“In Light” of Summer Solstice, Americans Call for More Solar Energy

As Americans prepare to enjoy the longest day of the year on Sunday, June 21 during the summer solstice, Applied Materials, a leading supplier of solar manufacturing equipment, has released a survey reflecting the general public’s understanding and opinions about solar energy. The findings indicate that a majority of people surveyed believe in the potential of solar technology and want the U.S. government and utilities to do more to speed its adoption, although some have outdated views.

“The summer solstice is a good time to celebrate the unique power of the sun,” said Dr. Charles Gay, president of Applied Solar. “Applied Materials is working to build a better understanding of how solar technology can provide the country with energy that is efficient, beneficial and now cost-competitive for peak usage in specific regions.”

According to the survey, Americans are calling for more solar energy and faster integration of renewable power into the U.S. energy mix:

• Half of the people surveyed (50%) think the U.S. government’s goal to have 25% of its power generated by renewable energy by 2025 is too slow.
• Four out of five (81%) agree that solar energy should play a greater role in meeting our nation’s energy needs in the next five years.
• More than two-thirds (68%) think utilities should include solar electricity as a part of their energy generation.
• Just over half (52%) would be willing to pay more per month if their utility company increased its use of renewable energy. But many consumers (41%) would not be willing to pay more, demonstrating the important role that government incentives, to bring down solar costs, will have on advancement of the technology.

“Applied Materials’ solar energy strategy is to bring significant change to the solar industry by enabling lower cost-per-watt solutions for solar photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturing,” said Gay. “Our goal is to make solar energy a more meaningful contributor to the global energy supply.”