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Report says states need to push solar [New Haven Register, Conn.]
(New Haven Register (CT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 27--A report prepared by two nonprofit organizations on how to expand the growth of government-backed solar energy programs around the country says individual states need to start thinking like retailers when it comes to marketing.
The report, "Smart Solar Strategies," was released Monday by the Clean Energy Group, a Vermont-based organization that promotes renewable energy, and by SmartPower, a Washington, D.C.-based group that focuses on marketing green power alternatives.
The report describes four barriers to the growth of solar energy technologies:
--High start-up costs and a long payback period that is not attractive to consumers.
--Questions about the reliability of solar power.
--The complex installation process associated with the technology.
--The decision-making process and financial complexity make the solar sale difficult.
Brian Keane, president of SmartPower, said the idea of using an environmental message alone when trying to promote the use of solar power in homes and businesses in not effective.
"Unless the solar industry begins to market solar energy like Coca-Cola sells soda or McDonald's sells hamburgers, they are not going to create a strong, robust marketplace," he said.
The states with the best solar marketing programs are California, Oregon, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and New Jersey, according to the report. Connecticut has been "somewhat proactive" in letting residents know about programs available to reduce the cost of installing solar energy systems in their homes, said Mark Sinclair, vice president of Clean Energy Group.
"Marketing their programs and creating messages that connect to consumers on a financial or value level are the keys to increasing solar installations," Sinclair said. "By creating a solar marketing plan that promotes the affordability of solar power, for example, states can attract new customers, create long-term consumer demand and build successful markets for this valuable energy source."
One example of a program that Sinclair said is effective is California's SolarCity.com, which offers low-interest or zero-interest loans as well as a leasing option, he said.
But selling the value of renewable energy needs to be put in some kind of context, said Emily Smith, managing director in charge of external communications at the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. The CCEF funds renewable energy projects using money collected from utility ratepayers.
"Clean energy is still a little bit more expensive than other forms and so we try to help people understand that there are other important benefits to using renewable resources," Smith said. "Using clean energy helps reduce dependence on foreign oil and helps improve air quality."
Sinclair said the kind of message that Smith is referring to "doesn't really resonate with people."
Matthew Nemerson, president and chief executive officer of the Connecticut Technology Council, said he is not sure "that it's the state responsibility" to market solar programs.
"We need to look at how effective the private sector is at doing this first," Nemerson said. "There is a real lack of knowledge out there about who is qualified to make recommendations on either photovoltaic systems or solar thermal systems. It very complicated to introduce into what is essentially a very conservative (home improvement) market."
The report is available online at http://www.cleanegroup. org. Click on the "publications" heading and then click on the link to the report.
To see more of New Haven Register, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.nhregister.com.
Copyright (c) 2009, New Haven Register, Conn.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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