PV Aesthetics [RE-wrenches]

[Jeffrey Wolfe, Global Resources]

Michael,

As engineers, we tend to think of solar panels as great looking, and as 
energy activists, we tend to think that looks don't matter. But as sales 
people and marketers, we need to understand that aesthetics can often make 
or break the sale. It is pretty useless to try to convince someone that 
anything they think is ugly is actually beautiful. Time is better spent 
figuring out a different way to solve the problem, different colored 
panels, mounting them farther away, etc. Often, aesthetics cost money, but 
people are actually more willing to pay for aesthetics than they are solar.

This is best evidenced in the infant BIPV market. My understanding is that 
most installations happen because the architect involved likes the look, 
and oh by the way these things also produce power. So working with this 
will help to create more sales. This doesn't mean that all architects will 
like all solar panels on all buildings, but that we need to work with 
individual needs to craft something likeable to each client from our 
available pieces. I did this for many years as an HVAC engineer working 
with quite a few fancy architects. Each one needed the HVAC systems exposed 
pieces dealt with differently. Although this was more work, it made the 
aesthetics acceptable.

So we can't just go out and proclaim solar panels to be beautiful. We need 
to figure out what the client wants in terms of aesthetics (as well as 
power) and mold our components to the needs. Showing diverse installations 
that fit into a variety of molds will do a lot to expand the market.

Jeff

Jeffery D. Wolfe, P.E.
Principal
Global Resource Options, LLP
A Woman-Owned Limited Liability Partnership
4 Kibling Hill Road
P.O. Box 51
Strafford, Vermont 05072
802/765-4632
802/765-9983 FAX
global at sover.net

----------
From: 	Michael Welch, Home Power[SMTP:michael.welch at homepower.com]
Reply To: 	RE-wrenches at topica.com
Sent: 	Monday, June 05, 2000 1:56 PM
To: 	RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: 	Re: Solar Powered Gate Openers [RE-wrenches]

Travis Creswell, Ozark Solar wrote at 05:12 AM 6/5/2000 -0700:

>Thanks for your quick replies.  I am here in Southern MO.  What (Inches)
>size of solar panel does it come with.  My potential customer is very
>concerned about a "big ugly panel."  It show it as a $129 option so it 
can't
>be that big but I'm guessing it's amorphous which means it will be a 
little
>bigger.  This is going to be a residence so I am not expecting a lot of
>cycles per day.

This is worth discussing further on this list. Most of us on solar are 
proud of our solar panels and take every opportunity to show them off. The 
attitude of folks that think they are ugly is something I think dealers can 
and should work on.

How do we instill a sense of pride for folks that are just dipping their 
feet into the realm of solar? Hell, if they really wanted good-looking they 
wouldn't have put up that fence in the first place!

Michael Welch

------------------------
"Society is like a stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you get a lot of 
scum on top."

			Edward Abbey

Michael Welch, michael.welch at homepower.com www.homepower.com
      Associate Editor, Home Power magazine
      Office Coordinator, Redwood Alliance
      (Not HP mag's #s) 707-822-7884 fax: 707-822-3481


- - - - - - -
To send a message to the list use: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>

To view an archive of previous messages go to: 
<http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/

To unsubscribe send an email message to: 
<RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com>

To check out who the other RE-Wrench participants are, go to 
<http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/>

Hosted by Home Power magazine: <http://www.homepower.com>

for info contact: <michael.welch at homepower.com>
___________________________________________________________
T O P I C A  The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics

- - - - - - -
To send a message to the list use: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>

To view an archive of previous messages go to: <http://www.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/

To unsubscribe send an email message to: <RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com>

To check out who the other RE-Wrench participants are, go to <http://www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/>

Hosted by Home Power magazine: <http://www.homepower.com>

for info contact: <michael.welch at homepower.com>
___________________________________________________________
T O P I C A  The Email You Want. http://www.topica.com/t/16
Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Your Favorite Topics