This past January 25th and 26th, Broward County held an open conference dubbed the Go Solar Fest to promote its mission of outfitting every rooftop in the region with solar PV technology.

The actual Go Solar initiative is part of a much larger US Department of Energy program designed to lower solar PV installation costs throughout the country.

Hosted by 16 of Broward County’s participating cities, the 2-day event attracted over 50 national, regional, and local solar companies and 30 speakers who showcased their competing technologies to an estimated 1,000 attendees.

Needless to say, it was an exciting and instructive conference.

Those lucky enough to participate heard from a line-up of knowledgeable, industry speakers who outlined many of the opportunities and benefits of a solar-powered economy (ex: more jobs, less pollution, lower bills, clean communities, energy independence).  It was fascinating to witness complete novices develop an immediate and genuine appreciation for affordable clean energy.

Equally interesting was the commitment demonstrated by state and local officials who would not miss a chance to talk “green” and get their picture in the press doing so.

Florida has historically lagged behind so many regions of the country in solar PV adoption.  However, the Go Solar team made it clear that government would play a much larger role but it remains unclear if they will actually bring any costs down.  What surprised many attendees was how accessible the technology already is – something that the USSolar team has been saying for years.

By all accounts, the event was a success.  That being said, we still have a lot more ground to cover if we want to make the Sunshine State the SUNSHINE State.  See below:

1.  Bringing Costs Down

True – costs are lower (see our earlier post about how USSolar reached the $1.00/watt milestone last year).  But through innovation and economies of scale, we can bring prices down further, helping to make solar even more affordable for the average business or homeowner.  It remains clear however, that the Florida Government will play NO role in making this happen anytime soon.

2.  Better Education & Training

We need to work harder to bridge the gap between people’s perception of solar energy and reality.  This applies both to our elected officials (many of whom are sincerely committed to a greener future but lack the technical background) and ordinary citizens (many of whom wrongly believe that nothing in life is truly free – even “free” energy from the sun).

3.  Streamlining the Installation Process

Solar is no longer a “new” industry.  The birthing pains should be past us.  And yet, permitting times, inspections, paperwork – they have yet to be truly unified in a seamless system.  The Go Solar people were given bag o’ cash in an initiative that is inteded to improve that, but the local government has made little progress.  Convesly Denver had the same task and timeline as the Broward Government types did and performed amzingly well.

The current score sheet shows Denver’s system went online last week at a cost of $50 per permit in a fully functioning system.  Broward County’s projected cost is $550 but, the system is far from functioning.  Switching to clean, solar energy should be easier than buying a new car (it isn’t unfortunately) and the Broward team appears lost.

The Broward County Go Solar Fest was an important step in the right direction.  A lot of questions answered.  A lot of myths debunked.  A lot of new friendships established.  We hope to see more of this in the coming weeks and months.

In the meantime, we’re ready to help but, are not holding our breath for Go Solar success unless they seek major help.

If you’re interested in securing solar PV installation training, just give us a call.  And as always, elected officials can attend our courses free of charge.

Hope to see you soon.

The USSolar Team