While at Solar Power International in Dallas last month I was able to stop by and chat with SunReports. The manufacturer of monitoring systems for solar discussed a pretty interesting concept. Their Apollo Monitoring system links with Facebook.
The company explained that the system supports monitoring for PV, solar thermal, as well as solar pool and solar floor heating. By having the option to link the monitor with Facebook, solar system owners may share their system performance data with friends via their profile wall.
Creating a way to share solar energy system performance on Facebook allows individuals and businesses with solar systems to increase the visibility of their installations. This offers branding opportunities for solar manufacturers and installers, and facilitates global discussions about solar energy.
“Unfortunately, solar owners usually don’t have much of a chance to talk about their solar energy systems with more than a few neighbors,” said Thomas Dinkel, CEO of SunReports. “This tool changes that. Now, people can share – and yes, even show off – their commitment to green energy with Facebook’s 700 million users.”
Those who opt for the Facebook tool can choose how frequently to post their energy data onto their wall: daily, weekly, or monthly. These “Energy Performance Updates” include energy equivalents to make their data more intuitive, for example equating solar energy created to miles driven in a car or tons of carbon dioxide emissions avoided.
“As a business owner, this makes my solar energy system many times more valuable than before,” said Alex Winch, owner of Toronto’s Beach Solar Laundromat. “Now we can broadcast our commitment to solar energy to our community in a clear, understandable way. I think this is going to translate to a lot of new customers for us. ”
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