On Sunday, Jeff posted the following to his Facebook account:

Why are people so ready to deny climate change? I guess just like people hate going to the Dr., and don’t believe the bad news they sometimes give. People want to avoid bad news any way they can. Those who are obscuring the truth of climate change are affecting us all, and putting us in grave danger.

Responses to the post came quickly and passionately. You can see all of the responses on Jeff’s Facebook here (friend him if you are not already connected).

We’d like to open up the same discussion here on the blog. Why are people so ready to deny climate change? What are your solutions to our cultural (or perhaps biological) inability to recognize and respond to future danger?

The 101 kW PV installation on our roof is going well. It is about 30% complete and our installation crew has had some clear, crisp Vermont weather to work in.

Great quote from Jeff Wolfe for an upcoming interview with B-Green Collaborative:

Beating back climate change and transitioning the world’s energy supply to renewables is inarguably the biggest economic opportunity we have ever seen. It makes the internet and telecom economic boom seem like a pop rather than a boom.

The full interview should be up on B-Green Collaborative in a couple of weeks.

Our corporate offices, in White River Junction, VT, are in a shared building on Old River Road and  we’re very excited because our landlord is going solar! RSD Companies, a trucking and transportation company (and also our landlord), will be purchasing power from a 101kW system that will be installed by us on our roof! This is the largest installation east of the Green Mountains and North of Boston. The project just got underway this week. Check out the photos below and check back for updates.

Back in August we told you about Jagger & Kristi, morning DJ’s on Magic 92.5 in San Diego, going solar. Well, their system was recently installed and is up and running. Check out the picture of Jagger in front of the solar array and here is the nice email we got from Jagger & Kristi:

Just wanted to shoot a quick e-mail and say Thanks for the great Solar experience. We are lovin’ it. We were so thrilled when the system was fired up for the first time and our meter started turning backwards. So amazing! It really does give you a different feeling, going solar!

Your installers were great and very helpful at understanding how things work!

Here are a few shots of the finished project. We actually have a tree-trimmer coming to cut our trees back so we can see the panels better from the street!

Gone Green and not going back….

Best,
Jagger & Kristi

Jeff got more air time at Solar Power International last week talking about groSolar’s marketing efforts with Solar Fred. For those of you not involved in the day to day world of solar marketing, Solar Fred is a blogger on RenewableEnergyWorld.com, a partner in SolarPowerRocks.com and consults on solar marketing.

Check out the video of Jeff talking with Solar Fred about marketing.

This is a great story

Bonnaroo Carbon Shredders – Promotional Video (2009) from Corey Drayton on Vimeo.

At Solar Power International last week, Rhone Resch, SEIA President & CEO, declared a Solar Bill of Rights. This truly is a bill of rights for the energy future of our country and not just companies in the industry. Read the full version below:

To secure a policy environment that allows solar energy to compete and empowers consumers to choose, Rhone Resch declared today, October 27, 2009, in the City of Anaheim, California, a Solar Bill of Rights:

We declare these rights not on behalf of our companies, but on behalf of our customers and our country. We seek no more than the freedom to compete on equal terms and no more than the liberty for consumers to choose the energy source they think best.

1. Americans have the right to put solar on their homes or businesses. Restrictive covenants, onerous connection rules, and excessive permitting and inspections fees prevent too many American homes and businesses from going solar.

2. Americans have the right to connect their solar energy system to the grid with uniform national standards. This should be as simple as connecting a telephone or appliance. No matter where they live, consumers should expect a single standard for connecting their system to the electric grid.

3. Americans have the right to Net Meter and be compensated at the very least with full retail electricity rates. When customers generate excess solar power utilities should pay the consumer at least the retail value of that power.

4. The solar industry has the right to a fair competitive environment. The highly profitable fossil fuel industries have received tens of billions of dollars for decades. The solar energy expects a fair playing field, especially since the American public overwhelmingly supports the development and use of solar.

5. The solar industry has the right to equal access to public lands. America has the best solar resources in the world, yet solar companies have zero access to public lands compared to the 45 million acres used by oil and natural gas companies.

6. The solar industry has the right to interconnect and build new transmission lines. When America updates its electric grid, it must connect the vast solar resources in the Southwest to population centers across the nation.

7. Americans have the right to buy solar electricity from their utility. Consumers have no choice to buy clean, reliable solar energy from their utilities instead of the dirty fossil fuels of the past.

8. Americans have the right, and should expect, the highest ethical treatment from the solar industry. Consumers should expect the solar energy industry to minimize its environmental impact, provide systems that work better than advertised, and communicate incentives clearly and accurately.

Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, stopped by Solar Power International on Tuesday October 27 to help deliver the opening keynote address. She then toured the expo floor and visited groSolar’s booth to speak with Jeff Wolfe.