Educating Americans about the benefits of clean, reliable and affordable solar energy is at the heart of a new social media campaign, America Supports Solar, launched today by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) on national shout out for solar day and the SEIA's 40th anniversary as a national trade association.
The SEIA plans to use the platform as a way to showcase the industry's innovations, continued growth and successes.
Supported by leading businesses and environmental groups including the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF), Sierra Club, Greenpeace, Audubon Society, Environmental Defense Fund and the Climate Group hundreds of thousands of people across the U.S. and around the world are expected to take part in today's shout out for solar day and join the roll-out of the America Supports Solar website.
The new site highlights solar energy's extraordinary popularity and explosive growth across the U.S.
When all of the figures are in for 2013, solar for the first time since the late 1980s is expected to account for more new electric capacity in the U.S. than any other source of renewable energy.
"This is a banner day for solar energy in America," said Rhone Resch, SEIA president and CEO. "Today's events, including the launch of our America Supports Solar website, capture that excitement in a big way.
"In recent years, our industry has created tens of thousands of new American jobs, pumped billions of dollars into the U.S. economy and helped to reduce pollution. We're a true American success story."
Today, there are almost 120,000 workers employed by the U.S. solar industry at more than 6,000 companies.
While 2013 was a record-breaking year, 2014 may be even better with 30 percent growth forecast.
Part of this unprecedented growth is down to the fact the average price of a solar system has dropped by more than 50 per cent since 2010, benefiting consumers, businesses, schools and government entities.
"In 2006, there were less than 600 MW of grid-connected solar in the United States. Right now, there's an estimated 13 GW," Resch added.
"Today, through an outpouring of support on social media, Americans nationwide are ‘shouting out' this success story on Facebook, Twitter and other social media, proving the real power of solar is the millions of people who support it."
