National Coalition Launches Solar Day of Action
Over 30 Groups and Millions of People Join Together to Celebrate Solar
Media Contacts:
Deb Greenspan, [email protected]
Katie Ullmann, [email protected] / 617-529-8039
Alex Winn, [email protected] / 202-540-5348
WASHINGTON, June 20, 2014 — Saturday June 21st, the longest day of the year, millions of Americans will participate in the National #PutSolarOnIt Day of Action to show support for solar across the country. The day was organized by a national coalition of 30 leading environmental and energy organizations. Sixty-five events are registered and tens of millions of people will be reached online.
2014 has been a breakout year for solar. Solar power was the leading source of the nation’s new energy capacity in the first quarter.1 The cost of solar has dropped over 80% since 2008 and is cost-competitive with other forms of energy in many states.2More solar energy has been installed in the U.S. in the last 18 months than in the 30 years prior and the solar industry is creating jobs at ten times the rate of the national average.
Solar energy is a win-win for the US economy and energy supply. All across America, people are taking action to #PutSolarOnIt – to turn homes, places of worship, schools, lands and community building rooftops into job-creating solutions to climate change.
For the day of action:
Mosaic has just launched a new organizing platform for people to take their favorite places solar – Mosaic Places.
Organizing for Action chapters across the country will host a national grassroots day of action at local solar installations.
The Alliance for Climate Education will ask thousands of high school students in its national community to submit creative photos of where they want to #PutSolarOnIt.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) will be asking solar customers to put solar on their Facebook profile. The innovative I LIKE SOLAR app allows people who have installed solar on their homes to “Solarize” their Facebook profile and show their solar pride.
The Climate Reality Project is asking its global network of 6,000 trained Climate Reality Leaders to make community presentations about the global growth of solar on June 21st, rallying supporters to acknowledge President Obama for putting solar on the White House, and encouraging its community to share photos of where they want to #PutSolarOnIt.
Vote Solar is urging its 55,000 members and it’s social media network to speak up for innovation, progress and customer choice by signing the Solar Rights Petition.
Interfaith Power & Light will be reaching out to over 15,000 congregations in over 40 states to celebrate congregations that have installed solar, hold solar workshops to help those congregations that want to install solar and highlight our many solar success stories.
The League of Conservation Voters will kick off an educational social media campaign focused on the benefits of solar energy.
Sierra Club is organizing events in multiple states, including solar house parties, press conferences, celebrating new installations, and passing municipal resolutions declaring June 21st “Put Solar On It Day.”
#SolarChat combined with the female networking and sharing power of Women4Solar will launch a #PutSolarOnIt Twitter competition where every solar-forwarded tweet that includes the hash-tag #PutSolarOnIt is entered to win a prize selected by a drawing.
The Solar Foundation is hosting its annual flagship event on this day on a sunny Washington, DC rooftop, overlooking the Capitol.
WWF is promoting solar at the Chicago Green Music Festival and promoting ‘PutSolarOnIt’ to its nationwide membership.
Environment America and its state chapters will reach out to their members urging them to put solar on it in their communities and highlight examples local, state and national solar success stories by posting and sharing on social media.
REVERB will be promoting the day of action and Mosaic Places to help musicians and their fans take their favorite places solar.
The Solutions Project will promote the day through its social media and influencer networks, encouraging housewarming (for planet cooling) parties to celebrate neighbors that #PutSolarOnIt.
Among others, #Climate, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Green for All, Greenpeace, Iowa Climate Advocates, National Wildlife Federation, Solar Campus Initiative, Solar Wakeup and The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy will be engaging their communities to take action.
1Source: Federal Energy Regulatory Commmision – http://www.ferc.gov/legal/staff-reports/2014/mar-infrastructure.pdf
2Source: Solar Energy Industries Association – http://www.seia.org/research-resources/us-solar-market-insight