Published: San Antonio Business Journal
By: Alex Mendez
Date: July 29, 2011

As a business development representative for Solar Community, I can testify to this truth: the solar industry is spurring economic growth in every community it touches.

Solar Community’s expansion from a two-men-and-a-truck company to one with over 20 employees and $10 million in annual revenue is just one example of the solar energy future emerging across Texas.

Solar is the fastest growing energy sector in the U.S. — expanding so rapidly that it’s now a $6 billion industry. The solar industry grew 67 percent between 2009 and 2010, and it’s creating tens of thousands of new jobs each year and growing small and large businesses.

In Texas, solar energy has the potential to transform our abundant solar resources into an economic engine firing on all cylinders.

A thriving solar industry will create new jobs, expand business opportunities, fuel innovation and spark economic growth.

Consider the facts:

• The sun, not just the stars, shines brightly deep in the heart of Texas. Texas possesses some of the richest solar resources in the nation and ranks first among states in solar resource potential, according to the state Energy Conservation Office.

• Texas ranks among the 10 best states in the nation for projected solar job growth. Nationwide, the U.S. solar industry employs 100,000 Americans, and that number is expected to grow to a half a million by 2016. Just imagine how many new jobs that could be for our state.

• Texas entrepreneurs are starting to seize the tremendous opportunity solar energy presents. Last year alone, Texans installed $112 million worth of solar energy systems, which included a jump from 4.2 megawatts installed in 2009 to 22.6 megawatts in 2010. That’s enough to power an entire town.

In San Antonio, CPS Energy has announced its commitment to bring up to 100 megawatts (MW) of solar power to our city. CPS Energy already has the most solar-generated electricity (41 MW) under contract in the state of Texas, and the 14 MW Blue Wing Solar photovoltaic installation in Southeast San Antonio is just one example.

Under its Solartricity Producer Program, CPS is attracting small-to-large scale solar energy-generating projects to the San Antonio area. CPS Energy plans to purchase energy from these wholesale Solartricity producers and sell it to its customers as Solartricity.

Solar Community, the company I work for, is participating in CPS’s Solartricity Producer Program as a solar energy producer.

We’ve now signed an agreement to sell solar energy to CPS Energy.

Because of our participation in CPS Energy’s Solartricity program, Solar City is about to break ground on a 600 kilowatt, multi-million dollar solar energy project in San Antonio. This will turn Solar Community into a regional energy producer for CPS Energy’s customers as well as a local integrator.

San Antonio’s commitment to creating a solar friendly environment is a community investment that has widespread and long-term benefits.

Those who choose solar energy are hedging against the rising cost of energy, and the long-term savings provided by solar are often reinvested into the local community, which in turn helps to further spur local economic development.

Solar technology also bolsters the local economy by increasing home values. This has been confirmed by multiple studies over several years.

The timing of Texas’s nascent solar boom could not be better.

While the U.S. economy is beginning to recover, the solar energy industry is a bright spot on the economic horizon.

Our state has the energy expertise, the abundant sunshine, the commitment to innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit to make solar a local and regional economic engine.

As with any opportunity, timing is of the essence.

This is the moment for Texas communities like San Antonio to claim our rightful place in the global solar energy market.