Make the longest day of the year a good one -- check out Allegheny Solar Fest!

Computers, air conditioners, KitchenAid mixers – all of our favorite gadgets use electricity. Most of our electricity comes from coal or natural gas but not all. Next Saturday, we’ll be celebrating power from the sun at the Allegheny Solar Fest on June 21, noon to 7pm. Come on out and join us! The event is FREE but please register. 

You can celebrate solar panels with live music, food, fun and, hopefully, sun on the summer solstice. There will be solar info and workshops, vendors, food trucks, live music and kid-friendly activities throughout the day.  PennFuture will be there. Stop by our table to see if any of your neighbors run their devices off the sun, and we’ll have a map of solar installations in the area on display.

Did you know? 

There are 9.8 megawatts of solar power generated in Western Pennsylvania, enough to power approximately 1,020 homes.

2.8 megawatts of solar power in Allegheny County generates enough power for 292 homes.

U.S. solar energy capacity grew and astounding 418 percent from 2010 to 2014.

So where is all that solar power coming from? The Solar Unified Network of Western Pennsylvania (SUNWPA) will have a table at the festival where you can meet local solar owners, ask questions and learn about their experiences.

Best of all? The entire event will run on 100 percent solar power generated by ZeroFossil and SolarCast. Food, fun and renewable energy...what’s not to love? See you there. 

Valessa Souter-Kline is PennFuture's western Pennsylvania outreach coordinator and is based in Pittsburgh. She tweets @ValessaSK.