addition to SEIA's solar bill of rights. More information about this is on REWorld's video interview with Stephen Lacey at SPI 2009 with its author, Akeena Solar CEO Barry Cinnamon.
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/video/the-solar-manifesto-and-what-itsall-about
As much as I love the points here, let me put on my marketing/PR cap here. I do believe this has a competing *branding* and *communication* problem. "Solar Rights Manifesto" has two words in common with the SEIA's "Solar Bill of Rights."
Because of this, I believe the Manifesto will confuse the very installers, politicians and consumers being targetted with both of these documents. Furthermore, although SEIA's Bill of Rights is more general than the Manifesto to be sure, I do believe it could encompass the above Manifesto points --but not specifically. I wish there were a way to marry the two documents and campaigns in one. Perhaps this something to discuss with SEIA. Even without marrying, one could post SEIA's bill on one's website and then expand upon these points and then include. In fact, I did this last week on my site, solarpowerrocks.com--geared toward residential consumers:
http://www.solarpowerrocks.com/solar-trends/your-solar-bill-of-rights-explained/
Again, I do believe these documents complement each other. The issue is not the content, but to be simple and succinct in our short attention span society. So as much as I love the intentions here, I would urge readers to combine the two, putting sub categories with these Manifesto points (crediting Bary Cinnamon) under SEIA's more general ones.
Thanks for pointing this out, Spicy.
7 days ago
Here's your chance to add to the conversation. Check out this blog in the NY Times:
http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/13/is-solar-power-expensive-or-competitive/
I just added my perspective. Please add yours! I'm sure the coal lobby is gearing up their own comments as I write this.
7 days ago
All good stuff, David. Thanks again and thanks for the compliment. Appreciate it.
8 days ago
David, that's a wonderful service to the public and to the solar community. We do our own version on SolarPowerRocks.com, as well and I really think that everyone should do their own Top 10 or 15 Solar Myths.
Nevertheless, getting people to your website is a just a part of the solution. I'm really encouraging people in this post to politely INTERACT with the reporters and especially web commenters that are knee-jerk anti-solar and spreading these misconceptions.
Thanks again for your efforts.
8 days ago
Thanks John120. I agree. Educating the public is probably the most important step right now to getting us there. The technology is there. The economics are there. Now people just have to learn about both.
8 days ago
Great food for thought, Stephen. Both BP and GE have the capital to have stayed in it for the long haul, but what concerns me is their lack of vision for the future. Rather than investing more dollars in bringing costs down through more R&D, they've abandoned solar...or abandoned U.S. facilities for cheaper labor abroad. Sadly for them, the solar market is only going to grow, but they can't justify the costs to their short term thinking Board of Trustees, I guess.
This short term thinking is a general problem right now with our society and perhaps solar as well. It's why solar is still a tough sell, even if installers can show the ROI over 25 years. Our society wants payback NOW, or so investors and consumers demand. Solar leases and solar PPAs can do that payback now for the consumers to some extent, but long term, the ROI is far greater to buy your system.
It's my hope that the solar companies that do survive this recession will be the ones with long term vision. Eventually, the solar boom is going to happen, but it won't last forever. That's the nature of things, but if the survivors are long term thinkers, then they will be prepared and still grow marginally through the inevitable bust as well.
8 days ago
Cocobolo, thank you for your efforts and thank you for your father's sacrifice. From what you say, I'm sure your father would be proud of the time you've spent protecting the earth as well as this country by using and helping to educate others about solar.
I wish I could say that I own solar, but first I have to own a house.... At that point, it will be solar PV and hot water for me. In the meantime, I'm happy to help others who can go solar, and also help solar businesses to effectively get the word out about its savings and benefits.
Bill, haven't heard about the HVAC folks, but all the more reason to get the word out to educate consumers before the HVAC people visit. As costs come down in solar--and they already are as you probably know--it will be less of an either or choice and perhaps the HVAC sales people won't feel so threatened. Naturally, it would help if all of us and their own products they would create HVACs that are as energy efficient as possible.
Thanks to both of you for commenting.
9 days ago
Thanks all for your thoughts here. Please continue to add more , but also, hope you'll take the time to spread this post around through email or whatever, so that we can get an army of informed 5 minute solar advocates on the nation's presses. Thanks.
10 days ago
10 days ago
Thanks for your efforts, Cb! You never know who will pick it up and pass it on and gain momentum.
10 days ago
10 days ago
100% with you Stephen. Solar is not the answer for every situation, and we need to own up to that. Many have an issue with the chemicals used in solar manufacturing in countries like China where the chemical waste is not as regulated and does environmental dammage. We need to own up to that and find solutions.
Solar isn't perfect and we can't portray it that way. But it is still portrayed as too expensive and not a viable energy source. In many states, it's affordable now with all of the incentives, and of course, we all know it's a viable and clean energy source.
Thanks for the props, Stephen.
16 days ago
Thanks for commenting, Ray. From previous posts, I know you're a fan of virtual net metering type programs. That would certainly address your concerns about section 3-5.
There is of course room for more sections and thoughts in this document, but it's certainly a starting point to get the public aware of what needs to be done to get solar into as many homes, businesses, and utilities as possible. No document is perfect, so I hope that you and others will still find the time and energy to share these points.
18 days ago
Thanks, cbdh19. No matter where you link it or face book it, it will add up. I would also recommend that if your local newspaper has not written about this, send a reporter/editor the link and suggest it as a story to be written. News people love story ideas that are for the people, and a "Bill of Rights" concept is bound to get some attention.
20 days ago
21 days ago
A great tool with more great sales and marketing ideas, Kriss. Thanks again for sharing.
28 days ago
Thanks Jesse and Victoria. Looking forward to meeting you. Don't forget the Tweet-up on Wednesday night, as well, hosted by myself, RenewableEnergyWorld, and goGreenSolar. Should be fun as well.
http://tweetvite.com/event/solpwr09
31 days ago
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Elisa Wood contributes regularly to Platts Energy publications, including Electric Power Daily, Emissions Daily, Electric Utility Week, Energy Economist, Global Power Report and Megawatt Daily. She is the US correspondent for Renewable Energy World and Cogeneration & Onsite Power Production magazines and the author of PennWell's US Guide to Combined Heat & Power and US Guide to Renewable Energy. She is co-author of the Rahus Institute's Customer Guide to Solar Power Purchase Agreements. Her work also appears in several magazines, among them Environmental Risk and Energy Risk. Her blog appears at http://energyefficiencymarkets.wordpress.com/. She co-publishes Energy Efficiency Markets with Lisa Cohn. See samples of her work at www.RealEnergyWriters.com
50 days ago
58 days ago
I am the managing editor at RenewableEnergyWorld.com and as such coordinate, write and/or edit columns and features for the publication. Formerly, I was the Managing Editor of Innovate Forum and prior to that, Desktop Engineering magazine. I hold a Masters in English Education from Boston University and a BA in English from the University of Virginia.
58 days ago
Graham Jesmer is News and Video Editor at RenewableEnergyWorld.com. He not only manages the daily news flow on the site, but also produces and administers the video section and writes feature stories for the site. Graham has covered a broad range of topics for RenewableEnergyWorld.com including market dynamics and renewable energy policy. He graduated from St. Michael's College in 2007 with BAs in journalism and economics. He began his journalism career in the public affairs department at WXXI-TV, a PBS affiliate in Rochester, NY before becoming part of RenewableEnergyWorld.com. Please contact him with any questions, comments, video or story ideas.
59 days ago
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Oliver Strube is the co-founder and publisher of RenewableEnergyWorld.com.
84 days ago
I am producer and host of the Inside Renewable Energy podcast, a weekly audio news program that covers the latest developments in technology, policy and finance. The show has amassed a dedicated following of industry professionals and consumers, and I'm very grateful for all the listeners who have responded to the show in such a positive way.
I also write stories and help edit and manage content for publication on RenewableEnergyWorld.com.
I'm always looking to collaborate with others in the industry, so please keep in touch through the blog or podcast!
85 days ago
