When it comes to debates in the public eye, whoever says his opinion the loudest is often considered right. I’ve covered various cleantech industries over the years, including wind power, alternative fuel vehicles and smart grid, and none of them has a voice as loud as you, the solar sector. Whether you’re battling utilities, regulators or politicians, you get your message out in a long, clear shout that says, “Don’t ignore us. Solar is important.”

Lately, there’s been a huge campaign throughout the U.S. regarding net metering for rooftop solar, especially in California and Nevada. In the Golden State, solar companies and advocates issued a deluge of press releases, wrote op-eds and handed in heaps of petitions in support of NEM 2.0, California’s successor net-metering program. Heck, there was even a concert starring none other than Sammy Hagar, former singer of Van Halen, meant to raise awareness about solar and sway the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to reject utilities’ net-metering proposals.

Pedro Pizarro, president of Southern California Edison, said after CPUC’s long-awaited final decision, “Some parties positioned this issue as the utilities versus solar. That was never the case.” Well, even if that weren’t the case, the solar industry’s lobbying efforts worked: Net metering was preserved in California - though there were a few unfavorable changes. (For more on NEM 2.0, check out this month’s cover story.)

In Nevada, things didn’t go quite so well. The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada ruled in December to cut net-metering rates and impose higher fees. Following the ruling, several solar installers said they were forced to close their operations in the state and cut hundreds of jobs.

However, you’re like a gang: When one member gets attacked, you all gear up for a fight. You formed coalitions, called on the governor to unseat the entire commission and proposed a ballot measure to reverse the new net-metering rules. That concerted effort caused utility NV Energy to submit possible plans to grandfather in existing customers under the old policy.

Furthermore, your strong rhetoric apparently caught the attention of U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine; the two legislators teamed up and introduced an amendment at the federal level to try to protect existing solar customers across the country from retroactive net-metering rate changes.

To all you folks in the industry - including nonprofit groups such as the Solar Energy Industries Association, partners in grassroots movements, the persons installing solar panels atop a roof and the workers manufacturing solar modules at a plant - way to go. I’m impressed. But, please, keep shouting. After all, there are jobs at stake.