SEIA Solar Blog
Through our blog, SEIA staff aim to informing policymakers, the media, and the American public about the benefits of solar energy for today’s economy. Scroll down for a running feed of our blog posts. For a complete archive of press releases, blogs and other news articles, click here.
Tech Giant Microsoft Sets Corporate Solar Procurement Record
After historic C&I growth in the U.S. Solar Market Insight Report 2017 Year-in-Review, and what will likely be historic growth in another upcoming report, it really is true: Solar means business!
After Back-to-Back Years of Double-Digit Growth, U.S. Solar Passes 50 GW Milestone
At the end of 2015, there was just north of 25 gigawatts (GW) of solar PV installed in the United States. Now, after back-to-back years of double-digit gigawatt growth (15 GW in 2016 and 10.6 GW in 2017), the solar industry has more than doubled its total installed capacity to 53.3 GW through the end of 2017.
The Future of Solar + Storage Is Here!
We’ve heard for years that integrating storage technologies with solar infrastructure can ensure around-the-clock reliability. That future may be closer than we think, particularly after two major federal developments in the last few weeks that will support the long-term investment and development of energy storage in the U.S.
New York Expands Solar Access With Larger Community Projects
In great news for New York’s solar industry, the state is now welcoming community solar projects of up to five megawatts— a significant increase from the previous two megawatt cap.
Expanding Solar Availability to the Low-Income Community: Learnings from the Denver Housing Authority
Expanding the solar market to lower-income individuals and the businesses and nonprofits that serve them remains a top priority for our industry. Historically, participation in the solar economy has been primarily enjoyed by homeowners and large corporations with good credit.
Solar Schools Are Better Schools
Hot off the presses, a new report released today by SEIA, The Solar Foundation and Generation 180 shows vast growth in solar on K-12 schools in the United States. Solar capacity on our country’s schools has nearly doubled since the last version of this report in 2014, with 5,489 K-12 schools now powered by solar, totaling nearly 1,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity.
U.S. Trade Support for Foreign Companies Hurts More Americans Than It Helps
A broad coalition recognizes how many American jobs are at stake, and urges President Trump to deny the bailout seekers.
Solar Installer: The Fastest-Growing Job in America
We’ve known that the U.S. solar industry has been one of America’s premier job-creating machines. Last year alone, the industry added 51,000 jobs, bringing the total number of Americans working in solar to more than 260,000. Now the U.S. government has released new data that puts the industry’s rapid growth into perspective and says the solar installer will be the fastest-growing job in America over the next decade.
Solar Industry’s Responsibility in the Wake of Natural Disasters
Puerto Rico is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises in history after Hurricane Maria ripped through last month. Millions of American citizens are without food and water, let alone electricity, and it looks like it will stay that way for the near future.
California's Failure to Pass Clean Energy Legislation Is Disappointing, but Hopes Are Still High for Next Year
As California’s legislative session came to a close, three bills which would have accelerated the state’s renewable energy development and created the necessary prerequisites for an integrated grid in the West stalled. Opponents to the bills had offered “poison pill” amendments that would have undermined savings for electricity customers and limited the growth of solar and other distributed energy resources.