In this past week, and the previous couple of weeks, I was hoping to reach out to a number of solar installers to explore how we can help them increase their reach, and help them take their message to their local communities especially with online and video marketing methods.

I am still guilty of not pursuing that effort with discipline and rigor. Even though I have a good excuse (I am traveling internationally for the past 2 weeks) I seem to hit a block when it comes to making the time to reach out to installers.

I am still very much convinced that a platform that captures 100’s of quality installers and their profiles with their messages would benefit them and the world. Yet I am struggling with reaching out to a large number installers on my own to pitch that service for some reason.

A voice is telling me there has to be a more efficient way to reach such large numbers of installers to convince them to create and maintain profiles on SolarAcademy than just cold (or warm) calling them.  Perhaps the way to do that is to start with a small number of installers initially and then show their success to others.

The one concern (and maybe my block) I have of building such a platform is that – as we would create that platform we would also be creating yet another dominant “Winners Take All – The Elite Charade of Changing the World” platform as described in Anand Giridharadas’s book. I have been thinking a lot about how not to create that inequity that naturally happens as such networks and platforms are created.

One thought is to diffuse and distribute that concentrated power and profit (to the edges) as it starts to accumulate. So if the network is designed in such a way where the system is transparent and the power and profits are flowing to the edges rather then concentrating at the center as it does in many scenarios… then maybe the positive change that is the original goal does not result in power being held at the center of the network and therefore does not become another case of “the elite charade of changing the world” as Gridharadas currently defines the activity happening in the high powered silicon valley ventures and the like… just a thought.

I also want to write about some good things that happened this past week.

• I attended a panel discussion hosted by Bloomberg Turkey about sustainability in the textile and fashion industry in Turkey.  Textiles and apparel is one of the largest industries and exports for Turkey, consuming a serious percentage of total energy.  At the same time, Turkey’s largest import is energy and seems to be heavily subsidized with electricity rates at 10 cents per kwh.  In my comments, I shared with the audience my views on global solar energy trends and how Turkish government and business community should capitalize on that.
• We changed our SolarAcademy.com home page design.  We now have separate sections  for Solar Education focused posts, the Daily Industry News, Stories of independent local solar installers as well as our own SolarAcademy Journal.
• Had 2 conversations around battery plus storage / microgrid solutions for large energy consuming properties. We seem to be engaging with them as potential Buyer’s advisors.
• Furthermore, I am continuing with coaching and guiding service to individuals around the topic of how to enter the solar business and how to tackle the first set of projects.
• And we are moving forward with our plans to launch our Solar Entrepreneurship for Contractors course.

• Reach out to installers about various services.
• Edit, develop, curate the content for Solar Entrepreneurship for Contractors Course.
• Continue discussions, evaluation and design for the various potential microgrid projects.

Until next week…

Kerim