I was not around to know what life was like before plastics, I barely relate to the use of The Graduate quote when people talk about plastic

Today the trade associations for solar, wind and hydro power banded together to present a proposal for immediate and near-term federal policies to address challenges related to the current economic climate as well as to spur long-term growth. The statement and press conference were an impressive display of unity and the group has outlined five specific steps that they want the current and new administrations to take.

Alongside the call for policy action, during the press conference there was also a challenge for the new administration to make a more symbolic gesture — restore renewables such as wind turbines and solar panels to the While House. As many know, one of Reagan’s acts in the 1980s was to take down perfectly good solar panels that President Carter had installed. My friend Matt McDermott at TreeHugger.com has called for the same thing ( Be The Change).

I hope that Obama heeds the call on both the policy and the greening the White House front.

The tactical wheeled vehicle business has been re-shaped by the conflict in Iraq. We began the war, as Secretary Rumsfeld

As I walked through the San Diego Convention Center last month I could feel the sunny, (no pun intended) optimistic vibe on the floor of the Solar Power International 2008 conference and trade show. Meanwhile, back in New York, Wall Street was in the middle of a crash that had not been seen since the Great Depression. Just when everything seemed to be falling in line for solar and renewable energies, the rug was pulled out from under the industry yet again. Or so you would assume.

But I sense this time is different- America has finally warmed to the idea of renewable energies and they are here to stay regardless of market conditions. Will the credit crunch and stock market crash affect the renewable energy industries? I’m sure- but it won’t stop the move towards renewables from happening- it might just delay things a little.

The extended and expanded renewable energy tax credits that passed as a part of the Wall Street bailout bill were a much needed shot in the arm for renewables- especially solar. With the tax credits, relatively high gas prices and the theat of global warming concerns related to the burning of fossil fuels, the crowd at the Solar Power International show is right to think that renewables have finally come of age.

On the financing side the solar industry has helped homeowners and businesses address the daunting upfront cost of a solar rooftop system by embracing PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements). A PPA allows a solar company to install a rooftop solar system on a home or commercial building at no upfront cost to the homeowner or business and then sells the energy it produces to the homeowner or business at a rate below what they would normally pay their utility. Some experts say that 90% of all commercial solar installations will be financed via PPAs in 2009.

Companies such as SunRun and SolarCity are using PPAs for single home solar installations while Open Energy Corporation (an ICR client) is using PPAs for entire condo and townhome developments. Even in a down housing market there’s still a demand for new roofs on older condo developments and Open Energy’s “Solar Community” PPA model allows condo boards or Homeowner Associations to install new solar roofs at no upfront cost- what homeowner would say no to that?

With all of the positive developments on display at the show, I am confident that next year I will be writing an equally sunny post about the state of the solar industry following Solar Power 2009.