Solar jobs by state

Published on October 20, 2010 by Dan Hahn.
Categories: solar jobs.

The Solar Foundation released its census of solar jobs last week. We posted the most telling graphic below. As you can see, most solar jobs are in California, though states with strong renewable portfolio standards are strong employers too:

Update from Solar Power International 2010

Published on October 13, 2010 by Dan Hahn.
Categories: Uncategorized.

So clearly there was a lot of money spent on the SPI conference in Los Angeles. They closed down the street in front of Staples Center and decked it out with a red carpet, tons of food, scantily clad dancers, booze, and even some fake papparazzi snapping pictures in front just to make us solar nerds feel like celebrities.

I know it was an events stunt, and my little camera was a bit foggy, but I have to admit I felt awkward walking down this red carpet as people were being paid to act all excited and take pictures of everyone.

Regardless, the conference is turning out to be interesting. Lots of presence from overseas, replete with slick sales presentations and very expensive booths. More photos to come in a bit.

I’ve also got some good notes on legislative policy and incentives I’ll be posting shortly.

Solar on the White House and What it Means for You

Published on October 9, 2010 by Tor a.k.a. "Solar Fred".
Categories: Affordable Solar, Solar Legistlation, Solar Myths, Solar Politics.

Well,  perhaps you’ve heard that the White House will finally have solar panels on its roof again in the Spring of 2011. Hooray!  Or not….

As usual, the enemies of solar, fossil fuel companies and Fox News their lobbyists, are saying that this is a waste of tax payer dollars and that the solar panels aren’t going to do squat for the White House or for you.

Well, pardonez-moi for disagreeing with the  three horses of the Eco-apocalypse! Ahh! coal, oil, and gas company yahoos.

Here’s what solar power on the White House means for you and all Americans who care about national security, clean, renewable energy, and, you know… breathing:

• Solar on the White House means that we now have a president who’s not Bush/Dick Cheney beholden to oil, gas, and coal companies. Thus, no more sending out our military to invade the Middle East “protect our national oil company interests.”

• Solar on the White House means that you’re no longer going to be flushing your tax dollars down the can supporting policies that increase the chances that fossil fuel companies ignore environmental laws and crap poison on us when nobody’s watching have unfortunate accidents.

• Solar on White House means that you’re going to see a public website that shows you the White House energy savings.  That cost savings might make you think holy crap!!, gee, I wonder if solar can save me money too and help stop the slow boiling of polar bears and penguins.

• Most importantly, Solar on the White means that you may question what you hear from  people/bloggers/Glen Beck who know nothing about solar except what they’ve heard from other people who know nothing friends and family.  Instead, you’re actually going to get a free solar quote for yourself and find out some accurate facts.

Now, I’ve had my fun ripping on fossil fuel companies and Sara Palin oil-loving conservatives, but the truth is that these people want you to believe that the White House going solar is just a tax-payer publicity stunt. That’s not true. It’s actually an energy demonstration stunt, and that’s really what they’re afraid of.

Because if you see the White House energy savings, that might inspire you to stop wasting your money using their coal and oil from their companies. It’s against oil and coal company business plans for you to be energy independent. Plus, they don’t want their oil and coal workers getting retrained for solar, wind, and energy efficiency jobs, because then that fear mongering job-loss argument goes down the tubes too.

What’s really sick is that even though coal and oil company cheer leaders inhale air like me and you, they’d rather their own children and all of us continue to breath their polluted emissions so that they can keep making gobs of money.  How greedy and screwed up is that?!

I beg you. Find out the facts about solar for you and your home. Get a free quote. If solar’s not right for you now, fine. Maybe next year. But at least you did your homework and know for sure.

What if solar got the same amount of subsidies as coal or oil?

Published on October 7, 2010 by Dan Hahn.
Categories: Infographics.

Dave made the infographic below. Sickening how much progress we could be making on renewable energy across the country if we just reshuffled our priorities: