When California funded the CSI Solar Thermal program in 2010, part of the funding included a carve-out for marketing the program and educating the public about solar hot water’s benefits to consumers and businesses.
That public awareness program is finally launching Earth Day. The first step was a media release that outlines the CSI Thermal program and its financial benefits. Read the release here.
The just-launched campaign also includes a website (www.waterheatedbythesun.com) and a quick commercial video that announces the initiative (embedded below).
At this point, the website is really just a portal to the individual utilities that are managing the CSI thermal program in the various areas of the State. In an easy three-stem process, website visitors identify their utility and the type of current water heating energy (gas, propane, or electric) that they are using. Those selections lead the individual to their utility’s specific information about how the CSI Thermal program is implemented in their utility, as well as eligibility requirements.
The video is brief, but well-produced, and can be added to anyone’s website via a YouTube embed code. The video’s theme is “Meet the Next Step in Your Green Routine: Solar Water Heating!” Their message is that it’s now common for California consumers to turn off the lights, recycle, and do other green things, and now it’s time to make installing solar hot water part of that everyday “green” life too. Check it out:
There are four administrators (utilities) that are running the program. If you have specific questions about eligibility for your clients or for becoming a CSI thermal eligible installer, contact them at their respective emails below:
- The California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) in the San Diego Gas & Electric Company® territory swh@energycenter.org
- Pacific Gas & Electric Company® (PG&E) Solar@pge.com
- Southern California Edison Company (SCE) CSIGroup@sce.com
- Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) swh@socalgas.com
Free Hot Water welcomes the program’s launch, and we hope California’s eligible CSI Thermal installers will quickly benefit from the new marketing program’s efforts.
As always, if we can help you with your CSI Thermal equipment or engineering services, please let us know.
