Just got back from Solar 2008 in San Diego, CA and I have to say it was an outstanding event. Virtually all the major US players in solar energy were there. The lectures and classes were uniformly well presented (and on time!). I met lots of great people in the solar community: energized manufacturers, savvy utility guys, geeky engineer types, and beleaguered, but optimistic, community activists.
What I didn’t see… were homeowners. John & Jane Public should’ve been crowding into the FREE (with $5 entrance fee) 1-hour panels held all day long on Saturday and Sunday. The concise forums focused numerous ways that solar energy, conservation and green design could reduce residential utility bills. It’s surprising that with all the concern about rising energy costs, some of the panels only had 20 or 30 people attending… in rooms with 300 chairs!
A problem like that usually traces back to marketing. Perhaps the organizer, the American Solar Energy Society had a constrained marketing budget. Maybe they didn’t do enough local press. I think one of the problems is that ASES thinks of the expo as primarily an industry event. The homeowner workshops are really just an added benefit. But doesn’t the whole solar community benefit when the average homeowner gets excited about the benefits of solar?
Oh well, there’s always next year (in Cleveland)!
But I left the show with lots of excitement about the future of solar energy. The prices, technology and public awareness are finally converging. Perhaps we've finally begun to hit critical mass. I think this year will be a pivotal one in the rise of the Solar Economy.
Over the next few weeks, I'll report on the people, products and ideas that I encountered at the expo.
Wednesday - One of the most interesting developments for homeowners: Solar in a Box
