It was hard to argue with an email that I got earlier this week, which stated that the solar industry has a “dearth of original and compelling photos”. While we’ve seen some great shots of solar installations, sometimes we have to settle for mediocre images.
Furthermore, for the public to be fully engaged in the energy transition that is taking place globally, it is important that people outside the solar industry actually see solar installations. This may be one of the reasons that concepts such as the SmartFlower have gained so much attention, as it is rare that city dwellers take trips to visit utility-scale solar projects which may be dozens of miles or more from where they live and work.
To address both these issues, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) has launched a new photo contest through its SunShot Initiative titled “Hit me with your SunShot”. This contest will award $2,500 in prizes for the best solar photos, including a $500 grand prize, and $250 prizes for winners in eight categories, including solar installation, solar + storage and solar and weather.
Entries are due on August 17, and will be judged by the DOE’s chief creative officer and a photographer at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL). Winners will be announced on August 31.
For more information and entry details, please see this page.
Additionally, DOE has published five tips for taking compelling photos of solar installations.
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