We’ve written about Eneref Institute’s solar hot water advocacy and information initiatives before. Recently, the organization announced that it is moving into the second phase of its “Solar Thermal Advantage” initiative, which is designed to promote the benefits of solar water heating and solar cooling to the trade media.
The initiative will specifically focus on promoting solar thermal heating and cooling case studies. Free Hot Water launched a similar company initiative last month for our installer partners, so we’re clearly on the same page and support Eneref’s efforts.
The bottom line is that successful solar hot water projects are out there, but they aren’t seen or written about. The more the media, public, and policy makers learn about the advantages of solar water heating, the more customers and policy makers will see its value and support it.
In its press release, Eneref’s Managing Director, Seth Warren Rose, explained that many news editors he speaks to about solar thermal are unfamiliar with both the technology and the brands. He said, “We’re working on educating the media about the various brands and about the tremendous benefits of solar heating technology, so that in time, the press will reach out for these stories without our help.”
Another part of the second phase involves a new website devoted to solar thermal projects. Eneref has just launched www.shc.eneref.org, which features successful case studies demonstrating the benefits of using the sun’s energy for heating and cooling applications. A promotional effort for the website is supposed to begin in the second quarter of 2012.
Solar heating installers and manufacturers are invited to submit their case studies online, at www.casestudy.eneref.org. Free Hot Water plans to contribute, and we hope that our customers will contribute their Free Hot Water projects there, as well.
In addition to Eneref’s efforts, if you’d like to publicize your installations through Free Hot Water, please send the same materials to solarfred@freehotwater.com. We’ll also do our best to spread the word on our blog, email, and potentially RenewableEnergyWorld.com, as well.
Once again, the more we celebrate and promote the value of solar hot water in the United States, the more we will grow our businesses, while contributing to clean air, clean water, and to our nation’s energy independence. Please join our collective solar thermal efforts.
