SOLAR TODAY - June 2010

inside ases | ases insights

Grassroots Efforts + National Leadership = Solar Success

By rich caputo and tehri parker

how does a nonprofit organization, based in Boul- der, Colo., organize and implement a national movement that will push and pull the country into a new era of sustainable energy? At the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), we believe the most effective way to meet this mission is to merge the efforts of enthusiastic grassroots groups with national leadership and support.

At the grassroots level, ASES has 11,500 members in
50 states. We’ve formed 62 chapters or subchapters in 40
states. Chapter activities include —
•;advocating;for;regional;policies;that;advance;renew-
ables and energy efficiency;

•;organizing;tours;of;solar;buildings;

cApUto

•;holding;energy;fairs,;conferences;and;workshops; and

•;hosting;local;meetings;of;solar;advocates.

ASES chapters come in many shapes and sizes, but they share one mission: to provide engaging solar education that is relevant to their state or region.

pARkER Rich caputo ( richard-caputo@sbcglobal.net), an AsEs board member and a leader of the san Diego Renewable Energy society, is author of the book Hitting the Wall: A Vision of a Secure Energy Future.

At the national level, ASES is a progressive nonprofit with;a;staff;of;21;working;in;beautiful;Boulder.;The;orga- nization is overseen by a board of directors and a board of;trustees,;both;unpaid.;The;organization;publishes;the best magazine in the field (SOLAR TODAY), organizes the largest renewable energy and energy efficiency education event in the nation (the ASES National Solar Tour, nationalsolartour.org), and produces the longest running and largest technical conference in the renewable energy field (the ASES National Solar Conference, solar2010.org). ASES;also;produces;significant;research;studies;(“Tackling Climate Change in the U. S.,” “Estimating the Jobs Impacts of;Tackling;Climate;Change,”;state;job;studies;for;Ohio, New;York;and;Colorado);and;policy;documents;such;as “ASES Policy Recommendations for the 111th Congress.” We now have a grassroots advocacy arm in Solar Nation.

tehri parker ( tehri@the-mrea.org) is executive director of the midwest Renewable Energy Association and an AsEs board member. she holds a ph.D. in education and teaches at the University of Wisconsin at stevens point.

To merge the efforts of these two levels of ASES, the ASES Board of Directors has developed a chapters rela-tions;committee.;The;mission;of;the;committee;is;twofold: to;help;make;the;chapters;more;effective;at;the;local;level, and to help the chapters more vigorously move forward the;national;agenda;of;ASES.;The;committee’s;goal;is;to build on the natural synergies of these groups, thereby significantly increasing the effectiveness of the organization overall.

The;chapter;relations;committee;is;comprised;of;seven individuals representing the ASES board of directors, staff and;chapters.;We,;Tehri;Parker;and;Rich;Caputo,;sit;on the committee as its board representatives. Tehri is the executive director of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, and Rich is the founding chair and a board member of the San Diego Renewable Energy Society. We are

joined;by;three;staff;members;who;have;key;roles;in;the national organization: Richard Burns, the ASES National Solar;Tour;manager;;Kate;Hotchkiss,;an;ASES;program manager;;and;Irene;Law,;ASES’;chief;operating;officer.;The committee is rounded out with two chapter volunteers: Wyldon Fishman, president and co-founder of the New York;Solar;Energy;Society;and;Jane;Hager;of;the;Potomac Region Solar Energy Association.

The;major;activities;of;the;committee;are;to—
•;Design;and;facilitate;the;annual;day-long;chapter;cau-
cus;that;takes;place;at;the;beginning;of;the;ASES;National
Solar Conference.

•;Host;monthly;conference;calls;to;keep;chapters;in;touch with;current;ASES;activities;and;get;chapter;feedback.

•;Develop;monthly;webinars;that;are;open;to;all;ASES members.;Webinars;cover;a;range;of;“how;to”;subjects from grant writing to developing hard-hitting advocacy programs.

•;Unite;the;expertise;of;ASES’;nine;technical;divisions with the chapters through a series of webinars.

•;Represent;the;chapters;during;ASES;Board;of;Direc-tor meetings.

In addition to these activities, the committee is also cre-ating;a;chapter;handbook;and;a;comprehensive;package;of materials to guide the development of new chapters.

Strengthening ASES advocacy is critical at this time in the history of the planet. Many people appreciate the increasing cost efficacy of renewables and energy effi-ciency;and;know;that,;eventually,;our;energy;system;will use;these;techniques;broadly.;Others;know;in;their;bone marrow;that;sustainability;is;key;to;the;long-term;sur-vival of our global ecosystem, and they’ll support all measures, including renewable energy, to reach sustainability. Both of these groups add up to a lot of people and a lot of support for the eventual movement to renewables and increased energy efficiency.

As great as this is, it is not nearly enough. To avoid the worst impacts of human-driven climate change, we don’t have;the;80;years;it;would;normally;take;to;reach;50;percent penetration of a new energy system in the United States. We have half that time, and we need to reach 80 percent renewables. It’s a challenge that will require effective and consistent;public;policy;support.;This;can;only;happen;if ASES and allied organizations become much more effective in advocating for a sustainable future.