Outdoor gear manufacturer and environmental champion, Patagonia, announced that it’s making a $13 million tax equity investment in solar power in Hawaii. The investment is part of a $27 million fund the company created with Hawaiian solar finance company Kina‘ole Capital Partners, LLC. In all the funding will help more than 1,000 homeowners in Hawaii to go solar. 

SunEdison said today (Oct. 14) that it is announcing a new technology that will help increase the efficiency of its solar photovoltaic modules while decreasing total system cost. The company is calling the new technology zero white space (ZWS).

A new Pew Report and white paper looks at how North Carolina has become a solar leader in the Southeastern U.S. The report from the research company found that the state’s policies and institutions were the primary reason for surging growth in solar and clean tech industries in the state. 

Yesterday (Oct. 9) Wunder, a Boulder, Col.-based company launched a new type of solar fund that makes it easier for investors to well, invest in solar power. The company promises investors a 7 percent annual return. 

Former Green Bay Packer offensive tackle Mark Tauscher signed up to tackle for solar in Wisconsin as the state’s utilities are teaming up to increase fees on all customers for and at least one that wants to reduce what it pays to those that generate their own electricity. Tauscher, who is now a broadcaster and co-owner of Madison newspaper Isthmus, is now using his voice to advocate for solar as the state’s utilities are having public discussions with regulators about their plans to raise rates.    

By the end of 2014 there will be roughly 200 gigawatts of solar installed across the world. For the full year of 2014 roughly 50 gigawatts of solar photovoltaic power will come online. In the fourth quarter of 2014 alone, 19.5 gigawatts of solar power is slated to come online. That’s more than the entire amount of solar installed across the world in 2010, according to NPD Solarbuzz’ most recent Solarbuzz Quarterly report, which came out yesterday (Oct. 6). 

Last week Ohio State University published new research in the journal Nature Communications demonstrating a new solar battery. The solar battery is able to produce and store electricity from the sun. The researchers, led by Yiying Wu, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Ohio State, built on previous research related to an air-powered battery developed by Wu and doctoral student Xiaodi Ren. 

When Vivint Solar announced in August that it planned to offer stock through an initial public offering (IPO) it anticipated raising about $200 million. The company made its New York Stock Exchange debut on Wednesday (Oct. 1) trading under the symbol VSLR. It offered 20.6 million shares at $16 per share. The IPO netted the company roughly $329 million. 

Everybody wants to keep up with the proverbial Jones’ and now that they’ve installed solar on their home maybe its time for you to do so, too. This weekend towns and cities across the U.S. are participating in the 19th annual National Solar Tour, which is officially held on Oct. 4 and 5 (some places may host events on other weekends). It’s the best opportunity for people across the U.S. to learn more about solar from peers in their communities.

On the heels of New York’s ground-breaking for SolarCity’s GigaFactory in Buffalo, N.Y., Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) last week, the governor announced new awards to support 214 megawatts of commercial-scale solar deployments of 200 kilowatts and larger at schools, municipal sites, hospitals, nonprofits and more. In all, the newly committed $94 million will support 142 projects, leveraging $375 million in private investments.