Thoughts on Solar by Run on Sun's Founder & CEO, Jim Jenal

This week marks the InterSolar North America conference in San Francisco.  Given that Solar Power International is way across the country this year, we are opting to attend InterSolar instead.  We are looking forward to checking out the exhibitors and learning the latest to bring back to our clients.   (Last year at SPI we discovered the LG solar panels which have been such a huge hit so far this year!)

If you are going, we would love to meet up with you.  What are you hoping to see at this year’s show?  Please let us know in the comments.

Also, there will be a TweetUp for lunch on Wednesday at the Thristy Bear - great chance to meet the Twitter Solar Tribe - and we will also raise a glass in honor of our departed colleague, Heather Andrews. 
You can RSVP for the TweetUp here.

We will report back on all the goings on upon our return!

Today a friend of mine, and a friend of the solar industry, died.

Heather Andrews was a fierce advocate for solar power - so much so that her Twitter handle was PVAddict.  That is how I met her - on Twitter and via subsequent TweetUps at solar conferences.  She was a frequent commenter on this blog and on our Facebook page, but more than anything else, she simply loved the idea of installing solar and doing it the right way.

Indeed, Heather was a stickler for doing it the right way - she was a proud member of IBEW and she taught classes on how to properly install solar power systems.  Whenever anyone had a question about how something should be done, Heather was happy to chime in with her insights - always in a positive and supportive way.  Unlike some who want to lord their knowledge over those still struggling to figure things out, Heather was happiest helping others.  She exemplified the very best in our industry - smart, dedicated, and a joy to be around.

She fought her illness these past few months with the same courage and tenacity that she brought to the solar industry.  Sadly, this was one obstacle that she could not ultimately overcome with her love and optimism.  Still, she remained positive through all of her pain and difficulties as demonstrated by one of her last tweets:

Promise that when things settle a bit I’ll get back into the full swing of the Twitterverse and openly show my adoration for #solar…

It is now up to the rest of us to carry forward her “adoration for solar” and to help fulfill the destiny in which she believed: a world powered by clean, renewable energy - installed the right way!

I love you Heather and I will try my best to be true to your vision.  Rest in peace.