Solar Tour Showcases Local Solar Projects

ATLANTA, Sept. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following release is being issued by the Georgia Solar Energy Association:

WHO: The Georgia Solar Energy Association
WHAT: Solar installations host open house statewide
WHEN: 9 A.M. to 2 P.M. on Saturday, Oct. 1
WHERE; Locations throughout Georgia (See www.gasolar.org)
WHY: To show how Solar Works in Georgia by providing jobs, energy savings and clean, renewable energy.

The annual Georgia Solar Tour will open solar sites throughout the state for tours and discussion on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Coordinated by the Georgia Solar Energy Association, the tour is part of the National Solar Tour, which this year will open some 5,500 installations in 3,200 communities nationwide. Georgians all over the state can experience and learn more about how solar energy, America's fastest-growing industry, is bringing jobs, investment and advanced technology to our state.

The total market value of the U.S. solar energy industry grew an astonishing 67 percent from $3.6 billion in 2009 to $6 billion in 2010, and this growth has continued in 2011.

With an expanded pool of state tax credits for solar installations in Fiscal 2012, 2013 and 2014 and available federal incentives, the Georgia market's enthusiasm for clean, safe, renewable energy has blossomed. Solar's increasing efficiency and the falling cost of solar equipment – which has come down more than 30 percent in the past year – have made solar energy in all its forms more affordable and practical than ever.

Georgia Solar Tour Chairman Anthony Coker said this year's solar tour offers the public a sample of what solar investment is contributing to the state and why studies consistently show Georgia among the nation's top locations for solar energy potential.

"We think the Georgia Solar Tour will show that Georgia's solar industry is creating skilled jobs, producing energy savings for homeowners and businesses, and expanding our domestic energy portfolio," Coker said. "And we hope that Georgians who participate in the tour will recognize the promise this holds for boosting the state's economy."

For more information, visit www.gasolar.org.

About the Georgia Solar Energy Association.  GSEA is non-profit organization that is leading the statewide effort to promote the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy in Georgia through advocacy, education and public support.  GSEA is working to make Georgia a national leader in clean energy and sustainable development.

SOURCE Georgia Solar Energy Association