UCSD has launched month-long events to promote UCSD Earth Month, including the San Diego Solar Experience which will take place this Monday, April 24. UCSD Sustainability and two leading San Diego-based nonprofit organizations, Center for Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Campaign, are presenting the solar experience, which consists of two informational solar seminars, electric vehicle test drives and a sustainability fair. The first UCSD Solar Experience presentation will be at noon during the Sustainability Showcase Fair at University Center 401 (Environmental Health and Safety Training Room). Over 25 sustainability organizations will be tabling in the nearby Town Square, and electric vehicles (EV) from Ford, Nissan, BMW and Daimler will be showcase and some available for test drive through the Best Drive EVer Program. The second presentation will be at 4 p.m. at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography’s Sumner Auditorium and will have an EV Ride & Drive event happening concurrently from 4 to 6 p.m. Both events are for faculty, staff, alumni, students and are open to the public. Attendees of the UCSD Sustainability Solar Experience will learn how solar, battery storage and integration work, current and upcoming policy changes, available incentives, financing options, how to choose a solar provider, new solar rules and more. “As a global leader in sustainability, we are excited to collaborate with community partners like Climate Action Campaign, Sullivan Solar Power, the Best Drive EVer Program and others to show members of our own campus as well as the broader San Diego community how they can be more sustainable at home and at work,” said Gary Matthews, UCSD vice chancellor for resource management and planning.
The solar seminars will offer educational content in response to a growing demand for independent and accurate facts about solar power for homeowners. More than 100,000 solar systems have been installed in the San Diego Gas & Electric territory, making the San Diego region a global leader in the adoption of rooftop solar. Unfortunately, this rapid growth has resulted in some solar companies engaging in high-pressure sales tactics and offering misleading and outdated information about financial incentives that no longer apply to solar power systems purchases, according to industry watchdogs. Go Solar California, a leading solar power industry advocacy campaign, recently issued a consumer alert. According to the organization, there have been reports of solar companies “throughout California attempting to generate sales through unscrupulous methods.” To help clear up any misinformation, experts from the Center for Sustainable Energy and the Climate Action Campaign, as well as nationally certified energy practitioners and Sullivan Solar Power, will help interested homeowners overcome any confusion about going solar during the UCSD Solar Experience. “Now more than ever it’s time for local action on climate. It’s time for energy freedom, energy choice and energy independence on our way to 100 percent clean energy future and economy,” said Nicole Capretz, executive director of the Climate Action Campaign who was recognized by the New York Times as a 2016 Californian of the Year. For more information, visit sustain.ucsd.edu. To RSVP to the UCSD Solar Experience, visit www.ucsdsolarexperience.org.