I am no fan of musicals, but the creators of the Broadway hit “Rent” posed an interesting question: How do you measure a year? That show mentioned a year can be measured as five-hundred twenty-five-thousand six-hundred minutes (well, a non-leap year, that is), then suggested something about love.
As the editor of a monthly print publication, I measure a year by the number of magazine issues we produce. This January 2017 edition marks the completion of the 12th and final issue of our Volume 9, officially kicking off a new volume and a new year for our team. To boot, I also just celebrated my one-year anniversary (measured as 366 days because, go figure, 2016 was a leap year!) of taking on the editor role for this publication.
No matter how one measures it, this past year has been amazing for me. Although I’ve had several editorial positions during my tenure here at our publisher, Zackin Publications, none has been as gratifying as this current one. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve worked with many exceptional people and covered various exciting industries in the past, but the solar sector is fascinating and you folks are top-notch.
From massive companies with huge PR firms, to local installers with friendly people who just want to say hello and talk solar, I’ve accumulated some strong working relationships. I enjoy our chats, those random phone calls or e-mails, and my apologies if I don’t always get back to you in a timely fashion – as you well know, a lot is going on in this industry, and that keeps me pretty busy. I also had a blast at the trade shows I attended in 2016, and it was a pleasure to finally meet some of you in person.
Joseph Bebon
In addition, my collaborations with the Solar Energy Industries Association, the Smart Electric Power Alliance, Vote Solar and many regional advocacy groups have been invaluable. Those organizations are working tirelessly to keep the solar sector moving forward in the face of fierce opposition. Local and federal agencies, as well as many utilities, have also proven to be helpful resources.
You know, the name of this magazine is no coincidence: It is about the solar industry and for the solar industry, and it exists thanks to you, the solar industry.
To those of you who have contributed articles or comments to this publication, thank you for all of the help. I’d like to continue our partnerships in this coming year. To those of you who haven’t reached out yet but would like to contribute, please feel free to contact me directly, as we are always looking for the latest news announcements and interesting, objective articles from industry insiders like you.
To our print and online subscribers, thanks for your loyal readership and turning to us as your trusted source for solar sector news and insight. We are honored to be a part of your day and cannot thank you enough.
I’d also like to give a shout-out to all of our advertisers, great solar companies whose support helps us ensure we can keep sending our magazine and online newsletter to you under a free subscription.
Of course, I must acknowledge the hard-working Solar Industry team, as well. That includes our production group, publisher, associate editors and editorial assistant, among others. Putting together this magazine every month can be difficult, but each teammate makes the process that much easier and is a class act.
All right, now that I’ve declared my gratitude to everyone who made my first year as editor of this publication a success, it is time to once again look to a new year ahead. 2016 provided some major ups and downs for the solar sector. It was a bumpy ride, but the industry is in great shape.
As a reader, you’ve taken the journey alongside me this far, and with 2017 shaping up to be another interesting year, let’s keep on going. What do you say?
