By Tony Clifford, CDO of Standard Solar

We often talk about how popular solar is, and poll after poll after poll continues to prove it. Polls consistently show overwhelming popular support for solar, and it’s not even close.

The latest survey, a messaging poll by Global Strategy Group on behalf of the Solar Energy Industries Association, adds more fuel to the fire. It turns out that no matter what side of the political divide you are on, you support solar—as long as you are educated about the benefits and strengths of it as an electricity source.

For example, the survey shows that 78% of people polled believe in net metering, the compensation system that pays solar consumers for the excess electricity they produce and export to the grid for the use of everyone else. Dig a little deeper, and you discover the number jumps to 84% among people who fully understand what net metering is and how the specifics of the policy affect them.

Here’s another finding: 76% of Americans believe their utility should get more of their electricity generation from solar power. With a little education on the benefits of solar to the overall grid that number jumps more than 10% to 87%. What’s most amazing about this is that it doesn’t take much education to make this happen.

I’m often asked about how we should be handling our outreach as an industry. Sometimes, I get frustrated because it feels like we talk to each other a lot about how great solar is without getting the news out into the general public. Now I realize, with a little effort, we can move great mountains in support of the solar industry.

Of course, the survey wasn’t just about discovering that an educated public is a pro-solar public. It was also designed to figure out what message most resonated with the American people. This, too, had an extraordinarily clear answer.

The message testing clearly shows that people are most persuaded by jobs, low-cost and clean air messaging, and that having access to solar was something they felt strongly about. Support for solar was particularly strong with younger voters, men, Hispanics and opinion leaders.

So what makes the new messaging survey so exciting is that it proves that with just a little effort—think of it as lobbying our friends and neighbors—we can genuinely affect attitudes about solar energy and pressure those power-industry actors who haven’t yet gotten on board with the Solar Revolution.

But like the fight for the investment tax credit and the tariff fight, this isn’t something one company or even a group of companies can do on their own. It will require a concerted effort from the entire industry to speak to anyone within earshot and explain to them why solar is right for them. Talk to them about the jobs. Talk about the clean air. Talk about giving everyone the right to access solar for their electricity needs.

We can do this, but it’s going to take everyone doing their part. SEIA has done the work and research necessary to show us how to do it. Now it’s up to us to make it a reality.