It’s Already Fall, And We’re Busier Than Ever! By Brian F. Keane
There’s a lot going on these days in clean energy and energy efficiency – and that means a particularly busy fall for SmartPower!
We’re excited to be back in Connecticut, working with a group of committed and dedicated stakeholders to launch the Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge. Like the old days, we’re back working with our friends at the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, Clean Water Action, Earth Markets, and a host of other wonderful, committed groups. Connecticut remains the proverbial home of SmartPower – so it’s very nice to be back again.
And right next door, we’re undertaking a similarly exciting program in upstate New York. We’re working with the Northern Westchester Energy Action Consortium to implement a really exciting and engaging energy efficiency campaign.
Plus, our work in Arizona continues to gain serious traction. The Arizona Solar Challenge has had a great summer – and we’re kicking it all into high gear this fall. From Flagstaff to Sunnyslope, our Solar Coach is rapidly becoming the “trusted friend” of Arizona residents who need a helping hand on their journey to install solar power. Read more about our Solar Coach program – and hear from Coach Steve himself – in this issue of the Clean Energy Current.
We are also thrilled to announce the launch of our full-service Arizona SmartPower website. Check it out at www.AZSmartPower.org, where you can learn about solar, financing options, and how to get a Solar Coach!
We’re also doing our part to help move the economy! We’re aggressively interviewing for a Marketing Manager, an exciting position that will be based in our D.C. office. If you know of folks looking to work in an exciting, dynamic and fun industry, have them check out our job posting on the SmartPower website.
Finally, if you haven’t checked out the SmartPower Blog recently – you need to! Lauren, Erin, Charlie and Brandon are keeping it choc-full of interesting, relevant content about clean energy, energy efficiency, energy news, and even the latest in green cars.
That’s it for this issue. Let’s make more!
Sincerely,
When Arizona SmartPower was founded, we envisioned a state with more solar panels than swimming pools – and Arizona is fully embracing its destiny as the future solar capital of the United States!
A big part of making that a reality is Arizona SmartPower’s Solar Coach, Steve Loritz. Steve came on board in July and immediately jumped into the task at hand: making it easy for consumers to walk the last mile from awareness to solar installation. We chatted with Steve to learn more about his job, his love of working with customers, and how he’s making it easy for Arizonans to go solar.
Clean Energy Current: What made you want to become a Solar Coach?
Steve Loritz: I was very excited about the opportunity for outreach and education – being able to teach people about renewable energy. For me, this is the big reward. When I was teacher at a vocational college, I loved looking out into the classroom and seeing lights go on during a lecture – seeing the students figure it out and realize how they could make my lessons work for them. Being able to do this as a Solar Coach – as a neutral third-party adviser, without any bias – is the best part.
CEC: What services do you provide as a Solar Coach?
SL: I help residents understand not only the technology, but also the process and the benefits of going solar, whether a customer wants to produce electricity or heat water. A lot of people have reasons for going solar, from saving money to lessening their impact to doing what’s right for the planet. Helping people reach those goals is what I’m here to do.
CEC: What feedback have you gotten from customers so far?
SL: It’s been great. Initially customers are kind of skeptical because they think I’m going to charge them or give them a bill. But then I don’t! They ask, “Who do you work for?” And I say, “I work for you!” Since I’m not an installer – I don’t sell anything, and I connect customers with APS’s list of qualified installers – and I don’t take any commissions, I’m free to be a trusted third-party advocate. Solar customers like having an advocate. The process can be intimidating. When I’m there they don’t have to feel self-conscious or dumb. And if they’re really into the science and technology aspects, I can break that down for them, too.
CEC: What’s your favorite part of the job?
SL: Site visits. Getting to talk to people one-on-one. Watching them get excited about it is the best part. It’s so different than being in a classroom with 30 people!
CEC: A lot of people think solar is too expensive for them. How do you help those customers?
SL: I start by asking them why they think it’s too expensive for them. Then I address their concerns and make sure they know about rebates and incentives that are available to them. And I lay it out for them and explain how it works. Sure, it’s expensive. You could spend this much money on many things. However, a renewable energy system is an investment. It won’t depreciate by a third when you turn it on, like a car will. It will actually appreciate with the value of your home, and will continue to produce energy at the same rate for next 25 years. Ultimately, the main advantage of renewable energy is that the fuel is free. And once your system is installed, that cost is spread out over the life of the system.
CEC: What advice would you offer to people who are thinking about solar, but feel overwhelmed by the process of actually installing it?
SL: Call me!
If you have any questions about Solar Coaches – or live in Flagstaff or the Sunnyslope area of Phoenix, and would like information about installing solar – get in touch with Steve! The best way is to visit our new website, www.AZSmartPower.org. You can also call Steve at 928-637-6598.
> My Gulf Action Offsets 40,000 Gallons From the Gulf
It’s been an exciting few months for My Gulf Action, SmartPower’s Gulf oil spill relief campaign. Since the campaign’s launch in early July, members of the My Gulf Action community have committed to energy efficiency actions that have offset 40,000 gallons of oil from this summer’s devastating BP oil spill disaster. We’re thrilled at this response and urge you to continue sharing the campaign’s website, www.MyGulfAction.com, with your friends and social networks!
If you’d like to catch up on news about the campaign, check out Brian Keane’s interview with Green Patriot Radio, or read his recent guest blog on Planetsave.com.
Earlier this summer, SmartPower’s My Gulf Action campaign partnered with teen empowerment website DoSomething.org’s Weekend Without Oil initiative, designed to teach young people about the many ways that oil is present in their everyday lives.
Weekend Without Oil’s call to action – which asked participants to pledge to abide by 10 conditions for an entire weekend – included a lot of helpful reminders about how many everyday products and actions involve the use of oil. Even though the official Weekend Without Oil has passed, think about how the following reminders apply to your own everyday activities:
1. Walk or ride your bike. Transportation accounts for 40 percent of petroleum consumption.
2. Borrow or use old sporting equipment. Did you know that oil makes up nearly 25 percent of rubber? Footballs and basketballs can last for many years. Choosing used equipment helps reduce demand for oil needed to make new rubber.
3. Use reusable bags, not plastic ones. Nearly 10 percent of U.S. oil consumption, approximately 2 million barrels a day, is used to make plastic products alone.
4. Be conscious about what you eat. You can reduce oil demand eating less meat, more local foods and more organic food, which doesn't use petro-based fertilizers.
5. Be a smart consumer. The majority of cosmetics are petroleum-based, including lip gloss, face powder, nail polish and more. Research brands before you buy.
6.Drink tap water. Beverages bottled in disposable plastic make up nearly 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year, so get a reusable bottle and fill it up.
7. Make your electronic gadgets last. Electronics take a lot of oil to produce. The gadgets you already have can last much longer than the rate at which new ones are released.
8. Go to the movies or stream them online. Oil is a key ingredient in the production, packaging and shipping of DVDs and Blu-Ray discs.
9. Buy fewer clothes. Swap clothes with friends or check out the local vintage or thrift store. Oil goes into the manufacturing and transportation of many kinds of clothing, especially the discount kind.
10. Head to your local library or read online. Avoid using a printer and buying printed material, including daily newspapers. Printing doesn't just waste paper. Nearly 100,000 gallons of ink each day is used on daily newspapers alone!
Want some more tips? Check out the promotional video our interns made about the importance of participating in My Gulf Action.
Last month we brought you the first installment of Smart Tips from SmartPower, a video series created by our summer intern class of 2010. Here’s the next video in that installment: “Green Your Bedtime Routine.”
Know of a talented marketing expert who wants to work hard and have fun promoting clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency? SmartPower is hiring a Senior Marketing Manager to work in our D.C. office. Check out our job posting.
If you’re heading to an event or conference on green power, energy efficiency or climate change this fall, there’s a good chance SmartPower will be there, too! Here’s a sampling of where we’ve been in the last two months – and where we’re headed in the not-too-distant future:
Brian Keane was part of a pundit panel at Capital Cabal’s “Energy Agenda Now” event in Washington, DC, earlier this week.
In July, Brian Keane and Greg Fisher of Campbell Fisher Design introduced The Renewables characters in presentations at the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Communications Manager Marissa Newhall discussed SmartPower’s social and new media strategies – and how they play into our efficiency programs for utilities – at the third annual Social Media & Utilities Conference in San Diego, CA.
Lyn Rosoff attended the Department of Energy’s Conference on Better Buildings, a three-day energy efficiency workshop in Chicago for all new DOE grantees. SmartPower has two clients tht participated in the conference: the CT Neighbor to Neighbor Energy Challenge and the Northern Westchester/Bedford Energy Action Consortium.
Next month, Marissa Newhall will join Rio Salado College faculty and staff on a panel about America’s Greenest Campus and on-campus sustainability at the 2010 conference of AASHE, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, in Denver, CO.
In October, Lyn Rosoff will be moderating a panel on consumer attitudes and trends at the Renewable Energy Markets Conference in Portland, OR. At this same conference, Jonathan Edwards will be on a panel discussing “Marketing and Messaging that Works.” This is the 10th year that SmartPower will present at this conference and we are pleased to offer our insights on marketing and messaging once again!
In November, SmartPower staff will present at this year’s Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference in Sacramento, CA, presented by Stanford University’s Precourt Energy Efficiency Center.
