American Solar Energy Society

Solar Today is a magazine published by the American Solar Energy Society.

The magazine, published nine times a year, covers all renewable energy technologies, including photovoltaics, passive solar and other climate-responsive building strategies. The magazine traditionally provides:

• Case histories
• "How-to" articles and tips, offering advice on making sustainable energy and product choices
• Coverage of new products and services
• Energy-efficiency Q&As
• Analysis from leaders in the solar/renewable energy field

ASES members of all levels receive eight issues of SOLAR TODAY per year as part of their membership.

The annual National Solar Tour is organized by ASES.

The Solar Tour offers participants an opportunity to tour homes and buildings to see how neighbors are using solar energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable technologies to reduce their monthly utility bills and help tackle climate change.

In October 2008, nearly 140,000 attendees visited more than 5,000 solar homes, businesses, and schools in 3000 participating communities throughout the United States. The Solar Tour takes place annually during the first Saturday in October, in conjunction with National Energy Awareness Month.

A focus of the tour is on energy-saving techniques and sustainability through building design, energy efficient appliances, and the use of green materials during remodeling. Tours also provide information on how to save money with federal, state and local incentives.

In 2008, events were scheduled for every state except Idaho, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota.[4]

For more than 40 years, the ASES National Solar Conference has been a conference on the emerging trends, technology, and opportunities shaping the new energy economy. It is the premier educational event for solar energy professionals.

Exhibitors reach more than 5,000 people eager to buy and sell their products.

The next National Solar Conference will be held in Pennsylvania State University, July 28–30, 2015.[5]

A 2008 study from ASES and Management Information Services, Inc. (MISI), forecast 37 million jobs and $4.29 billion in annual revenue by 2030 from renewable energy and energy efficiency, in the U.S. The renewable energy industry grew three times faster than the U.S. economy, with the solar thermal, photovoltaic, biodiesel, and ethanol sectors leading the way.

To download the report summary, click: Jobs_Report_PDF

Key conclusions from this report include:

• Renewable energy and energy efficiency currently provide more than 9 million jobs and $1,045 billion in revenue in the U.S.

• 95% of the jobs are in private industry.

• As many as 37 million jobs can be generated by the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries in the U.S. by 2030 – more than 17% of all anticipated U.S. employment.

• Hottest sectors by revenue growth include solar thermal, solar photovoltaics, biofuels, and fuel cells.

• Hot job areas include electricians, mechanical engineers, welders, metal workers, construction managers, accountants, analysts, environmental scientists, and chemists. The vast majority of jobs created by the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries are in the same types of roles seen in other industries (accountants, factory workers, IT professionals, etc.).

A 2007 report by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES),[6] examined three scenarios of renewable energy policy development:

• a "business as usual" scenario, with no major policy changes;
• a moderate scenario that includes incremental policy advances; and
• an advanced scenario of aggressive growth in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

In the "business as usual" scenario, jobs created by renewable energy would increase 190 percent by 2030, while jobs created by energy efficiency would increase by 85 percent. In the moderate scenario, the jobs created by renewable energy would increase nearly sevenfold, while jobs created by energy efficiency would more than double. And in the advanced scenario, the jobs created by renewable energy increase 17-fold, while jobs created by energy efficiency quadruple. In the advanced scenario, renewable energy revenues increase to nearly $600 billion, while energy efficiency revenues increase to almost $4 trillion.

The ASES report stated that in 2006, 8 million people were employed in renewable energy and energy efficiency industries in the U.S., and $933 billion in sales were generated, $100 billion in profits, and $150 billion in increased federal, state, and local government tax revenues. The report noted difficulty in defining the energy efficiency industry, but found 196,000 people directly employed by the renewable energy industry, as well as 452,000 indirect jobs created, and revenues of $39.2 billion in 2006.[6]

ASES has several regional and state chapters throughout the country, comprising more than 13,000 members. As of September 2012, there are six student chapters of ASES, at the University of Florida (https://web.archive.org/web/20091008112813/http://www.ufases.org/), The Pennsylvania State University (http://clubs.psu.edu/up/ases/), Appalachian State University (http://asuses.appstate.edu/), Austin Community College in Texas, North Carolina State University and Ohio State University (http://seo.org.ohio-state.edu). ASES is actively supporting the formation of more student chapters.

• American Council on Renewable Energy
• International Solar Energy Society
• Electric Power Research Institute
• Energy conservation
• Energy Information Administration
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory
• Renewable energy commercialization in the United States
• Solar Energy Industries Association
• Solar power plants in the Mojave Desert
• National Solar Conference and World Renewable Energy Forum 2012

• ASES
• Solar Today
• American Solar Energy Society Wins $100k Recognition Award from American Express
• Solar Today magazine