May 09
The kind of people who go solar (surprisingly)
By Darren KropfThe good folk at 1BOG have come up with a really interesting infographic on what kind of people go solar.
A preview of the infographic. — Photo provided
First, they don’t do it for the environment.
What?!
It’s all about the economics. And for a purchase of at least $10,000, that kind of makes sense. Not too many people have that kind of cash lying around.
What this really tells me, though, is that we can have an entire industry revolving around protecting the environment — without people giving a darn about it.
In my books, this is great news. We all have our passions in life, and I recognize there are many worthy causes for our attention. So the key for the most passionate environmentalist is to create conditions where your average person naturally does the right thing based on sound judgment. To me, that’s much more doable than massive campaigns trying to guilt, or even inspire, people to action.
Second, people who go solar tend to be less religious.
Given most of my efforts have been in the faith community, I find this surprising. Religious people have been at the forefront of creating and embracing a thriving renewable energy sector. Am I just operating in an isolated bubble?
There’s other interesting stuff in the infographic on gender, class and military participation. Be sure to check it out.
So, do you see these trends at play with the people you know who’ve gone solar?
Darren Kropf of Kitchener, Ont., is community engagement associate with Mennonite Central Committee Ontario. This blog post is provided thanks to our partnership with Creation Care Crossroads.
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