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Top Ten Twitter Tips for an Optimized Solar Power International 2014

Top Ten Twitter Tips for an Optimized Solar Power International 2014

written by Lisa Ann Pinkerton

In a few weeks, the solar industry will converge on Las Vegas for three jam-packed days of sun worship. Not at the pool, but in the halls and among the exhibits at Solar Power International (SPI) 2014.

Brands big and small routinely lose out on a vast array of opportunities and lucrative connections at large conferences, because they have not yet implemented a strategy that puts them in multiple places at once. You can’t possibly see it all or meet everyone at North America’s largest solar trade show, but with a little help from a scout called Twitter, and a few simple tweeting skills, you can maximize your exposure.

While B2B activities on Twitter might seems like its just 100’s of people talking at each other, it’s conferences where Twitter really becomes invaluable. It’s your best source for latest news, must see sessions and which parties are worth showing up for. Twitter can bring the industry into your hands, put your voice on par with the biggest brands in the business, and dramatically improve your team’s ROI.

As you gear up for SPI 2014, here’s a list of our top 10 Twitter skills you can try out to make the show your most significant trip of your year. I’ve offered up some top examples for each, either from current SPI activity (#SPI2014) or from South By Southwest Eco (#SXSWEco), which I recently attended in Austin.

1. Start with a pre-party

The weeks leading up to SPI are often a whirlwind of preparation and deadlines. Regardless, get yourself into the habit of watching two SPI hashtags, #SPICon and #SPI2014 starting around October 16. Around this time, you’ll notice companies starting to announce their news for the show. A quick scan every other day will give you a good sense of what the show’s themes may be.

When you see news from a colleague or prospect, it’s a perfect excuse to reach out to them. Inquire if they’ll be attending the show, and see if you can set up a meeting. Even if you don’t know them!

@[handle]: Hi Rich I am at #SPI2014 Booth XXXX. We’ve talked on Twitter but never met – will be under the same roof tomorrow.

Additionally, use this time to retweet (RT) people you want to notice you and start brushing up on your posting power.

@GlennaWiseman: RT @RainaRusso: 4 football fields worth of walking at #SPICon that’s 10,000 steps a day easy! Win a Fitbit via @ibts_solar booth 5309 #SolarChat

2. Live tweet everyday

Once SPI starts, make a commitment to tweet from the show in real time. In social media marketing, we call this “Live Tweeting.” This activity can take many forms, but should start with your announcement on your feed that you’re traveling to SPI and why you’re excited. This heads-up post, gives your followers and others following the hashtag a chance to know that you’ll be there and connect with you.

@RainaRusso: See you there! RT @ibts_solar: We’re headed to Vegas, baby! Stop by booth 5309 at @SPIConvention Oct. 21-23 #SPIcon pic.twitter.com/hrQakNmklX

@lisapinkerton: There’s something magical about being at a conference the day before it starts. #SXSWEco

In Sessions:

The conventional live tweet from a session usually includes sounds bites from speakers and questions posed by the audience. I often use my session posts as a way of taking notes on the panel. Be careful not to just post the sound bites from speakers, as it’s so common that you’ll notice everyone doing it. You want to be unique and stand out, so that other people with retweet and follow you. So instead, try to build on the commentd given, either by posing a question, a challenge or furthering the idea with your own insights.

@lisapinkerton: PicaSolar could save solar OEMs $140M in reduced silver use alone, + 15% increase in cell efficiency. #sxsweco http://ow.ly/i/78K3W

@AutoblogGreen: Brett Hauser from @greenlots: There have been some “colossal failures” because EV charging companies used proprietary systems. #sxsweco

On the exhibit floor:

As you wander the booths, take photos of things you think are cool, friends you run into or fun happenings. Post them on Twitter with your comment and where it happened, such as the booth number. If you see something you don’t like, there’s also an opportunity to tell the company via a post.

@austinECOdetail: Met Gabriel and his team #earth911 at #sxsweco last week. They had this super cool stool made of cork on display. pic.twitter.com/pi8coPEIbY

Corporate social media feeds are often managed by the marketing and public relations teams. So, done diplomatically, your comment will reach the people in the company who will care most about the company’s brand and reputation.

Regardless of how your posts shape up, always credit the speakers and companies either by adding their name in or their handle. And always remember to add the hashtag #SPI2014.

3. Party with your Tweeps

Networking on social media is a great way to build your brand and reach new people. But in person networking is where the real magic is. At the quarterly networking workshops I teach in San Francisco, I outline how one can seamlessly go from online networking to in person networking, and back to online as a way of extending networking time and opportunities.

Tweetups are sponsored happy hours where people who are active on Twitter meet each other face-to-face. Instead of meeting a group of strangers, Tweetups provide us with the opportunity to get to know better, people we already feel connected to. At SPI this year, there are two important Tweetups to hit:

  • SPI Tweetup – October 22, 12-2pm
  • #SolarChat’s Unplugged Solar Teams Rock – Oct 22, 8pm-10pm

4. Get your scan on

You can’t be everywhere are once. But Twitter can! Every morning, instead of looking at your usual news feeds, or playing that game you use to wake up in bed, scan the twitter hashtag. Within five minutes it would take you to review the replays of how your base got raided on Clash of Clans overnight, you’ll quickly get up to speed on the coming day at SPI. Also, at this time take a moment to post something about what you’re looking forward to, as another way of giving the SPI community a chance to meet you and connect with you.

5. Smart follow

Using Twitter at conferences, when the majority of your industry is paying attention, whether or not they are at the show, is a great way to build your audience. As a rule, you should follow everyone that follows you, as long and as much as you want to. When you do get a new follower, thank them for following you.

If people are using the hashtag, there’s a high likelihood they have some influence in solar and following them could add to your overall clout. So, at shows it’s advisable to follow people using the hashtag. They in turn may choose to follow you, and before you know it, you’ll have grown your following by at least 10-20 percent by the end of the conference.

6. Interact

Following those that follow you is just one part of interaction. The next step is to add to the conversation, either by retweeting what they have posted (indicated by RT in the post) or by modifying a person’s tweet and adding MT. You can also reply to a post and add your own insights, questions or comments.

This is where the interaction can take on a life of its own and lead to incredible networking opportunities you might not have had otherwise, both at the event and long after it’s over. You can even invite other people you know would have interest in a topic into the conversation by adding their handles in your posts. Twitter will notify them, depending on their account settings. Do this in compelling way and voilà, you have yourself a bonafide social media networking moment that can be taken off line for more in-depth interaction.

SPI twitter post interaction

7. Review sessions and parties in the moment

Let’s face it, no matter how hard organizers try, some sessions are just boring, and some parties are just a flop. Wouldn’t you like to know that before you get to the location, or warn other before they meet your fate? Well, Twitter is an excellent vehicle for that.

When you’re in a session that’s dragging on without much substance, use Twitter to see what sessions other people are posting about. You can save yourself valuable session time by leaving ones that aren’t working for ones that are. The same thing goes for parties and happy hours.

You can also use Twitter to bring more people to something good. Don’t be afraid to post that a session is impressive, making sure to share the room number. Additionally, if you find yourself at a bouncing party, spread the love on Twitter. Make sure you credit the sponsors of the event, so that if others can’t get there before it’s over the organizers get your kudos, which is a goodwill gesture that helps to elevate their brand.

AndreaLearned: Fun @triplepundit party last night @CliveBarATX – thanks @nickaster and gang. #sxsweco

spi twitter blog image - party

8. Make it visual

Thoughtful insights are critical to building your Twitter brand. However, well-selected photos and videos will often spread the message of your brand further than words can. People love images and videos. We love to look at them and share them.

When people retweet your multi-media, your handle (@yournamehere) gets added to the post and you get the credit. You may find a comment retweeted once or twice, while an image or video gets many more shares. A note of caution, before you share a photo or video, be sure to ask others in the moment if it’s okay. If they say yes, be sure to add their handles as well.

SPI post visual

9. Give credit where credit is due

In the other steps, we touched on how selecting the retweet symbol in your Twitter app will automatically add the handle of the person you are retweeting into your post. Twitter also offers an “edit retweet” function in case you want to modify the tweet. Often we do this to add additional insights or if the original tweet was too long.

However, some people will use the “edit retweet” function to remove the handle of the person who originated the tweet as a way of claiming it as their own. This is not how you build a supportive community and people will notice if you try this too much. They might even call you out on it, publicly; I have. Keep your ego at bay and give credit where credit is due. Sometimes, when a post becomes too long, because of the RT handle(s) at the beginning, it’s advisable to add them to the end with the word “via” indicating where you got the information. This step can save you precious characters.

This also goes to crediting speakers and companies. You can use the search function in Twitter to learn if companies or people have twitter handles already and add them to your post. While you’re at it, you should follow them too. They will get your notification that you mentioned them and it helps you build a positive relationship with them over time.

10. Stay in the moment

One trick about live tweeting is that we pay too much attention to creating our posts, watching the hashtag feed or responding to alerts we get on our phone, because it’s right in front of us. Speakers certainly like to see their names and opinions trending on social media, but they also like an attentive audience. You can miss critical information when you are too busy multi-tasking. Therefore, try to keep your live posts to an average of one per ten minutes. This will help you keep your attention on the session and retaining the most amount of information possible. Additionally, it will keep your feed from dominating the hashtag as people are following it.



October 15, 2014 0 comment
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Burning Ring of Fire: Greenwashing Case Alleging Fried Solar Panels to Move Forward

Burning Ring of Fire: Greenwashing Case Alleging Fried Solar Panels to Move Forward

written by Eric Lane

In February, three individuals filed a proposed class action lawsuit against BP Solar and Home Depot accusing the solar panel maker and retailer of greenwashing in connection with certain solar panels (see the complaint here).

Plaintiffs Michael Allagas, Arthur Ray, and Brett Mohrman alleged that there is a latent defect in the junction box of the BP solar panels that causes the box to fail and results in a total loss of functionality of the solar panels.

Specifically, the plaintiffs allege that the defect in the junction box and solder joints between connecting cables makes the solder joint overheat, which causes electrical arcing that generates temperatures of 2000-3000 degrees.  According to the plaintiffs, the heat melts the junction box, burns the cables and solar panels, and shatters the glass cover of the panels.

The plaintiffs also alleged that BP’s advertising and marketing materials about the solar panels are false or misleading.

While the northern California federal court hearing the case previously dismissed some of the plaintiffs’ claims, a recent decision denied BP and Home Depot’s motion to dismiss the remaining claims.

The court found the pleadings sufficient to support plaintiffs’ express warranty claims for breach of the express defect and power warranties because they stated that a latent defect existed at the time the product was sold and that they relied upon BP Solar’s power warranty in purchasing the solar panels.

Similarly, the implied warranty claims were held to be sufficient because plaintiffs clearly alleged a latent defect in the solar panels that renders them unmerchantable and unfit for their intended use.

With respect to the advertising and marketing materials, the plaintiffs cited various sweeping representations made by BP Solar, including:

Promises that the solar panels will “drastically reduce or eliminate your electric bills . . . forever,” and will “increase the value of your home.”

A statement that “No other system can operate at a higher level of safety than those offered by BP Solar.”

BP Solar also made some specific representations about the output and life of the solar panels, including product data sheets warranting 80% power output for a 25-year period and a 90% power output for a 12-year period with a 5-year warranty of materials and workmanship.

The court held that plaintiffs’ claims under the Consumer Legal Remedies Act could go forward because the statements include “factual representations” that could be “likely to deceive a reasonable consumer.”  The court concluded:

A reasonable consumer could have relied on these statements as descriptions of the quality and power capabilities of the solar panels.

The court maintained the plaintiffs’ fraud claims because they allege that BP knew of and concealed the defect:

The amended complaint also alleges BP’s knowledge of the latent defect in the solar panels, BP’s concealment of the defect, particular instances when information regarding the defect and risk of fire could have been revealed, and the warranties all three plaintiffs relied upon that failed to include the concealed information.

The court also denied the defendants’ motion to strike the class allegations, but left the door open for BP and Home Depot to contest those upon a subsequent motion by the plaintiffs for class certification.



October 7, 2014 0 comment
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Carbon Footprint of Solar Panels Made in China Far Exceeds Panels Made in Europe

Carbon Footprint of Solar Panels Made in China Far Exceeds Panels Made in Europe

written by CleanTechies Staff

How green is the manufacturing process for solar panels? According to a new study from Northwestern University and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, solar panels made in China and used in Europe have a carbon footprint that is about twice as high as solar panels made locally in Europe.

The study found that although shifting manufacturing to China might be economically attractive, “it is actually less sustainable from the life cycle energy and environmental perspective – especially under the motivation of using solar panels for a more sustainable future,” said Fenqi You, assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science and an author of the paper.

Much of the disparity is because China has fewer environmental and efficiency standards for its factories and plants and a high use of coal for electricity compared to European countries where renewable energy and nuclear energy are more common.

According to the study, a solar panel made in China would need to be used for 20 to 30 percent longer than a European made panel to produce energy to cancel out the energy used to make it. While these numbers suggest a large chasm, Argonne scientist and co-author Seth Darling noted, “This gap will like close over time as China strengthens environmental regulations.”

The study did not include the energy cost to transport the solar panels to their final destination. Had this cost been included in the study, the gap would be magnified further.

The authors suggest using a stick to encourage greater sustainability in the solar manufacturing process. They propose a break even carbon tariff in the range of 105 to 129 euros per ton of carbon dioxide to offset the emissions.



June 3, 2014 1 comment
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Solar Harvesting Windows Possible With Advances in Semiconductors

Solar Harvesting Windows Possible With Advances in Semiconductors

written by Yale Environment 360

New semiconductor technology is advancing the development of house windows that could double as solar panels, according to scientists from Los Alamos National Lab and Italy. Their research into so-called “quantum dots” — ultra-small bits of semiconductors that transmit energy extremely efficiently and can be tuned toward specific colors — shows that quantum dots can be used in transparent materials to harvest sunlight with efficiencies comparable to standard solar panels.

When highly transparent materials are embedded with quantum dots, they are known as luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs); the structures can absorb sunlight and re-radiate it at longer wavelengths directed toward the edge of the slab, where the energy is collected by a solar cell.

“The LSC serves as a light-harvesting antenna that concentrates solar radiation collected from a large area onto a much smaller solar cell, and this increases its power output,” the lead researcher explained. In tests using large LSC slabs (sized in tens of centimeters), researchers reported harvesting photons at roughly 10 percent efficiency. Typical photovoltaic solar panels have an average efficiency of about 15 percent.



April 16, 2014 2 comments
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Solar Plant in Israel is Now Self-Cleaning

written by CleanTechies Staff

Developing large solar power plants in the desert makes a lot of sense in many ways.  Wide swaths of land coupled with unobstructed sunlight makes for a compelling case.  One of the drawbacks of being located in the desert is the dust that gets kicked up by the winds which eventually settles on the surface of the solar panels located nearby.  The efficiency of the panels dwindles and time, money, manpower, and water is spent to constantly clean the panels.

Located in the Negev desert, the Ketura Sun solar park spans 20 acres and produces 9 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.  The manual cleaning process takes approximately 5 days and can pose a risk to the cleaners but also sensitive equipment.  Without cleaning, the efficiency of the panels could drop by as much as 35 percent.

Thanks to Ecoppia, the Ketura Sun solar park no longer has to worry about dust or expend time and money to manually clean the panels.  The panels are now cleaned nightly by Ecoppia E4 robots that clean 54 square feet in 30 seconds.  The robots use a rotating microfiber brush and an airflow cleaning system to remove 99 percent of the dust build-up.  No water is required.  No additional energy is required either.  The robots are powered by their own solar panels and battery system.



April 1, 2014 1 comment
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Solving the Solar Power Storage Problem

written by Walter Wang

One of the big questions about solar power is how to supply sun-driven electricity at times of peak demand. Demand spikes in the early morning, before the sun is high enough to hit solar panels, and in the early evening, when solar panels operate at only at half efficiency in the low light. Cost-effective storage has been a major issue to be solved.

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October 22, 2013 2 comments
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Bankruptcy Trustee Sues Chinese Over Solar Panel Dumping

written by CleanTechies.com Contributor

In the most recent shot fired in the trade war over solar panels between the United States and China, last week solar panel manufacturer Energy Conversion Devices, through its liquidating trust filed an antitrust lawsuit against Chinese companies Trina Solar Limited, Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd., and their

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October 10, 2013 3 comments
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Ikea to Sell Home Solar Panels in All British Stores Within a Year

written by Yale Environment 360

The Swedish furniture retailer Ikea will begin selling residential solar panels in its 17 UK stores within the next 10 months. The basic package’s $9,500 price tag will include 18 panels, installation, design consultation, energy monitoring, and maintenance.

With energy savings and current green energy

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October 1, 2013 0 comment
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Solar-Powered System Used to Produce Clean Water in Rural Villages

written by Walter Wang

Clean drinking water is often an overlooked privilege in first world countries. However, in areas such as the rural villages of the Yucatan Peninsula, potable water is at least a day’s drive away and costs more than local residents can afford.

MIT researchers have recognized this problem and

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September 12, 2013 2 comments
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How Solar Tech is Breeding Independence from The Grid

written by Walter Wang

For thousands of years, the sun has been revered by many cultures for its enormous power and size. Now, people are admiring the giant star for a very tangible reason: its ability to help lower electric bills. Installing solar panels will save the average person around $1000 a year on their energy bills, notes SolarEnergy.net – not too shabby!

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August 14, 2013 3 comments
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Scituate in Massachusetts is 100% Powered by Renewable Energy

written by Walter Wang

With the inauguration of a 3 MW solar power station, Scituate (MA) became the first town in Commonwealth to get 100 percent of its power from alternative energy sources.

The project was developed by Gehrlicher Solar America, which earlier in 2013 opened a regional

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July 31, 2013 0 comment
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Trade War Averted – Europe and China Settle Solar Dispute

written by Walter Wang

The ongoing saga between the European Union and China over the alleged dumping of solar panels has apparently been resolved. Over the weekend, The EU and China agreed to a settlement which sets a higher minimum price for Chinese exports of solar panels to Europe. This means that Chinese exporters must respect minimum import prices. Prices

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July 29, 2013 0 comment
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Butte County, CA joins commercial PACE Program run by Figtree

written by Walter Wang

Butte County is taking the lead in a program that provides an alternative funding source for businesses or agricultural interests that want to invest in green energy or water-efficiency projects.

The totally voluntary program allows a borrower to get the funding without going through all of the

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June 3, 2013 0 comment
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Large Majority of Americans Believe Global Warming Should be a Priority, Poll Shows

written by Yale Environment 360

Roughly 70 percent of Americans say global warming should be a priority for President Obama and Congress and 61 percent support requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a carbon tax that would be used to help reduce the national debt, according to a new survey by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication.

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May 22, 2013 0 comment
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