The patriotic path to rooftop solar

“Solar power is all about the freedom to afford to run your AC.”

That’s John Almond talking. He’s co-founder of Semper Solaris, a San Diego–based installer of solar panels.

You might have thought that solar power was all about reducing carbon dioxide emissions so that global warming doesn’t wreck the planet. No, sir. Solar is about air conditioning. Jacking it up. The freedom to jack it up.

Semper Solaris offers solar power “American style.” What does that mean, exactly? Well, the company hires lots of veterans. It offers discounts to veterans and first responders. It uses products “designed in America” (though it makes no claims about “made in America”). It splashes its home page with red, white, and blue.

Above all, the folks at Semper Solaris don’t care—or rigorously pretend not to care—about renewable energy’s positive impact on the environment. On the website you might find a vague mention of “sustainability” or “ethics”—that’s about as green as it gets. Basically, Semper Solaris wants nothing to do with global warming.

This is an excellent development. If a solar company can win customers and turn profits while projecting militant indifference to the planet, solar energy is truly going mainstream. With Semper Solaris, you can express your political beliefs at the polling place, exercise your freedom on the rooftop, and experience no cognitive dissonance. That’s what America’s all about. Jack it up.