Illinois Solar Energy Tour

Q: I'm not sure I know enough to talk about my renewable energy system.
A:  No problem, we don’t expect you to be an expert.  We will provide visitors with information on how the primary systems work.  In some instances we could try to get a volunteer from the Illinois Solar Energy Association to be at your home during those hours to answer questions.  We don’t expect everyone to be an expert on their systems, just enthusiastic supporters of renewable energy.
 
Q:  I am not sure I will be home that day.  Can I think about it or talk to my spouse?
A:  Certainly.  Just complete the online registration when you are ready.  Deadline is July 31st so we can go to print with our tour guide. 

Q:  What if I commit and something comes up?
A:  We understand schedules can change.  We can revise your status up to July 31st.  

Q:  My system isn’t working, so I don’t think it is a good candidate. 
A:  We’re sorry to learn that.  Have you discussed this with your installer?  Perhaps they can make a correction to your system or you can contact one of our member companies for service. 

Q:  Approximately how many visitors should I anticipate?
A:  We have found attendance varies significantly from 5-10 visitors to as many as 20-25 at some homes.  Some owners self promote with publicity and reach out to their family and friends.  Others have actively contacted the local press or government officials in an effort to get an article in the paper prior to the event or raise general awareness in their community.  ISEA will do a great deal of PR activities and work on print, radio, television and web promotions.  We find that some of these featured locations become quite popular!  Although extremely rare, we have had a couple of locations that had over 100 visitors!

Q:  I would be willing to promote the event in my town, how can I participate?
A:  Thank you!  We will provide a number of tools to all participants including a reproducible flier with pull off tabs including the date of the event and our website, lawn signs, and sample email copy that you could distribute to your email lists.  You might also contact local papers to try to get them to do a news article in the weeks before the event.  Finally, many libraries, local cable channels and papers have a community activity calendar and offer free listings of events.  We suggest you list ISEA’s website for contact information as our home page will feature information and links to the tour guide.