Survey Research

A new public opinion poll was commissioned by SCHOTT Solar and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) for the annual SCHOTT Solar Barometer Survey. The attitude survey found 92% of Americans think developing and using solar energy is important for the United States. With all the political debates going on in Washington, this does not rank among them. Survey responses were consistent across all political affiliations and ideologies. 77% of survey respondents indicated they think the development of renewable energy sources should be a major priority for the federal government, this includes providing financial support when needed. The most favored renewable energy source is solar (44%), followed by wind (17%), natural gas (12%) and nuclear (10%).

The private sector sees the possibilities in the solar space as well. They aren't waiting for a web survey to tell them. According to Cleantech Group, the "cleantech sector" has grown almost 25% over the last 5 years. Just in the last quarter, solar was the leading sector. There is still plenty of room for growth in this area though. The SCHOTT survey found that almost half (49%) of the survey sample are currently thinking about solar power options for their home or business. This is a big opportunity for organizations looking to develop solar energy solutions.

One think I always tell you to look for is the survey methodology used to collect the data and draw conclusions. According to the SEIA press release, a third party market research firm conducted the online survey between August 31 - September 8, 2009. Email survey invitations were used to solicit survey responses to the online market research survey. Due to the quantitative market research method, the survey results are 95% accurate within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.