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There are four ways to harness solar energy:

• photovoltaics (converting light to electricity),
• heating and cooling systems (solar thermal),
• concentrating solar power (utility scale),
• lighting

Active solar energy systems employ devices that convert the sun's heat or light to another form of energy we use.

Passive solar refers to special siting, design or building materials that take advantage of the sun's position and availability to provide direct heating or lighting. Passive solar also considers the need for shading devices to protect buildings from excessive heat from the sun.

Trade Associations

Trade associations are nonprofit organizations designed to assist businesses and other stakeholders with research, commmercialization and industry networking through communications, advocacy and industry development activies -- such as grant programs, scholarships, education conferences, and online presence. 

Trade associations can provide companies -- especially small green technology companies -- with many business development services they cannot afford to conduct themselves.  They are a conduit between government and industry and between industry and customer groups.

Solar Industry Trade Association

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is the leading national trade association for the solar energy industry. The SEIA works to expand markets, strengthen research and development, remove market barriers and improve education and outreach for solar energy professionals.

Lobbying
Located in Washington, D.C., SEIA was founded in 1974.  SEIA works with Congress to craft progressive federal policy that stimulates the solar energy market to scale up and become competitive with non-renewable energy sources currently dominating the marketplace.

Outreach
SEIA's Meetings and Events division raises awareness of solar through select high-quality industry events including the annual Solar Power Conference. SEIA-sponsored events bring together industry leaders, innovators, policy-makers, media and the public to showcase the incredible advances in solar technology and the solar industry.

Trade Association Membership
SEIA Membership promotes the benefits of membership to prospects, manages the member database and key member benefits like discounts on job postings.

Memberships include solar energy manufacturer, distributor, contractor, installer, project developer, and consultant as well as other industries impacted by the U.S. solar energy market.

Trade association membership can provide you with critical information, advocacy, education, and networking opportunities can help grow your business for long-term participation in  the solar industry.

David Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency , appeared before Congress to discuss the potential for increased energy efficiency in new and existing buildings to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Public Education and Outreach for Market Penetration

The Department of Energy is also focusing on broad public education and outreach in order to facilitate widespread market penetration of energy efficient technologies

Public campaigns, such as the "Change a Light, Change the World" campaign, have been used to drive public awareness. Each fall the Department, in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, encourages consumers to change out old incandescent bulbs for new compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) that have earned the ENERGY STAR seal of approval. The "Change a Light, Change the World campaign" is now in its seventh year.

DOE Outreach Partnership with Walt Disney

In order to further encourage consumer adoption of energy efficient technologies like compact fluorescent lamps, DOE has embarked upon an innovative partnership with the Walt Disney Corporation. DOE announced in 2007 that it had teamed up with Disney in a nationwide campaign to promote energy efficiency through a TV spot based on the Disney Pixar film "Ratatouille." The 30-second animated spot features the characters from the movie, and urges viewers to make the switch from incandescent bulbs to ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent lights. The spot, showcased nationwide during primetime viewing hours, reached more than 117 million households between June 15 and August 15, 2007, through networks including HGTV, Food Network, and DIY.

DOE Campaign to Target 8 to 12 Year Old Children

Also, we are working on a campaign to be launched late this summer targeting 8 to 12 years old on they can  learn to become more energy efficient.

DOE Military Base Campaign

Another campaign, launched this past Earth Day, challenges military bases nationwide to replace their incandescent light bulbs with CFLs in on-base housing. The joint DOE and Department of Defense campaign, called "Operation Change Out," will help bases across the country increase energy efficiency, save money on utility bills and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

DOE Influences Policymakers, Industry and Consumers

Through these and other campaigns, the Department is committed to motivating policymakers, industry, and consumers to embrace energy efficiency values in their states, cities, and homes.

DOE Building Technologies Program Best Practices Website

The Department's Building Technologies Program website is also a helpful educational resource for the public.

The site details best practice guidelines for realizing 30% energy savings, and is aimed at homeowners, builders, or designers who seek to incorporate energy-efficient building practices into a new or existing home.

The Building Technologies guidelines address each step of the home-building process, based on an integrated or whole building, approach. They cover the planning and financing of a home or renovation project, the design and construction phase, and ongoing maintenance. While many best practice guidelines apply regardless of geography, others are tailored to the challenges of a specific climate zone, a key consideration in creating an energy-efficient home.

SOURCE: 
Testimony of David Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency before the Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, United States House of Representatives. Topic: Buildings Energy Efficiency and Greenhouse Gases, July 17, 2008, EERE Energy Efficiency