Colorado has the highest solar thermal resources in the U.S. and could create 24,000 jobs, generating $1 billion in annual state revenue by 2050. Solar Thermal Alliance of Colorado is responsible for the goal. The recent organization was created by an umbrella of organizations in the state, including Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA), Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES), Colorado Environmental Coalition and other organizations.

The group held a meeting on January 24 and was attended by State Reps. Max Tyler and Randy Fischer, both Democrats, to announce its goals and the Colorado Solar Thermal Roadmap, which will help the state internationally lead in the solar thermal field. Solar thermal technologies can heat and cool homes and produce electricity, depleting the reliance on traditional fossil fuels.

“Solar thermal technology performs better in Colorado than in any other state in the nation. We have intense sunshine here and wide temperature swings between the daytime temperatures and the nighttime temperatures. We also have relatively cold groundwater and a high heating load,” said COSEIA Executive Director Neal Lurie. “You combine those and other factors together, and Colorado becomes the national bull’s eye of solar thermal performance. We need to take advantage of that unique competitive position in Colorado to generate jobs and grow economic development all across the state.”

Capitalizing on that opportunity will help advance the state’s economy, according to CRES Executive Director Tony Frank. “Our business is to make Colorado a business leader in solar thermal adoption, installation, manufacturing, research and development,” he said. “The roadmap is broke into three sections. First, it goes over the marketplace in Colorado. Second, it lays out the goals of the solar thermal road map. Finally, it lays out a strategy for how to get there.”

The strategy includes raising awareness of solar thermal technologies; developing financial mechanisms like loans and other financing to support projects; leveling state policy to include and encourage solar thermal; and solving impediments to adoption, which includes reducing barriers to access, and creating consistent zoning processes across the state.

The group will look to the experience of other countries with significant solar thermal projects including India, Israel, China and Germany. Colorado is already on the map, as it already has the equivalent of 150 megawatts of solar thermal projects already installed.