The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is an organization of solar experts and supporters in the United States. Formed in 1954, ASES is devoted to promoting an innovative era of clean energy technology and hastening the transition to a greener energy future. The non-profit advances policy, research and educational outreach. Established to advance knowledge about solar energy as a valuable resource, the society has developed a number of outreach programs including a Solar Registry Program, the Solar Energy Education Program and the Solar Trade Shows. Through these programs, the society serves as a clearinghouse for information and as an advocate with companies looking to hire solar specialists.
The Solar Boulder Program is a joint effort between the American Solar Energy Society and the City of Boulder. Established in 2021, the program brings together cities with various levels of solar penetration to identify ways to work together to promote renewable energy. In response to the growing need for trained solar professionals, the society has come up with the “Solar Boulder” program. This initiative aims at creating a network of experts with knowledge about installation, maintenance and ownership of residential and commercial renewable energy resources.
As part of its strategic alliance program with the City of Boulder, the American Solar Energy Society has joined forces with the city to produce and distribute a free pamphlet titled “Communities in Energy: A Tool for Broad Energy Policy”. This pamphlet provides an overview of the renewable energy resources available in the area, highlights the role of municipal government and encourages residents to become more involved in their community’s efforts to develop clean energy. The publication was released in May 2021. Since its release, over one hundred copies have been distributed to local Boulder households and has met with positive response.
The University of California, Los Angeles manages the partnership with Boulder. Dr. Jayanguang of the School of Natural Resources is the chief executive officer of the American Solar Energy Society. He notes that this alliance is a unique opportunity for students to gain practical skills and develop leadership qualities in community-based environmental initiatives. He sees it as an important step in developing a more sustainable energy future. According to him, there are many promising but neglected areas of research regarding sustainable energy.
To join the Boulder-based society, one needs to be an active member of the board of directors. Other measures taken by the society include regular communications, information gathering and promotion of local news sources on renewable energy. The society also tries to educate the general public about the advantages of residential solar energy. Since its inception, Boulder has made efforts to support alternative energy resources including geothermal and solar energy. For example, the city offers several rebate programs for homeowners who use such resources to supplement their main power supply.
According to calculations, approximately 1.2 million jobs will be created in the United States by the year 2021. This figure was released during a presentation by Boulder Majority, a think tank. Some of the companies which are expected to create a huge number of jobs in the renewable energy industry are: solar electric generation companies, wind energy efficiency industries, biofuels production, and transmission and distribution firms. The main problem facing these businesses is the lack of governmental support for their development.
One of the main reasons behind the inability of the renewable energy industry to get off the ground in the United States is the misguided policy introduced by the government. The federal government encourages the use of fossil fuels, thereby creating an uneven competition among different companies to provide the best solar or wind energy solutions. According to experts, such a policy is outdated and doesn’t reflect present day America. A better policy, according to the experts, is to encourage both private citizens and the private sector to participate in the development of clean energy technologies.
The American solar energy society is trying to create awareness among the general public. They believe that by developing more solar power plants, more jobs would be created. The business opportunity offered by these companies will definitely help the country to become more prosperous. In fact, the United States should take advantage of this situation and develop more solar energy power plants as well as other clean energy industries.