Before computers came about, the geeks were carpenters and mechanics. I find I get along well with both types of people and we usually have lots to talk about.

I own a cleantech company, mainly small utility photovoltaics, in Australia a tradesman (a tradie) working with solar energy earns a minimum of $70Kpa (US$ 54K) and if he owns a company which employs 6 other tradies, he will earn over $1 million a year.

In Australia, the marketer even have a term CABs (cashed up bogans) a bogan is similar to a urban redneck.

I have often heard complaints from very high level government officials, that every time they increase the government funding of solar energy, all that happens is the tradies increase their prices.

In Australia, similar to many European pays up to 75% of the cost of installing solar energy equipment.

Richard Hayes Carbon Free Solutions