Solar power has already been used to power planes like Solar Impulse or NASA’s solar-powered airfoils, as well as cars like those that recently coursed across Australia, and ships like MS Tûranor’s PlanetSolar. But now solar energy is taking to flight in an entirely new way—powering the University of Maryland’s Robo Raven III, a PV-powered robotic bird. 

It's a pretty big number, $1.42 billion, especially in Colorado where the solar industry is still relatively new. A recent report from The Solar Foundation and the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) found that solar energy has brought $1.42 billion in benefits to the state. The report looked at Colorado's solar growth since 2007, when the industry started growing after former Gov. Bill Ritter (D) signed the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) into law. 

The World Solar Challenge, the biennial, PV-powered race across Australia was dominated by the Dutch this year. Teams from the Netherlands won both the overall challenge in the Clipsal & Schneider Electric Challenger Class and also in the new Michelin Cruiser Class. 

The new Solar Means Business report, released Oct. 15 from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Vote Solar Initiative, found that among the top 25 corporate users of distributed solar energy, use increased by 33 percent in just one year. The top 25 users of local solar had more than 445 megawatts of solar in action, up from 300 megawatts in 2012. 

This past Saturday, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that Team Austria of the Vienna University of Technology beat out the other 18 teams to win the Solar Decathlon of 2013. It was also apparently the closest and highest scoring version of the biennial competition in the U.S.—ever. 

Over the past few years, as giant photovoltaic solar farms have been sprouting up across the U.S. Southwest and coming online in stages, two giant concentrating solar power (CSP) plants have also been racing to completion and commercial operation testing. It now appears that Abengoa Solar’s Solana system, a solar thermal trough CSP system, has taken the lead. 

One of the keys to success for residential solar installers has been the various financing methods that have come up over the past few years. A major driver has been in the form of third-party ownership (TPO) options like solar leases and power-purchase agreements (PPAs). But now a small but increasing number of companies are starting to offer another alternative—loans. These loans allow homeowners to own their system outright without still needing to make an expensive upfront investment.

Florida Power & Light Co. (FPL), Florida’s largest utility, is introducing a new, $9 million round of solar incentives. But if you’re a home or business owner in Florida, you'd better hurry. The rebates become available on Oct. 15, and in the past FPL’s rebate program has sold out in a matter of hours, showing the intense demand for solar power in the sunshine state.  

Sidewalks aren’t usually thought of as revolutionary but the latest sidewalk at George Washington University’s Virginia Science and Technology Campus is. At 100 square feet it isn’t the longest sidewalk in history, but it’s certainly one of the most exotic. It’s the world’s first sidewalk made of photovoltaic (PV) panels. 

On Oct. 7, Vivint Solar opened its newest office in Santa Anna, Calif., as the company continues its rocket-paced expansion. Brendon Merkley, Vivint Solar’s chief operating officer, discussed the expansion and the company’s plans to challenge SolarCity as the U.S.’s largest residential solar installer.