Greetings to all my fellow sun worshipers....... I agree with most of the comments of Michael, however the real reason why solar thermal has not become a house hold word, is that a lot of the existing solar thermal systems sitting on roofs have not had maintenance for nearly two decades. People who are still alive from that era just do not trust solar companies. Plain and simple. Lucky me when I first worked on Servomatic solar thermal systems in 1979. A year long stay working on SolarHart thermal systems across Australia changed my viewpoint of solar hot water designs. A couple years working for firms that installed solar pool heating and solar DHW from Boca Raton to Miami and up and over to Pensacola gave me a chance to work in the field of solar thermal progressing from a mechanic to a designer. While I worked side by side with Horace McCraken the former member of the BERKELEY SEA WATER CONVERSION LABORTORY down on the Isle of St. Marrten, where we designed and built the worlds first totally solar powered sea water desalination distillation station, which is still operational, Horace and I wondered what it would take to get the whole world to stop and listen to us. Horace joined the chap who made the sun, and I still play in the sun..... So now I wonder, what will it take to make people realize how wonderful free solar energy is and what manner of system would work best for them. That is the point. How do you get a society that cannot stand to listen to anything just stop and listen? I think I have the answer, but it deserves a different approach to giving you the answer in this format. Some of the most important aspects of marketing solar is to know who to talk to. The greatest fear I have now is that the political aspect of America will attempt to close the doors on solar again. Corporations headed by bean counters cannot see outside their limited scope of vision. And while the economics of the United States changes course, all of us in the industry must not deter from what we are involved in either. There is a old phrase, if you cannot beat them, join them, and that holds true for many aspects of the business world. The Germans and the Italians during the late 70's made many advances in evacuated thermal, such as Philips, and then after a lull of almost 15 years, in the United States, we see excitement all over again. However, now instead of Zero aircraft and Panther and Tiger Tanks, the Asian and Germanic leaders now have used SOLAR to attack America within a manner of thinking globally. The entire offshore manufactured solar industry is trying and going to land and conquor. Maybe this is a good thing however, as it prevents economic expansion being done with bloodshed. Let us not make the same mistake again, by letting the so called opportunists ruin the hard work. The new protectionism fear created by the SRCC and the OFFICAL and UNOFFICAL solar gurus, who incidently have not a clue about the actual theory of solar or what it takes to make a system operational,on a practical viewpoint are not going to be happy with these words. You have to consider that the man installing the solar thermal system has to make a living in some fashion and the idea of charging 10000 dollars to heat water is just not going to happen. I do understand the need for data logging solar and finding the numbers, yet again, we have to be real about this, and city and county officals inspecting these systems should and must start becoming more aware of the actual gains and loses in solar design. Just checking off boxes is not the answer. Remember, I have 34 years of practical installs and production knowledge at several factories around the world, and I still have to read and learn. So giving the people more instructional knowledge probably should start with the parent's children. Maybe instead of making more bombs for the eventual attack on Iran, we could focus on the concept of making solar factories in every state in the UNION. The economy is slow and sluggish, quite literally in some parts, gone, yet we need to organize and change the rules, the utilities and the various political giants have put into place. Sometimes all that written law is useless against common sense. We have to educate the leaders of our country, especially the top boss in Washington, plus the thick headed Utility operators,because if we do not, then they accidently or on purpose,are probably going to choke the slim lifeline of solar as well. The idea of business being based on quality and a perception of having a free market makes more sense than to burden the small installers across the country with massive amounts of paperwork and redtape. Notwithstanding, the idea of WALLYWORLDSOLAR, and HOMESOLAR will never become a staple of the American mindset, until we start making our children start being more rational and environmentally compliant. When you consider that almost all of the solar factory machinery on the planet could literally fill the NEW DALLAS COWBOY football stadium, then one can realize just how small the solar industry really is, and then consider the size of the military industrial complex, one can start to see why we are losing the solar war. Yes, it is a battle of sorts, people wanting to be green and not being able to afford to do so, and then getting people who are tired of counting their money to release some of it to become totally independant. Sometimes I have to wonder why I learned all I have over these past 34 years playing in the sun, trying and making a living and meeting new friends. To get the American sleeping giant to wake up is going to take teamwork, and unless the current business model is shaken up, it simply will not happen. As for those in the backgrounds, wondering which angle to tackle, the only true form of marketing, is to ask, and see what WE as the solar industry can do for our clients and future clients. I say, we give them low cost high quality solar. I say we build some more solar thermal factories around the country. I say we stop the games of doing everything the same ol way and start doing solar the new correct way. If you have a particular application, and the weather conditions require flatplate, then use flatplate, however, if the conditions can allow evacuated tubes, then use tubes. Same goes with the large reflector systems. If you really think about it, the Eqyptians had it long before anyone of us were even thinking about using the sun. I do remember reading in the good book about Archimedes and the mirror used in the battle of marsella fighting the romans with solar mirrors back in 212 B.C. It is claimed that a large mirrow used solar beams directed at the sails of the Roman fleet which were in effect burned as the Roman galleys came into range. The sunlight caught the sails afire. So if we can just stop bickering on which panel or tube or flatplate is better and start listening to our clients, we can all sleep better with full tummies........ Now, this is just my opinion and thought on the THIS matter. I am James Robert Seidel, CEO of AQUA SOLAR AMERICA, and the concept of just sitting back and letting WASHINGTON tell me what to do again, is not happening. Remember, the FUTURE IS NOW Again, the article by Micheal was quite good and I look forward to seeing articles by every manufacturer, and even their factory reps. The idea of thinking one knows everything is complete folly. We all must work together now for the future of mankind.