Solar Thermal Gains National Advocacy Group

While photovoltaics bask in the solar spotlight and hydrogen powered fuel cells are the supposed wave of the future, solar hot water heating technologies receive little attention despite their simple, cost-effective nature.

Washington D.C. – September 7, 2004 [SolarAccess.com] In an effort to step up the national outreach and lobbying effort for solar thermal technology, the nation’s leading solar water heating manufacturing companies have formed a group to forcefully articulate the benefits of solar thermal applications to national and state and local government policymakers. “Too many policies are being proposed and adopted on all levels of government, and they seem to ignore these important and cost-effective solar technologies in water heating for buildings and pools, industrial process heat and pre-heat, as well as building space heating and air conditioning,” said Scott Sklar, who serves as Secretariat of the group. The group, “Solar Water Heating National Advocacy Group” (SWH-NAG) is composed only of the CEOs of the US solar water heating industry who comprise over 90 percent of the US market. SWH-NAG affirms that its role is to publicly and forcefully disseminate clear national solar company consensus, and would work with and through the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) with the other sectors of the solar industry, as well as national energy efficiency and green buildings advocacy organizations. The CEOs and companies comprising SWH-NAG are: Jurg Bieri, Heliodyne (CA); Tom Bohner, CEO, Sun Systems (AZ); Barry Butler, CEO, Butler Sun Solutions (CA); Billy Byrom, CEO, Alternate Energy Technologies (FL); Steve Gorman, CEO, Thermal Conversion Technology ( FL) Jeff Mahoney, Solar Mkg Resource Mgr, Rheem (AL); John Myles, CEO, Solargenix Energy LLC (NC, IL); Rick Reed, CEO, SunEarth (CA) and Al Rich, CEO, SolarRoofs Inc. (CA).