Trina Solar and “Grey’s Anatomy's" Patrick Dempsey at the Indy 500

Trina Solar and “Grey’s Anatomy’s” Patrick Dempsey at the Indy 500

Trina Solar sponsors McDreamy’s racing team.

Eric Wesoff June 03, 2011

Eric Wesoff

Editor-at-Large
Greentech Media

Eric Wesoff is Editor-at-Large at Greentech Media. Prior to joining GTM, Eric Wesoff founded Sage Marketing Partners in 2000 to provide sales and marketing-consulting services to venture-capital firms and their portfolio companies in the alternative energy and telecommunications sectors. Mr. Wesoff has become a well-known, respected authority and speaker in these fields.

His expertise covers solar power, fuel cells, biofuels and advanced batteries. His strengths are in market research and analysis, business development and due diligence for investors. He frequently consults for energy startups and Silicon Valley's premier venture capitalists.

Last week it was REC Solar on The Bachelorette. This week it's Trina Solar on Grey’s Anatomy. Or at least as a sponsor on McDreamy's racing team.

I am glad to see the solar industry's marketing people reach out to a wider audience. Technology awareness and brand awareness can only help this industry.

We've also seen Yingli Solar advertise big at the World Cup; sex symbol Larry Hagman was also pressed into service as a spokesperson for SolarWorld. I'm not sure if Hagman helped the cause, but Yingli's name recognition jumped after the sponsorship.

I have been repeatedly subjected to this Grey’s Anatomy show by my girlfriend as part of her enhanced interrogation technique. She refers to this Dempsey person as her "boyfriend." Though she claims that each show is different, I'm pretty sure it's the same damn script over and over again.

In any case, Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL) has become a sponsor of actor/racer Patrick Dempsey's Dempsey Racing Team. The two organizations have also established a solar charity initiative. Dempsey will install solar panels on charities in the U.S. and around the globe to help local communities and demonstrate the power of solar energy.