Allegheny SolarFest 2015

This weekend, when the sun is at its furthest point from the equator, us folks in the northern hemisphere will enjoy the longest day of the year.

More sunlight equals more time to spend in the beautiful outdoors and that's cause for celebration: Join us for the annual Allegheny SolarFest, this Saturday at Millvale Riverfront Park.

At this free, family-friendly event, you’ll be able to learn about solar initiatives in western PA and enjoy fun activities for the whole family. From electric cars and bikes to a rock climbing wall, they'll have it all. There will also be live music, food trucks, and local craft beer to keep you entertained throughout the day.

Swing by Allegheny SolarFest, rain or shine, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. this Saturday, June 20. Attendance is free but please register. And did we mention that the entire event will be powered by solar? How cool is that?!

Nicole Catino is Penn Future’s 2015 Student Conservation Association Green Cities Sustainability Fellow and is based in Pittsburgh.

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.