A new 135-kilowatt solar array and a 120-kilowatt energy storage system at Blisterpak’s manufacturing and distribution center in Commerce, CA,  is expected to save the company $42,000 a year in energy costs. The new system installed by HelioPower uses Sharp’s SmartStorage Energy Storage System, which has a 10-year performance guarantee. 

This year five members of Congress will receive the SEIA Solar Champion Award from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). In addition, it’s also awarding solar champion Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) with the first ever Lifetime Solar Pugilist Award. 

The single most significant international agreed upon recognition of climate change requiring countries across the world to take action, the Paris Climate Change Agreement, will go into effect! That happened yesterday (Oct. 5) and now 74 nations—out of 197—representing 58.8 percent of the world’s emissions have ratified the agreement, allowing it to enter into force in early November 2016. 

Everything is pointing to more record years for the solar industry in the US and across the world.  After all the US has more than 10 gigawatts of solar power in development and now, according to the latest research from GTM Research's Utility PV Tracker, 11 states currently have more than 500 megawatts of solar power projects in development and 20 have more than 200 megawatts of solar under development. It’s unprecedented. 

Last week the Department of Energy (DOE) introduced the latest installment of its annual Revolution…Now report, which shows how clean energy technologies, like wind, solar, electric vehicles and more are proliferating the US. For instance, the report shows that wind and utility-scale solar power together made up 56 percent of all new electric generation capacity brought in 2015. 

The United Kingdom is more known for cloudy days than sunny ones, and it offers a stark contrast to the sunny days experienced in the US southwest. Yet the country sourced more of its power from solar panels than coal for the past six months, without any major grid disruptions. It’s the latest in series of records that are showing more and more that solar can be implemented on a massive scale without causing major impacts to the grid. 

Just under two months ago during SolarCity’s second quarter earnings call, Tesla CEO and SolarCity Chair Elon Musk offered some tantalizing teasers about the company’s plans going forward, when he said: “It’s a solar roof as opposed to a module on a roof.” But now it looks like ZEP, a Dutch company will beat SolarCity to the rafters with its photovoltaic roof tiles. 

Last week the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) held the third International Off-Grid Renewable Energy Conference (IOREC) in Nairobi, Kenya, where it disclosed that off-grid renewables could provide the majority of electric generation needed to achieve universal access to the economic power of electricity. 

The merger between Tesla Motors and SolarCity isn’t complete yet. Though SolarCity is already seeing some shakeups, it’s still rolling forward and in just over two weeks it has raised more than $652 million in funds to support its solar projects at residences and businesses. 

Students in Northern and Central California will have a chance to build We Share Solar Suitcases that will give Kenyans access to clean electricity and lighting. Students at 19 high schools in Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) coverage area will build the rugged, easy to use devices. Students and teachers will also have an opportunity to win a trip to Kenya to deliver the devices to the children in Kenya who will use the devices.