By the end of 2017, the world had installed 300 gigawatts of solar, with much of it coming online. As one of the world’s largest markets for solar power, the US has played a strong role in that growth, but states are taking action, sometimes bad, sometimes good. 

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is continuing to introduce tools to make it easier and safer for people to go solar. This week it introduced the standardized SEIA Solar Purchase Disclosure form.

There are plenty of places in the US where more people could go solar. The northeastern US, for instance, has a bunch of cities that aren’t taking advantage of solar power or the incentives that help make solar less expensive, according to research from real estate brokerage Redfin.

Solar installers develop relationships with solar panel manufacturers and other equipment manufacturers. This helps ensure that the panels they use can be serviced or replaced as rooftop solar systems age. GTM Research’s Module Procurement Trends in the U.S. Residential Market delves into which manufacturers are supplying most solar panels to installers as prices for solar panels grow ever cheaper.

Last year 47 states and Washington, DC, took action on solar power, according to the NC Clean Energy Technology Center’s (NCCETC’s) The 50 States of Solar Report. The report found states were more active in solar policy actions in 2016, undertaking 212 such actions compared to the 175 actions undertaken in 2015. It also found that 79 percent of requests to increase residential fixed charges were not approved or only partially approved.

Foundations can help disadvantaged communities get access to renewable energy, particularly reliable solar energy with battery backups, can be the work of foundations. That’s according to a new report from the nonprofit Clean Energy Group and the Kresge Foundation, which show strategies the philanthropic community can use to help grow solar and storage. 

In its first announcement since Donald Trump (R) was sworn in as President, the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) SunShot Initiative announced an investment of up to $30 million to integrate solar energy into the grid. SunShot will fund 13 projects aimed at improving the reliability and security of the electric grid through the latest announcement.

An inexpensive device built and led by researchers at the University of Buffalo in New York aims to make dirty water drinkable with some help from sunlight. The researchers created a “solar vapor generator” that can clean or desalinate water by using heat generated by the sun. Such devices could help clean water in developing regions or those affected by crises. 

The world has installed 300 gigawatts of solar power, according to the German Solar Association (BSW-Solar). The solar advocacy organization said its research found that roughly 70 gigawatts of solar power were installed globally in 2016 alone—30 percent more than in the previous year. 

The solar and renewable energy news from last week shows overwhelming support from all sectors of the US economy, from homeowners to businesses and even states. Massachusetts is emerging as a leader in renewable energy policy while a new report shows that rooftop solar power doesn’t add costs to other utility customers and companies are protesting President Trump’s nominations.