Here is a comment about Third Sun Solar made by another solar installation company. Not a competitor–they operate in another part of the country–their observation is based on their knowledge of our company and our Third Sun Solar reputation as one of the region’s best solar installers:

Third Sun Solar offers–

• Critical knowledge of solar tax and utility incentives
• An impressive job portfolio
• Best solar installation methods using their own crews
• Best solar equipment options, from the most efficient to the most affordable

Naturally, we were delighted to see ourselves described in that way. We’re working hard to build on our reputation, both inside the industry and with our customers.

The Third Sun Solar 1.76 megawatt installation at the Assurant Specialty Property Service Center in Springfield, Ohio has passed its string tests and is ready to officially go online. We will cut the ribbon on Monday, April 22 at 2pm with officials from Assurant, Springfield Mayor Warren Copeland, State Representative Ross McGregor, and Austin Bingham of U.S. House Speaker John Boehner’s office in attendance. This large solar array, comprising rooftop and parking lot shade canopy components, is now the largest solar installation in the Springfield area. In completing this project with the participation of Tangent Energy and Third Sun Solar, Assurant is making a major statement of corporate responsibility and sustainability. We were proud to team with Assurant, Tangent Energy, and all involved in this large corporate solar project.

As another indication of solar energy’s growth toward mainstream adoption, especially in for-profit business sectors, Wal-Mart has announced that they are shifting from small pilot projects to major deployment of solar energy systems on their stores across the U.S. and around the world. The strategic goal is to produce 100 percent of their stores’ power through renewable energy. This from the dominant discount retailer whose every move is aimed at trimming costs to keep prices as low as possible.

Walmart Ups Ante in Renewable Energy Effort by Christopher Kolomitz

Seeking a path to 100 percent renewable energy at its stores, officials with Walmart said Monday they will increase the number of renewable energy projects the company completes by six times. The announcement comes as company officials look for ways to save on energy costs and meet the goal of 100 percent renewable energy which was previously announced in 2005.

According to Walmart President and CEO Mike Duke the company will drive the production or procurement of 7 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy globally every year, a 600 percent increase over 2010 levels.

Officials said Walmart’s six-fold increase in renewable energy projects is expected to be equal to eliminating the need for roughly two U.S. fossil fuel power plants. Walmart also announced new plans to reduce the kWh/sq. ft. energy intensity required to power buildings globally by 20 percent compared to 2010 levels. The two new commitments are anticipated to generate more than $1 billion annually in energy savings once fully implemented.

“When I look at the future, energy costs may grow as much as twice as fast as our anticipated store and club growth,” Duke said. “Finding cleaner and more affordable energy is important to our every-day low cost business model and that makes it important to our customers’ pocketbooks.”

In 2012 alone, Walmart added nearly 100 renewable energy projects, bringing the total number of projects in operation worldwide to nearly 300 today. The company already is using more onsite renewable power than any other company in the U.S, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In the U.S. alone, Walmart hopes to install solar power on at least 1,000 rooftops and facilities by 2020, a significant increase from just over 200 solar projects in operation or under development currently. The company also plans to invest and develop wind and fuel cell projects and will also procure offsite renewable energy from utility-scale projects, such as large wind projects, micro-hydro projects and geothermal.

From the March/April 2013 edition of Solar Builder Magazine, article by Associate Editor Kelly Pickerel: “Think about this millennial generation… your next generation of employees and your next generation of customers are people who have been taught, since kindergarten, that the Earth must be saved and it’s their job to do it. They have also been taught that the answer to every need is technology. Those ideas are wired into the emerging millennial generation more than any generation that preceded it.”

Just as another semiconductor-based technology–personal computers–shaped the adult lives of the boomer generation, photovoltaic solar and the quest for clean energy may well define the millennials over the next 30-40 years. If it does, the world could be a cleaner, greener, smarter, and more sustainable place.