Shaun Callopy and his partners were inspired to start the new green social networking site PushingGreen.com when his friend tried to install solar on his home a few years ago.

“It was very difficult,” Callopy said. “There wasn’t a lot of information out there, and we realized there was a need for a website where people could make sense of all the options and products out there.”

From that seed, the website developed into a sort of facebook of green initiatives, where people interested in increasing their energy efficiency and cutting back on their greenhouse gas emissions and going solar could turn for guidance, conversations and vendors.

While the site does have an altruistic element, it was founded by a collection of young entrepreneurs in southern California who saw the opportunity to generate business with the social networking site, They have tried to integrate a business element into PushingGreen.com by connecting interested people with products and services through the site.

Callopy said he’s started other businesses, which have all grown and become successful.

Callopy lives outside of San Diego, Calif., where the site has its largest following.

“Of course we started with our friends, and then friends of friends, and it grew from there,” Callopy said.

Just three weeks after the site formally launched, it has 3,000 members and 20,000 facebook fans.

The site challenges people to create teams and earn points by reducing their carbon footprints. The sense of competition, along with providing a fun online atmosphere, is designed to push people to action.

Callopy said he hopes pushinggreen.com will embarrass people into doing the right thing for the environment.

“You can’t tell people to be green just because,” Callopy said. “And addressing their pocketbooks sometimes isn’t even appealing enough. This social network will help to apply some social pressure.”

According to the press release about the new website, pushinggreen.com is designed to demonstrate to people what their neighbors and others are doing, and not only show them what some of the options are, but also show them how easy and affordable some of the fixes are.

The website aims to offer up a digital “keeping up with the Joneses” atmosphere when it comes to making wise environmental decisions at home.