The Los Angeles Lakers are shooting for the sun with a new, 456 panel solar array at its headquarters, the UCLA Health Training Center. The team becomes the latest professional sports team to turn to solar to power its facilities, in a move that’s expected to save the franchise $38,000 annually and will pay for itself in four years. 

Renewable energy continues to fall in price, offering both residential and commercial utility customers more opportunities to produce their own electricity inexpensively. That’s increasingly forcing the electric industry to rethink its strategies and push for regulatory reforms, found a new Black & Veatch report. 

Even as wildfire in the US West are causing haze across the country, in a blatant sign of climate change due to record heat and dryness President Donald Trump (R) is pushing to accelerate climate change. In his latest attempt to support the limping coal power his Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule that would gut the Clean Power Plan’s (CPP’s) requirement that coal-fired power plants reduce their carbon emissions. However, the lower costs of renewable energy and natural gas continue outcompete coal power. 

Renewable energy growth remains strong in the US. Last week a number of companies, led by Apple’s investment, came together to support wind and solar projects to support their operations. At the same time, New York’s Green Bank announced that its supported nearly $2 billion in clean energy projects. 

The New York Green Bank has invested more than half a billion dollars in renewable energy supporting $1.7 billion in clean energy projects. In the last quarter alone it supported six new transactions, including supporting two community solar investments in the state that could create up to 85 megawatts of solar farms and supporting rooftop solar companies in the state. 

Thanks to a partnership led by Apple, Akamai, Etsy and Swiss Re will develop 290 megawatts of wind and solar projects in Illinois and Virginia to support their operations in the northeastern US. Collectively, the group will purchase the power from a 165 megawatt solar farm near Fredericksburg, VA and a 125 megawatt wind farm near Chicago. 

To further the mission of the National Parks Conservation Association SunPower will offer NPCA members and supporters $500 discounts on a SunPower solar system and give the association a $500 donation. The donations will with the association’s mission to help protect and preserve the nation’s parks. 

Airbus is seeking a world record for sustained flight for its Zephyr S, a solar-powered High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS). The stratospheric Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flew a total of 25 days, 23 hours, and 57 minutes before touching down during its successful maiden voyage. 

Breweries continue to turn to the sun to make their suds, as Hawaii’s Kona Brewery became the latest to turn to solar power its operations. Meanwhile Vivint Solar announced two expansions bringing it into new markets and expanding its reach in an existing one. While it sounds good for the solar industry, the energy department anticipated that growth will slow in the future. 

Solar power plants can withstand a lot, but hurricanes can take their toll. Case in point a 4 megawatt solar farm in on St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands was damaged by Hurricane Maria in September 2017 and is operating at 45 percent of its capacity. But they can be repaired relatively easily, that’s what Richard Branson’s BMR Energy plans to do by October.