Interview: Solar Panels and Music with Jeff Cramer
A man, his guitar and his solar panels. Denver based human, Jeff Cramer, somehow finds time to do it all.
The man of many talents, Jeff Cramer released his debut album, Northern 45, on Friday. The album is a catalog of everything Cramer has done to date with an emphasis on lyrics, vocals, harmony and a thought out narrative with a very classic country sound. The majority of the album was written along Highway 45 from Oregon to Big Sky, Montana to Northern Wisconsin to Maine, thus the name was born.
While music has been a part of Cramer’s life since an early age, he found his other great passion in life later on: renewable energy.
“For a while, we all walk around this earth seeing things for what we are told they are. And one day, a switch happens, you begin to question the way things are done,” said Cramer.
This switch happened for him while attending college at Clark University, a progressive school in Massachusetts, in the early 2000’s. There he learned about climate change and was introduced to the simple idea that cars could run on veggie oil instead of gasoline.
Nowadays, he looks forward to another innovative step in alternative fuels: electrical. In the meantime his custom, solar paneled camper rides upon his Ford truck. The camper off sets for about 30,000 miles of travel a year as well. The journey of understanding how little energy is truly needed to survive was of interest to him. Cramer found that the two 100 watt solar panels with a 125 amp hour battery are enough to suffice 1-2 people for a couple of days.
His passion for renewable energy and music cross with his plans to use the solar powered camper to tour Northern 45, the debut album that is.
Unlike you’re stereotypical go green, get off-the-grid supporter, Cramer believes in the power of businesses and wants to use it to further the clean energy movement. The questions he asks in his endeavors is, “How do we make change on a big level?”
For five years, Cramer played the role of co-founder and partner to 38 North Solutions. The team repped businesses and nonprofits in DC to advance public policy, encourage sustainable practices and other forms of renewable energy.
“At that time, solar energy was a novel idea.” Said, Cramer. “Now, it’s one of the fasting growing sector of renewable energy.”
Currently, the primary way to access solar energy is through a personal setup. Meaning, most solar users have a personal set up of panels and batteries on the roof of their business or homes.
In his efforts to make change on a large level, Cramer serves as Executive Director of a national trade called The Coalition for Community Solar Access (CCSA). The trade makes community solar more accessible to solar users. Community solar is a larger grid that users tap into for their solar energy. It makes solar energy more affordable, cost effective, easier to access and even more sustainable. Still, only about 1 percent of solar users use a community grid.
“I like being an entrepreneur and i believe in the power of business to put those together i want to be in the clean energy movement”
Currently, over 50 individuals and businesses are involved with CCSA.
Take a peek at the singer, songwriter, businessman and activist’s artistic side with his debut album, Northern 45.
Photos courtesy of Jeff Cramer.
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