In Madison, Wisconsin, Susan Millar recently opened her home not for a sale, but for an inspiring open house. She welcomed a dozen curious visitors keen to explore her sustainable living setup, featuring a modern heat pump, efficient solar panels, a robust battery storage system, and an electric induction stove.
Millar’s gathering was just one of over 450 ‘Sun Day’ events planned nationwide. This massive demonstration, celebrating solar power and other renewable energy sources, includes everything from electric vehicle parades to church sermons and extensive home tours. While most activities are slated for Sunday, right before the Autumn solar equinox, Millar was eager to kick things off early.
“You can absolutely live in a 90-year-old home like mine without burning a single thing,” Millar proudly stated. “All those old fossil fuels? They’re completely out of the picture now.”
The visionary behind Sun Day is Bill McKibben, a renowned climate activist and New Yorker writer. He conceived the idea years ago as renewable energy costs started to plummet. Today, solar power stands as the globe’s most affordable energy source, with its costs having plunged by almost 90 percent over the past 15 years, as reported by Our World in Data.
McKibben eloquently described solar power as no longer the ‘Whole Foods of energy—nice but pricey.’ Instead, he declared, it has transformed into the ‘Costco of power—cheap, readily available in bulk, and right there on the shelf, ready for use.’
This year’s Sun Day unfolds amidst significant political headwinds. The current administration and a Republican-led Congress have actively sought to dismantle crucial tax credits for electric vehicles, heat pumps, and solar installations. Furthermore, funding for key Biden-era initiatives like ‘Solar for All’ – designed to bring solar energy to lower-income families – has been rescinded. In a related move, the offshore wind industry has also seen its progress hindered, with wind farms under construction abruptly canceled.
Simultaneously, the administration is championing the increased development and consumption of oil, gas, and coal, despite their well-documented contribution to global warming.
While a nationwide ‘Sun Day’ feels fresh, it isn’t America’s first such celebration. Back on May 3, 1978, President Jimmy Carter, a pioneer in renewable energy who famously installed 32 solar panels on the White House roof, declared the original ‘Sun Day.’ Interestingly, those panels were later removed by President Ronald Reagan.
In several Republican-led states, ‘Sun Day’ organizers are hoping to showcase robust grassroots support for clean energy solutions.
Lisa Young, who heads the Idaho chapter of the Sierra Club, pointed out challenges for community solar initiatives in her state. These projects, which allow multiple households to share solar power from a single installation, have met resistance from local utility companies and lack supportive state legislation. Idaho also missed out on $56 million in federal ‘Solar for All’ grants after they were canceled by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Young’s chapter has been instrumental in organizing several ‘Sun Day’ events throughout Idaho. These include engaging bilingual workshops, an exciting electric car expo, and a lively bicycle rally. A highlight will be a party to kick off a crowdfunding campaign aimed at installing community solar panels on a Boise hair salon.
Shari Baber, the salon owner, noted that the initial expense of solar installations had previously put them out of reach for some Black communities in Boise. However, with decreasing costs and the promise of significant savings on electricity bills, she is determined for her business to become a beacon of possibility.
Among the 80-plus tours slated for the Washington, D.C. area, Natalie Pien’s Virginia home will be a highlight. Having installed solar panels 15 years ago, Pien has seen her monthly energy expenses plummet from over $150 to just $35. Thanks to her utility’s net metering program, which credits her for excess electricity sent back to the grid, she often receives no bill at all during the summer.
These net metering programs, found in most states, are pivotal to making residential solar attractive. Research indicates that the presence of net metering can at least double homeowner demand for solar installations.
The spirit of Sun Day is also spreading internationally, with events planned in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and across Europe. In Germany, for instance, an event will educate citizens about new regulations for ‘balkonkraftwerk’—balcony-mounted solar panels that are now brightening over half a million German residences.
Interestingly, Joe Ackerman in Winnipeg, Canada, is hosting a Sun Day event despite his home not having solar panels. He explained that his house’s orientation and the region’s frequent heavy snowfall made solar installation impractical.
Nevertheless, Dr. Ackerman successfully transitioned his century-old home off natural gas heating by upgrading insulation and utilizing an electric heater and a cozy wood stove.
“No home improvement, no matter how small, is insignificant,” he affirmed. “You can truly achieve it, bit by bit.”
Beyond individual homes, Sun Day extends its reach. In Kentucky, an event hosted by various nonprofits will showcase Lane Boldman’s solar-equipped Winnebago, demonstrating how she camps entirely off-grid as director of the Kentucky Conservation Committee.
Meanwhile, in Virginia, Fairfax County schools are taking innovation to the stage: they will power a live band and a cotton candy machine by plugging them directly into an electric school bus, a highlight from their expanding zero-emission fleet.
“Every electric school bus we introduce to the roads actively removes greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and harmful pollution from children’s lungs,” stated Bobby Monacella, who organized the event on behalf of Mothers Out Front, a dedicated nonprofit. “Each new electric school bus feels like a monumental victory.”
The largest ‘Sun Day’ celebration is anticipated in Portland, Oregon. There, a coalition of local groups has organized a grand festival featuring 25 food vendors, a vibrant parade across a local bridge, captivating Indigenous dance performances, and an array of colossal papier-mâché animal puppets designed to float majestically above the cheering crowds.
Laura Iwanaga, who spearheaded Portland’s ‘Sun Day’ event for the local chapter of Third Act—the national climate advocacy organization founded by Mr. McKibben—expressed her vision: “I genuinely wanted this event to be both celebratory and profoundly uplifting. We’re all keenly aware of what we’re up against, but it’s equally important to reflect on what we’re striving for.”