In solar, it’s easy to get consumed by big numbers and splashy headlines. It’s a good problem. Records are being broken. Huge projects are getting commissioned. More efficient technologies are arriving every day.
The U.S. president regularly highlights our industry’s success. In his most recent State of the Union address, Barack Obama said this about solar:
With all of this attention on our industry, it’s easy to forget that really big numbers—like the 29.3 GW of total solar installed in the U.S. today—come from the small, unpublicized achievements of individual people following an unwavering passion.
Sometimes we’re asked why we publish the Top 500 Solar Contractors list, an annual listing of solar contractors released today. We do it for the individual companies that build the solar industry one panel at a time. We do it to recognize the contributions of many.
We’re always astonished by the true passion for renewable energy exhibited by the leaders of solar companies. We think they would all agree that a 4-kW solar installation on a house is as important a contribution to the future as a 400-MW installation in the desert. Robert F. Kennedy once said:
The 2016 Top 500 Solar Contractors list recognizes the contractors coast to coast, in the United States and Canada, who are working hard, growing their businesses and contributing positively to the environment. This fifth edition of the list is our way of saying thank you and congratulations.
We can’t wait for you to flip through this issue, which is packed full of stories and opinions, new companies to the list and veterans. We even feature 38 companies that have appeared on the list all five years—a special congratulations to them!
We’ll see you at SPI.
-The Solar Power World Team
Tell Us What You Think!