[RE-wrenches] Solar Installers Association

Joel Davidson joel.davidson at sbcglobal.net
Mon Feb 16 09:27:29 PST 2009


Hello Bill,
 
Thank you for speaking up. In my enthusiasm to form a more perfect union among PV professionals (people whose livelihood comes from PV work) and my long industry perspective, I sometimes forget that PV is still an infant industry.
 
The I Ching (one of my sources of wisdom) has some interesting comments about the danger of factions leading to exclusion and ultimate dissolution. See http://www.afpc.asso.fr/wengu/wg/wengu.php?l=Yijing&no=13
 
I would like to think that most wrenches and PV professionals not on this list, including myself, would prefer a big, strong organization rather than a splinter group. I also know that SEIA would like more members.
 
So the question is what needs to be done to get SEIA to represent the solar installers' interests that Jeff Yago speaks of?
 
Joel Davidson
 


--- On Mon, 2/16/09, Bill Loesch <solar1online at charter.net> wrote:

From: Bill Loesch <solar1online at charter.net>
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Installers Association
To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Date: Monday, February 16, 2009, 8:42 AM

Hi Holt, et al,

I thought the chronology of associations was first a big group to wield the
voice / bargaining power of the entire industry. Only when some group gets
(at least perceived) short shrift does it break off and form it's own
group.
I am late to the party of the 80's but I haven't seen the big group
yet.

Unless I and Holt are missing something why isn't a consolidation the way
to
a stronger industry?

Bill Loesch
Solar 1 - Saint Louis Solar


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <holtek at sbcglobal.net>
To: "RE-wrenches" <re-wrenches at lists.re-wrenches.org>
Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 9:21 AM
Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Installers Association


> My two cents:
> It seems another splinter group is counter-productive to the overall goals
> of the industry.
>
>  In the "hearth" industry 20+ years ago, there was an alphabet
soup of
> organizations (WEI, WHA, FPI, were "national" entities along
with a
plethora
> of regional associations). These were coalesced into a single association
> that has a manufacturing caucus, retailers caucus, technical caucus, etc.
> This focused the assets - monetary, personnel, PAC's- into a much
clearer
> picture of goals for the industry. Of the many positive results of this
> union was a week long convention that offers not just a place for
> manufacturing to exhibit, but also training in all levels of doing
> business - technical track, managemanet track, sales track to name a few.
(I
> know, the national solar show is getting close) This trade show has grown
> into a rather large meeting of all principles in the industry with the
> caucuses (cauci?) in each area setting goals for the coming year and then
> presenting these in a single venue to the entire organization. My thoughts
> are that this is a much more efficient way to promote the good of the
entire
> industry rather than the fragmented associations that are currently in
> place.
> Instead of energy spent on building a new group, how about going to SEIA
(?)
> and presenting a new format for a unified front for all concerned using
the
> template of other industry associations that give an equal voice to all
> aspects of our industry? That, IMHO, is a more synergetic approach.
>
> To Scott Sklar - is Carter Keithley still in the association business? -
(he
> helped put together a strong association for the hearth business).
Thinking
> out loud - if we could find someone like that to help lay out and
instigate
> a new version of what we got, I'd be willing to pony up..........
>
> Holt E. Kelly
> Holtek Fireplace & Solar Products
> 500 Jewell Dr.
> Waco TX. 76712
> 
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