In its largest Solar Means Business report yet, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) found that more than 4,000 companies have installed 7,400 onsite solar projects surpassing more than 2.5 gigawatts (GWs) of solar power in the US. The annual report tracks the top on-site corporate solar users. 

Today (April 18) SunPower announced that is purchasing SolarWorld Americas and will produce its P-Series solar panels at the former SolarWorld manufacturing facilities in Hillsboro, OR. The agreement brings together the US’s largest PV manufacturer and one of the makers of the most efficient silicon solar panels in the world.

The Department of Energy announced a total of $105 million to support early stage solar technologies and support jobs in the solar industry through the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO). The funding will support photovoltaic and concentrating solar power research and development, workforce initiatives and integrating solar into the grid.

As Apple announced it reached 100 percent renewable energy last week, other companies announced that their boosting their use of renewable energy as well. At the same time community solar power continues to grow. 

A new set of tools, RdTools, accurately calculates how the performance of solar panel degrade over time. The tools, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Department of Energy (DOE), SunPower and kWh Analytics, will allow companies and solar system owners to better calculate how a solar panel’s performance will degrade over time. 

This week Apple, maker of iconic electronics like the iPad and iPhone, announced that it’s now powering all of its global facilities with 100 percent renewable energy and that its suppliers are moving to renewable energy as well. The company said it has 626 megawatts of solar power online and that all of its retail stores, offices, data centers and facilities across 43 countries are now fully powered by renewable energy.

Community solar power is continuing to take off in New York. Last month New York announced its largest community solar project yet, a 2.7-megawatt (MW) solar array in Sullivan County. Now Clean Energy Collective (CEC) has announced its RooflessSolar program, a community solar offering that guarantees energy savings to participants, will be available in Orange & Rockland and Central Hudson’s service areas. 

Through its Commercial & Industrial Renewable Energy Development Initiative (C&I REDI) program companies in Georgia Power’s service area will get power from 177 megawatts (MWs) of solar power to serve corporate customers. Under the program Google, Johnson & Johnson, Target and Walmart will buy the power produced at two solar farms being developed to meet their needs. 

Last week Los Angeles’ star again shone brightest in the nation as the city with the most solar power in the US. At the same time pro-solar bills are moving forward in multiple states. NextEra Energy announced that it is JinkoSolar’s partner in a massive purchase of solar panels and will allow the manufacturer to make panels in the US.

As state legislative sessions head towards a close pro-solar bills are advancing in a number of states like New Jersey and South Carolina. The bills in New Jersey would protect the solar industry there for solar companies and consumers while the bill moving forward in South Carolina would remove a 2 percent net-metering cap in the state.