Solar

General & Prices

~115 GW, thru 3Q, 2021.  That’s up from 16.5 GW of US solar, farther below, in early 2017.

     Enough sunlight strikes Earth every 104 minutes to power the world for a year.  Solar can power the US 100 times over.

     US solar PV already offsets carbon emissions of 3.5 million cars.  Rooftop PV can meet 1/5 of US electric demand.

     US solar industry jobs grew 50% since 2010.  Solar workers now outnumber coal miners 2 to 1.  - Mother Jones

Translating $ / Watt peak (above) to ¢ / kWh (left).

€3 ~ $3.3 now, so the scale at left is to US 90¢ / kWh.

Solar electricity prices fell from 40-56¢ / kWh in 2009 to 7-17¢ / kWh in 2015.

They are projected to fall to 5-11¢ / kWh in 2020.

Solar Power May Be Cheaper than Coal in India by 2020 - 1115 

prices are in Rupees (~1.5¢US): 0-16 Rupees/kWh

Data from SEIA. 

   The Institute for Self Reliance website projects states when & where solar PV costs will reach parity with grid power costs.

     Comparing the maps below and above, the 7 western-most contiguous states and Massachusetts exceed the projections, while the other states installed fewer MW than projected.  The US total is 7% more than projected.  

Potential Installed MW Capacity & % of Residential Electricity Sales from Solar at Parity - from 2012, No incentives, resid., 20% utility cap.

2021      ~ 185 GW of solar PV (1/6 of all GW now) projected by 2022

Solar - PV - Markets

2022-2024 Articles

Rooftop Solar Panels Flood California Grid, for Free Power and Curtailment 0424

Solar-EV-Heat Pump Homes Buy Electricity When It’s Cheap, Sell When It’s Costly 0424

US Grid Connection Queues Jumped 27% to 2.6 TW in 2023, Led by Solar, Storage 0424

Solar Panels Spread across USA Heartland as Farmers Chase Stable Returns 0324

Solar Was the #1 Power Source Added to US Grid in 2023 - 0324

China’s Solar Boom Fuels Record Growth in Global Renewables 0124

Nigeria Unplugs from Dirty Generators, in Sudden Solar Gamble 1123

The World Has Already Crossed a ‘Tipping Point’ on Solar Power 1023

How the Half of Americans Who Can’t install Solar Panels Can Plug into the Sun 1023

Solar Is Keeping the Texas Grid Running. October’s Eclipse Will Test That. 0923

Solar Farms Out at Sea Are Clean Energy’s Next Breakthrough 0723

Solar Price War May Help Spur China’s Renewable Energy Push 1222

France Mandates Solar Panels on Most Parking Lots, in Great Marriage with EVs 1122

Tipping Point for African C&I Solar 1122

Renewable Energy Records Tumble in Australia as Rooftop Solar Power Soars 1122

US Homes Add Rooftop Solar at a Record Clip to Cut Power Bills 0822

Coal Giant Agrees to $970 Million Deal in Chase to Add India Solar 1022

Solar Outshines Wind to Lead China’s Clean-Energy Transition 0922

US Installs Record Solar Capacity, as Prices Keep Falling 0922

How Solar Kept the Lights On after Fiona Left Puerto Rico in the Dark 0922

Summer of ’22 Brought Record Heat, Solar Power to Europe 0922

UK Solar Panel Sales Boom as Energy Bills Soar 0822

Wind, Solar Provide 67% of New US Electric Generating Capacity in Q1-2 2022 - 0822

U.S. Solar Faces New Barriers after Year of ‘Crisis’ 0822

Germany Gets Solar Boost amid Energy Crisis 0822

Japan and South Korea Hit Solar Generation Records in May 0722

China Sees Rooftop Solar Take Off as New Policies Bolster Growth 0722

Solar Power Floods Europe’s Grids as Heat Wave Lifts Demand 0622

Click for more

2017-2021 Articles

Superstores Can Meet Half Their Electricity Needs with Rooftop Solar 0121

Why Putting Solar Canopies on Parking Lots Is a Smart Green Move 1121

India Bets Its Energy Future on Solar—in Ways Both Small and Big 1121

US Utility Scale Solar’s Levelized Cost Falls to 2.8-4.1 ¢:kWh, Lazard Finds 1121

Rising Shipping Costs Raise U.S. Solar Panel Prices 0921

Coal-Rich Indiana Is Going Solar. It's Not Easy. 0521

Solar Industry Wins Big in Kentucky Ruling 0521

Solar Is Heating Up in the Ohio Valley 0421

Tesla Moves to Only Sell Home Solar and Storage Together 0421

Texas Will Soon Rival California In Utility-Scale Solar Power 0421

The Rooftop Solar Income Gap Is (Slowly) Shrinking 0421

Saudi Arabia Backs 50% Renewable Energy by 2030, Huge Tree Planting Project 0321

Americans Poised to Set New Rooftop Solar Record despite Virus 1020

How Coal-Loving Australia Became the Leader in Rooftop Solar 0920

Solar Power on the Rise at US Schools 0920

Does Tesla Really Want to be a Leader in Rooftop Solar? 0820

Solar-Power Costs Falling Even Faster than Expected, due to Virus 0620

China’s Solar Giants Slash Prices as Virus Curbs Demand 0520

Solar Power Will Soon Cost Less Than Coal 0620

Plunging Solar Energy Prices Spell Bright Future for Clean Electricity 0520

Mideast Petro-States Look Past Oil Rout to Chase Solar Power 0520

Smog-Free Skies Allow Germany to Break Record for Solar Power 0420

Super-Size Solar Farms Are Taking Over the World 0220

Yemenis go Solar, amid Energy Shortage due to War 1119

Cleaning Up China's Dirty Air Would Give Solar Energy a Huge Boost 0719

Los Angeles Gets Record Solar + Storage Deal at 1.997 + 1.3¢ : kWh 0719

Utilities ‘Driving’ US Solar-Storage Growth 0319

6 Panels a Minute'- 2 Million Australian Homes Now Have Solar 1218

Can Illinois Handle a 2000% Jump in Solar Capacity? We’re About to Find Out. 1018

Clean Energy in Australia Is Cheap and Surging, but Could Slow 1018

Explosive Growth in U.S. Utility Solar Contracts in 2018, despite Tariffs 0918

India's Huge Solar Ambitions Could Push Coal Further into the Shade 0618

NV Energy 2.3¢ Solar Contract Could Set New Price Record 0618

China’s Dramatic Solar Shift Could Take Sting Out of Trump's Panel Tariffs 0618

Xcel Plans to Shut 660 MW of Coal, Build 1.8 GW Renewables in Colorado 0618

Solar Energy + Storage Is Giving Fossil fuels a Run for Their Money 0518

Solar Soars - Renewable Energy, by the Numbers 0418

Even under Pro-Coal President Trump, U.S. Solar Is Doing Pretty Well 0318

A Powerful Mix of Solar and Batteries Is Beating Natural Gas 0218

Solar Power Push Lights Up Options for India’s Rural Women 0218

Australia's Solar Power Boom Could Almost Double Capacity in a Year 0218

Duke Energy’s Shared Solar Proposal - Not Perfect, but Huge Potential 0118

Trump’s New Solar Tariff to Protect US Manufacturers Will Hurt Installers 0118

Australian Rooftop Solar Installations Jump by Half to Hit Record 1 GW in 2017 - 0118

Surging Power Bills Spark Rush for Household Solar in Australia 0118

Xcel Solicitation Returns ‘Incredible' Renewable Energy, Storage Bids 0118

Solar Companies Go Door-to-Door in Battle With Tesla 1217

U.S. Solar Installations to Fall More than Expected in 2017 - 1217

5,500 U.S. Schools Use Solar Power, and That's Growing as Costs Fall 1117

Boom in Solar as Australian Electricity Price Rises Start to Bite 1117

Why Solar Is Booming in Trump Country - Price and Energy Independence 1117

Solar Power Crushes Own Record for Cheapest Electricity ‘Ever 1017

New Connection Technology Is Cutting Cost of Solar Installation 1017

Puerto Rico Could Go Solar - Elon Musk, Gov. Discuss Microgrid Transformation 1017

Solar Power Is Fastest-Growing Source of New Energy 1017

India Taps Solar, Storage to Ensure All Homes Have Power in 2018 - 0917

Cost of U.S. Solar Drops 75% in 6 Years, Ahead of Federal Goal 0917

Solar Grid Keeps Harvests High, Hospitals Lit in Parched Rural Zimbabwe 0917

Why the US Solar Industry Doesn’t Want Government Protection 0817

Warren Buffett Likes Solar, but Not the Price Tag 0817

UAE Leading the Way on Shifting to Greener Energy 0717

China Seen Making 25% More Solar Panels in 2017 - 0717

India’s Dreadful Pollution Blocks Sunlight, Threatens Booming Solar Sector 0617

Solar Power Breaks UK Records, Thanks to Sunny Weather 0517

India Launches Massive Push for Clean Power, Lighting, and Cars 0517

Large-Scale Solar Industry Takes Off, as 12 New Plants Secure Finance 0517

Blackout Parties - How Solar and Storage Made Western Australia Farmers the Most Popular in Town 0517

China Is Planning Ahead for Life after Coal 0517

Indian Solar Power Prices Hit Record Low, Undercutting Fossil Fuels 0517

The Dark Secret Behind India's Solar Plan 0317

Kauai, Hawaiian island, Gets Renewable Energy Boost, Thanks to Tesla 0317

U.S. Solar Soared in 2016, but Investors Still Leery 0317

Solar Power Growth Leaps by 50% Worldwide, Thanks to US and China 0317

Solar Squabble Shows How a Trump Trade War with China Could Backfire 0217

OPEC’s Top Producer Is Turning to Wind and Solar Power 0217

Who’s the Typical Solar Power User? You’d Be Surprised. 0217

Solar Power Takes Hold in Nigeria, One Mobile Phone at a Time 0217

China's Solar Power Capacity More than Doubles in 2016 - 0217

2016 Articles and earlier

Solar Could Outpace Natural Gas for New US Generation in 2016 - 1216

Trump’s Potentially Toxic Effect on the Solar Industry 1216

Indonesia, Vietnam Look to Blaze Trail for Solar in Southeast Asia 1116

Taste of Solar Power Builds Appetite for More in Kenya 1016

India’s Solar Power Is Set to Outshine Coal 1016

U.S. Solar Capacity Triples 1016

Solar Panels Surpass Coal’s Electricity in UK, Previously ‘Unthinkable’ 1016

In Rural Bangladesh, Solar Power Dents Poverty 1016

Solar on the Steppe - Ukraine Embraces Renewables Revolution 0916

Solar Rooftop Revolution Fizzles in U.S. on Utility Pushback 0916

Hybrid Solar and Wind Systems Attract Turbine Makers in India 0916

The Falling Costs of Solar Power in the US 0816

Solar Manufacturers Pivot Away From Big U.S. Utility Plants 0816

India Doubles Down on Solar Parks after SunEdison Setback 0716

Big Solar Is Leaving Rooftop Systems in the Dust 0716

US Solar Power Market Hits All-Time High 0616

Chile Has So Much Solar Energy, It’s Giving It Away for Free 0616

U.S. Utilities Boost Investments in Wind, Solar Power 0516

Red States Are Leading the Way in Renewable Energy 0516

Solar Power Is Contagious 0516

San Francisco to Become 1st City to Require Solar Panels on New Buildings 0416

How Cheap Does Solar Power Need to Get before It Takes over the World? 0416

UK Solar Power Installations Plummet after Government Cuts 0416

Fairfield Realtors Say Many Home Buyers Are Searching for Solar 0416

Love Solar Power but Got No Rooftop? "Shared Solar" Is Coming for You. 0316

Solar Energy in the US Is Poised for an Unforgettable Year 0316

WTO Swats Down India’s Massive Solar Initiative, on Domestic Content (via US) 0216

More than 16,000 Homes in Canberra Area Have Rooftop Solar 0216

California Solar Industry Job Growth Reaches Record Levels 0216

SolarCity and Other Rooftop Providers Face a Cloudier Future 0216

Kauai Co-op Integrates over 70% Solar, 90% Renewables 4 Times in January 0216

In Rural India, Solar-Powered Micro-Grids Show Mixed Success 0116

Nevada Solar Industry Collapses after State Lets Utilities Raise Fees 0116

Save More than 4 Million Lives a Year by Harnessing the Sun to Cook 0116

India's Solar Surge May Slash Coal Imports 0116

Electrifying India, with the Sun and Small Loans 0116

Solar Company Making a Profit Serving Poor Africans 1215

Big Boost for Solar Rooftops in India 1215

Xcel CEO Leans on Midwest Wind Power to Close Gap with Coal, Gas 1215

North Carolina, Georgia Growing New Crop of Solar Farms 1215

Community Solar Brings Renewable Energy ‘to the Masses' 1215

Home Solar Battery Revolution an Economic and Emissions Game Changer 1215

Despite Risks, Governor Cuomo Bets on Solar Power to Lift Buffalo 1015

Big Utilities Enter Market for Small Rooftop Solar 1015

India's Solar Climate Tech Revolution Is Starting in Its Villages 1015

China's Economic Shift to Aid Climate Fight but Packs a Commodity Punch 1015

China Raises Solar Installation Target for 2015 - 1015

Chile’s Solar Power Lights the Way to Cleaner, More Competitive Economy 1015

SolarCity to Make High-Efficiency (22%) Panel 1015

Solar Energy Becomes a Major Power Player in the Middle East 0915

Slashing Household Solar Subsides Will Kill Off UK Industry 0815

Forget about Saving Energy. This Is about Saving Lives. 0815

Ex-White House Staffers Develop Solar Systems for Renters, Roofless 0815

India's Fuel Retailers Bet on Solar Power with Easy Loans 0815

Empathy, Not Incentives or Environmentalism, Sells Solar Power in India 0715

Cheap Power or Clean Energy? India’s $200 Billion Dilemma 0715

Nevada’s New Regulations Pave the Way for Solar Energy 0715

Why the Saudis Are Going Solar 0615

Modi’s Solar Embrace in India Leaves Wind Power in Shade 0615

Record Boost in New Solar Power Continues Massive Industry Growth 0615

In Quake-Prone Nepal, Why Solar Power Is an Energy Solution 0615

NRG Energy's Huge Solar Ambitions Are Coming to Fruition 0515

India Eyes $1.1 Billion Solar Loan from German Bank KFW 0515

Why the Best Place for Solar Panels May Not Be on Your Roof, But a PV Farm 0515

Solar Power Is Shaking Up Global Energy 0415

Middle East Can Beat Water Challenge by Harnessing the Power of Solar 0415

The Way We Power Our Homes May Be on the Verge of a Major Change 0415

Hawaii Utility Commits to Top US % for Rooftop Solar. Can Grid Handle It? 0415

New Renewables Broke Through 100 GW Barrier in 2014 - 0315

Solar Lights Are a Healthy, and Empowering, Path in Disasters. 0215

Solar Loses Out to Wind in UK’s 1st Renewables Auction 0215

Will New Obstacles Dim Hawaii’s Solar Power Surge? 0215

Africa’s Quiet Solar Revolution 0115

Solar Panels Floating on Water Will Power Japan's Homes 0115

Africa Is a Brightening Continent 0115

Rooftop Solar Already Cheaper than Utility Rates in 42 of 50 Largest US Cities 0115

Net-Zero Communities That Make Solar Power Work Expand in Florida 1214

Texas Becoming Less Reliant on Coal to Generate Electricity 1214

SolarCity - Rapid Growth In Rooftop Installation Is Good Long-Term Investment 1214

Conservative Iowa Farmers Find a New Cash Crop – Sun & Wind 1114

Here's Who Wants to Sell You Solar, and Why 1114

China Hunger for Clean Energy to Leave No Rooftop Behind 1114

US Solar Industry Heating Up Again, after Stumbling During Recession 1114

Solar Developers Win Half of Contracts in Brazil Auction 1014

Solar Power Keeps Getting Cheaper — Balance of System Costs Drop 1014

Solar’s $30 Billion Splurge Proves Too Much for Japan 1014

Stymied by Ownership Costs, Solar Giant Becomes a Lender 1014

Coal India Said to Plan Building $1.2 Billion of Solar Projects 0914

Tanzania Is Fighting Poverty with Solar Power 0914

North Texans Are Raising the Roof over Generating Solar Electricity 0914

Solar Boom Driving First Global Panel Shortage Since 2006 - 0814

Texas Law Lets Developers Ban Solar Panels While Subdivisions Are Growing 0814

China Leads World to Solar Power Record in 2013 - 0614

Cheap Solar Power Pushes Renewables Growth Worldwide 0414

Solar Demand Roars Back 1213

Australian Solar Jobs Vanish, as Uncertainty Clouds PV Outlook 1113

Solar Power Begins to Shine, as Environmental Benefits Pay Off 1113

Japan's Solar Dream Shatters, as Projects Fail 1113

Solar Projects 'More Mainstream' as Costs Fall 1013

New Funding Models, Using Electric Bills, Give Solar a Boost 0913

Utilities Add Solar, But Panel Growth Slows Elsewhere 0913

Solar Panel Is Next Granite Countertop for Homebuilders 0913

Solar Manufacturers May Boost Capacity as Demand Surges 0813

Texas Claims Cheapest Solar Installations, as Prices Drop Nationwide 0813

World Solar Power Topped 100 GigaWatts in 2012 0713

China’s Feud with West on Solar Leads to Tax 0713

The Cost del Sol 0713

Rooftop Solar Takes Off Across California, as Costs Come Down 0713

Peru Unveils Plan to Provide Solar Electricity to 2 Million People 0713

Solar Pumps Could Boost Farm Yields in Poor Countries 0613

Solar Scores Big Gains in US Electricity Generation 0413

US Fracking Helped Kill Off German Solar Firms 0313

Solar Energy Is Ready 1012

PV 2012 Price & Market Update 0812

Solar PV Prices Collapse 0112

(Polysilicon) Solar Costs Are Dropping 1211

US PV Costs Drop 11% in 1st Half 2011 0911

PV Could Cost < Fossil Fuels in 10 Years 0611

More Sun for Less $ 0809

China’s Solar Boom Shows Signs of Setting 0313

Solar Power Rising in West Virginia 0213

Solar Growth Moves to Asia as Europe Cuts Subsidies 0113

China Net Metering to Support Solar Industry 1012

Record for PV Inverter Shipments 0810

Solar Cost Fell 30% in 10 Yrs 1009

China Drives Record Solar Growth - at Home 0308

Wind & Sun Bloom in US 1008

Solar Industry Update 0305

Why Coke Is Bringing Solar Power To Rural Kenya 0613

Leasing the Sun - Solar Panels for the Rest of Us 0513

Solar Shift Threatens US & European Producers 0513

Solar Power Costs Closing in on Wind Costs 0513

Solar Paradox - Exploding Demand & Bankruptcies 0513

US Solar Industry Reports Record Growth in 2012 0313

PV Projects

Sun-Drenched Spain Turns on Europe’s Biggest Solar Power Plant 0822

Puerto Ricans Built the World’s Largest Renewable Peaker Plant.  Let’s Use It. 0622

Climate Change Puts Agrivoltaic Projects in Northern Africa in the Spotlight 0522

China’s Shandong to Build Massive Solar Farms Out to Sea 0522

A $5 Billion Plan May Bring Indonesia’s 3.5 GW of Solar 30 Miles to Singapore 0422

Coal to Solar 0322

Nevada Regulators Approve Solar+Storage to Replace Coal-Fired Plant 0122

China Installed Record Amount of Rooftop Solar in 2021 - 0122

Kentucky’s Largest Solar Project to Be Built on Former Coal Mine 1221

Seeking Space for Solar Farms, Cities Find Room at Their Airports 1221

A 28-Year-Old Aims to Build Southeast Asia’s Top Solar Farm 1121

China’s New Renewable Project Rivals All Wind and Solar in India 1021

Barcelona Installs Spain’s 1st Solar Energy Pavement 0421

Nearly Half of Pennsylvania Government Electricity to Be Solar Powered by 2023 - 0321

Space-Starved Singapore Builds Floating Solar Farms in Climate Fight 0321

Texas Will Host the Largest Solar Project in the US 1120

Georgetown University to Power Campus with Solar Plants 1020

$16 Billion Plan to Beam Australia’s Outback Sun onto Asia’s Power Grids 0820

New Mexico Approves 100% Solar + Storage to Replace San Juan Coal Plant 0720

340,000-Panel Solar Farm Heads to Edmonton International Airport 0720

Australia’s Biggest Solar Farm Gets Green Light After Power Deal 0520

How NASA Could Help Stop Climate Change with Solar Power Satellites 1019

316 MW Project to Replace Gas Peakers Moves New York toward 3 GW Storage 0919

Ikea Just Invested in 2 Giant Solar Farms 0919

Los Angeles Approves Solar+Storage Project for under 2¢/kWh 0919 - 400 MegaWatts with 1,200 MWh battery

PNM Proposes Gas, Solar+Storage Mix as Cheapest Option to Replace San Juan 0719

Chattanooga Becomes 1st U.S. Airport to Run Entirely on Solar 0619

Europe’s Largest Solar Plant Unveiled in Spain 0619

It’s Getting Sunny in North Carolina 0419

Canadian Coal-Fired Power Plant Transformed into Solar Farm 0419

Brown Goes Green 0219 - university’s 50 MW PV farm on abandoned Rhode Island quarry

Arizona Public Service to Install 850 MW of Storage, 100 MW of Solar 0219

Puerto Rico Energy Plan Calls For Huge Solar And Storage Investments 0219

Sunrun Brings 100 MegaWatts of Rooftop Solar to Low-Income Communities 0918

World's Largest Solar Farm Rises in the Remote Egyptian Desert 0718 - 1.8 GigaWatts

Solar Is Starting to Replace the Largest Coal Power Plant in the Western U.S. 0518

U.S. Energy Company Halts 1.5 GW of Solar Projects Due to Trump Tariffs 0518

This Brooklyn Architect Wants to Rewire Puerto Rico with Solar 0318

Why Saudi Arabia Is Trying to Launch an Utterly Massive New Solar Project 0318

Dutch Plan to Build Large Offshore Solar Power Farm 0218

Tesla to Outfit 50,000 Australian Homes with Solar+Storage, for 250 MW Virtual Power Plant 0218

Hampshire College Conducts Final Test for 100% Solar Campus 1217

Community Solar Heads for Rooftops of NYC’s Public Housing Projects 1117

Solar Power Crushes Own Record for Cheapest Electricity ‘Ever 1017 1.79¢/kWh in Saudi Arabia, 7 bids under 3¢/kWh

Puerto Rico’s Solar Future Takes Shape at Children’s Hospital with Tesla Batteries 1017

Vestas, Windlab to Launch World's 1st Wind-Solar-Storage Project in Australia 1017

Flow Battery Developer ViZn Energy to Pair Solar and Storage for 4¢/kWh 0717

Tucson Electric Signs Solar + Storage PPA for ‘Less than 4.5¢/kWh' 0517

Coal Company Plans Huge Solar Farm on Strip Mine 0417

Kentucky Coal Museum Switching to Solar Power 0417

South Australia to Get $1 Billion Solar Farm and World's Biggest Battery 0317

Bangladesh Opens 1st Solar-Powered Food Warehouse 0217

4 Million Solar Panels in Tibet Are World’s Largest Solar Farm 0217

Jimmy Carter – from Peanut Farmer to Solar Farmer 0217

Sunrun Partners with National Grid to Expand Rooftop Solar, Storage 0117

PPA Signed For 800 Megawatt Dubai Solar Power Project At 2.99 ¢ per kWh 1216

Queensland's Largest Solar Farm Plugs into the Grid a Month Early 1216

Solar-Panel Roads to Be Built on 4 Continents Next Year 1116

U.S. Government Just Made Its Biggest Clean Energy Purchase Ever 1016

L’Oréal USA to Exceed Carbon Emission Reduction Goals through 2 Major Projects in Kentucky and Arkansas 0916

France to Pave 1000 km of Roads with Solar Panels 0816

Chernobyl’s Atomic Wasteland May Be Reborn with Solar Energy 0716

A Huge Solar Plant Caught on Fire, and That’s the Least of Its Problems 0516
     Problems with power tower, with its mirrors and heating fluid.  PV has passed it by.

India Inaugurates One of the World's Biggest Solar Rooftop Power Plants 0516

Indian Railways' 1st All Solar-Paneled Train 0516

Navy Plans 227-Acre, 33 MW Solar Facility at Earle, New Jersey 0416

Whole Foods Plans 100 Rooftop Solar Systems 0316

World's Biggest Floating Solar Farm Powers Up outside London 0216

Pakistan’s Parliament Becomes World’s 1st to Run Entirely on Solar Power 0216

SolarCity’s Kaua’i Solar Plus Storage Project to Use Tesla Batteries  0216

India Coal Plant Developer Switches to Solar for Site in Punjab 0116

Innovative Project to Provide Renewable Energy 24/7 to Chilean Village 0116

7.6 MW Solar Plant in Sirajganj among 160 MW in Bangladesh by 2017 - 0116

Desert Tower Raises Chile's Solar Power Ambition to New Heights 1215

Paris Climate Accord Is a Big, Big Deal (2.8¢/kWh Wind & 4.2 Solar) 1215

What a Rwandan Solar Plant Is Teaching Africa about Clean Energy 1115

Austin Energy, First Solar Ink Deal for 119 MW of Solar at 4.3¢ per kWh 1015

Morocco Poised to Become Solar Superpower with Desert Mega-Project 1015

Apple Cleaning Up Its Act in China with More Renewable Energy 1015

Burundi's Solar Plans Forge Ahead, despite Political Unrest 1015

World’s 1st Solar-Powered Airport Takes Off 0915 - in NW Australia

Price of Solar Hits Record Low Again! 0715 - 3.87¢/kWh in new Nevada contract, following under 4¢ for Austin, Texas

Renewable Energy Group Bids to Turn Melbourne's Trams Solar 0515

Orlando Utility to Build Big Solar Plants, Where Coal Once Stood 0515

First Panels Installed at Broken Hill's Australian Outback Solar Farm 0515

Duke Energy Florida Proposes Large Solar Power Plants over Next 10 Years 0415

Australia’s Central Victorian Sun Powers New Concentrated Solar Power Station 0315

Georgetown, Texas Goes All In on Renewable Energy 0315

Australia's Biggest Solar Farm to Sprout in Queensland Field 0315

Google Invests $300 Million in U.S. Residential Solar Projects 0215

World's Largest Solar Power Project at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh 0215

3 Xcel Projects Will Boost Minnesota's Solar Power 10-fold 0215

Apple’s $850M Monterey County Solar Plant to Power All California Operations 0215

Solar Farm That Can Power 160,000 Homes Opens in California 0215

World's Largest Solar Farm (550 MW) Becomes Fully Operational in California - 1214

Will Renewable Energy Ruin an 'Irreplaceable' Mojave Desert Oasis? 1114

Sleepy Tanzanian Port, Off Grid, Wakes Up to Solar Power 1114

Minnesota's Xcel to Use 3 Solar Projects for 187 MW near Minnesota Cities 1014

Saharan Sun Could Power UK Homes with £8 Billion Solar Farm, Long Cable 1014

World’s Largest Solar Array Set to Crank Out 290 MegaWatts 0514

Austin Energy to Get 150 MW of Solar Power for 5¢/kWh 0314

Wal-Mart Now Draws More Solar Power Than 38 U.S. States 1013

2 Kentucky Utilities Plan 2nd Natural Gas Power Plant, Solar Generator 1013

With US-Made Panels, White House Goes Solar ...  Again 0813

Truly Massive Build-Out of Desert Solar Power 0713

Wall Street Firm Makes Record Bet on Rooftop Solar Power 0513

California Solar Energy Systems Top 1 GW 0113

Ghana Solar Plant to Be Africa's Largest 1212

First Large Solar Plants Without Subsidy Sought in Spain 1212

Desert Plan to Power Europe Falters 1112 - see "Solar Project in Sahara to PowerEurope 0809", below.

Bank of America Plans Another $ Billion PV Project 0911 

SunPower Offers Paint-On Solar Panels, Other Projects Start Up 0711 

$2.6B Bank of America Project to Install PV on Its Roofs 0611 

First Solar To Build 2 GW Solar Plant in China 0909 

600 MW of PV for Southern California 0809 

Solar Project in Sahara to Power Europe 0809 - The project has hit a rocky stretch and may not come to pass.  See "Desert Plan to Power Europe Falters 1112", above.

€400 Billion Solar Project in Sahara 0709

Projects - Mixed or Unclear

Projections

Articles

; The World Has Already Crossed a ‘Tipping Point’ on Solar Power 1023

Massachusetts Has Vast Solar Potential 0723 - 52 GW in unencumbered sites, which is 3 times current Massachusttes electric generation capacity.
Technical potential is 490 GW. 

Credit Suisse Predicts Renewable Energy That Is “Too Cheap to Meter” by 2025 - 1022

There’s a Mind-Bending Amount of Solar in the US Pipeline 0922

Solar Could Provide 40% of US Electricity by 2035 - 0921

Click for more

What Happens When Solar Power Gets Much, Much Cheaper? 0421 - USDoE goal: down from 4.6¢/kWh in 2019 to 2.0 in 2030.  Speeds transition away from fossil fuels.  Biden’s proposed $128 million in funding for new solar energy initiatives.  Includes perovskite and cadmium telluride, and work to increase lifespan of silicon-based solar systems, from about 30 years to about 50 years. 

Solar-Hydro Projects Could Power 40% of World 1020

U.S. Commercial Rooftops Hold 145 GigaWatts of Untapped Solar Potential 0820

Why Solar Execs Say the Game Is Already Over for Non-Renewable Energy 0919

Solar Panels on Farmland Have Huge Electricity-Generating Potential 0819

Utility-Scale Solar Could Grow by Double Digits over the Next 2 Years 0319

In 10 Years' Time, UK Trains Could Be Solar Powered 1217

India Battles to Balance the Economy and the Environment 1117

Wind Power Costs Could Drop 50%, and Solar PV Provide 50% of Global Power 0817

Solar+Storage Could Be Competitive by 2020 – NREL 0817

Solar Panel Capacity to Overtake Nuclear Energy Next Year 0817

Eyeing Water Scarcity, Cost, Pollution, Tamil Nadu Turns to Sun and Wind Power 0617

TeraWatts of Solar Power Are within Our Reach 0517

Electric Cars and Cheap Solar ‘Could Halt Fossil Fuel Growth by 2020’ - 0217

Solar Power Plants Are the Future of Texas Power, in All 7 Scenarios 0616 - 100% of new MW in 6, 80+% in 7th

Coal and Gas to Stay Cheap.  But Renewables Still Win Race on Costs 0616

Solar Power to Grow 6-fold, as Sun Becoming Cheapest Resource 0616

Solar, Wind on Pace to Eclipse Coal-Burning 0616

Wind and Solar Could Meet Nearly All Midwest Energy Needs by 2050 - 0616

2016 Is a Breakthrough Year for Solar 0616

Rooftop Solar Panels Could Provide Nearly Half of America’s Power 0416

Texas Poised to Integrate More Wind, Solar Energy 0316

Wind, Solar Power Soaring, in Spite of Bargain Prices for Fossil Fuels 0116

Solar Power May Be Cheaper than Coal in India by 2020 - 1115

How Tanzania Plans to Light Up a Million Homes with Solar Power 1015

UAE Is the Example to Follow on Energy 1015

Next Texas Energy Boom - Solar 0815

Why Wind and Solar Are Already Better Value than Fossil Fuels 0815

Our Solar Energy Future May Still Have Lots of Coal Plants in the Background 0615

Saudi Arabia, Built on Oil, Foresees Fossil Fuel Phase-out by 2040 or 2050 - 0515 - It plans to export many GW of solar.

NRG Energy's Huge Solar Ambitions Are Coming To Fruition 0515

Why 2015 Could Be Record Year for Greening US Energy 0415

3 Reasons Solar and Wind Energy Will Take Over the Grid Soon 0415

Solar Energy ‘Could Provide 4% of UK Electricity by 2020' - 0315

Cities Could Be Ideal for Utility-Scale Solar Plants 0315

Even at $10/Barrel, Oil Can’t Match Solar on Cost 0315

U.S. Companies Pledge to Build 20 GW of Renewable Energy in India 0215

Will New Obstacles Dim Hawaii’s Solar Power Surge? 0215

Apple Deal, Tax Change Could Spark Corporate Solar Stampede 0215

India Gets Obama’s Backing for $160 Billion Solar Push 0115

Worry for Solar Projects After End of Tax Credits 0115

Solar Energy on the Rise Globally 0115

Solar to Power Half the Homes in Victoria, Australia 01115

Annual Global Solar Market to Grow to Close to 60 GW in 2015 - 0115

How Solar Power and Electric Cars Could Make Suburban Living Awesome Again 1214

Rapid Growth In Rooftop Installation Is Good Long-Term Investment - SolarCity 1214

Solar and Wind Energy Start to Win on Price vs. Conventional Fuels 1114

Powering up the Poor Shouldn't Hurt the Climate 1014

Can Modi Bring the Solar Power Revolution to India? 0914

Solar May Become Largest Global Power Source by 2050 - 0914

Clean Energy (& Solar Air Conditionig) Is Indian Government’s Mantra 0814

Modi Accelerates India Solar Revolution, Doubles Tax on Coal 0714             India’s 20 GW solar target by 2022

China’s Solar Panel Production to Double by 2017 - 0714

China to Triple Solar PV Capacity by 2017, to Cut Coal Consumption 0514

Solar Power Generation to Jump Over Next 5 Years 0713

Germany to Pull Plug on Solar Subsidies by 2018 0713

EU Solar Outlook Still Bright 0613

DOE's SunShot Aims to Make US Solar Competitive by 2021 - 0213 

Deadly China Pollution Breathes New Life Into Solar Debt 0213 

PV Re-roofing $2 per Watt, 10 ¢ per kWh 1012

US Solar 'as Cheap as Grid Energy' in 5 Years 0812

US Solar Prices to Rise 1111

Europe Solar Power ‘Competitive by 2013 - 0911

Turning Toward the Sun for Energy 0611

Solar ‘Cheap as Fossil Fuels’ in 10 Years 0211

New US Solar to Exceed 1 GW in 2010 - 1010

Solar to Provide 22% of Globe's Electricity by 2030 - 0510

China Poised to Lead in Renewables & CCS 1209

Solar Prices Competitive By 2015 0608

Solar Competitive by 2015-25 - 0608 - PDF, 76 pp

Solar Markets to 2020 - 0906 - PDF, 52 pp

R&D

Bill Gates-Backed Merger Eyes Perovskite Solar Breakthrough 0621

What Can Organic Solar Cells Bring to the Table? 0321 - Efficiency up from 3% to 18% injust a few years.

UK Firm's Solar Breakthrough Could Make World's Most Efficient Panels by 2021 - 0820 - Perovskite layer captures wavelengths not captured by silicon-only cells.

Heliogen Is a Sustainable Alternative to Fossil Fuels for Industrial Heating 0820

Australian Scientists ‘Drastically Improve' New Solar Cell Technology 0520

Solar Power at Night? 0120 - power generation from Earth’s outgoing infrared radiation to cold deep space

Startup Backed by Bill Gates Achieves Solar Thermal Breakthrough 1119 - Mirrors yield > 1,000°C.

How NASA Could Help Stop Climate Change with Solar Power Satellites 1019

Rain or Shine - New Solar Cell Captures Energy from Raindrops 0318

Are Printable Solar Panels the Future of Solar Power? 0617

Old Rock, Perovskite, Could Lead to ‘Next Generation' Solar Cells 0417

Department of Energy Program Aims to Bump Solar Costs Even Lower 0516 - focus on balance-of-system costs

Scientist's Nano-Thick CZTS Solar Cell Opens Up Huge New Markets 0416

Recycling Sunlight - a Solar Cell Revolution? 0316

Japan Begins Work on ‘World's Largest' Floating Solar Farm 0116

Mideast Desert Sands Could Store Solar Energy 0116

Nanostructure and Nanonet Solar Cells, CCS, SRM Could Slow Climate Change 1216

SolarCity to Make High-Efficiency (22%) Panel 1015

U of Nebraska Engineers Continue Work on Groundbreaking Solar Energy Study 0815

Hanergy Thin Film Outlines Solar Cells on Vehicles Plan 0415

Japan Space Agency Advances in Space-Based Solar Power 0315

Engineer Reimagines Solar Energy With Stick-On Panels 1214

How to Make Solar Power More Efficient 1114 - use infrared part of spectrum too

New Life for the Artificial Leaf? 1114 - turning sunshine into hydrogen

Solar Roadways - link to video on roadways made of hexagonal PV panels to make up smart roadways (& parking lots)

Totally Transparent Solar Cells Could Turn Our Windows Into Solar Panels 0914

Giant Tower in Desert Could Generate as Much Power as the Hoover Dam 0514

Solar-Powered Roads - Coming to a Highway Near You? 0514

Solar Power Breakthrough Hints at Cheaper Panels for More Roofs 0514

New Design Delivers Round-the-Clock Solar Power 0514

Have Scientists Figured Out How to Make Solar Power Work at Night? 0414

Japanese Firm Plans 250 Mile-Wide Solar Panel Belt Around Moon 1113

Arizona Utility Tries Storing Solar Energy for Use in the Dark 1013

California Labs Chase Dream Energy - Fuel from Sun and Water 0813

New Solar Process Gets More Out of Natural Gas 0413

Everything Could Be a Solar Panel 0213

Record Efficiency for Cheap Organic PV 0712

SunPower Offers Paint-On Solar Panels, Other Projects Start Up 0711

Idea Could Cut Solar Costs 40% 1010

$1 / Watt Solar - Films & Inks 1109

Breakthrough Automated Solar Ink Plant in Germany 0909

Turning Windows to Solar Panels 0708

Save (Store) Solar Energy in Plants 0307 - PDF

Products

Thermal

Misc.

Articles

To Save Solar Panels from Landfills, Startup Is Smashing Them Instead 1023

Baseball-Size Hail Makes Insuring Solar and Wind Farms Pricier 0823

India’s Rural Solar Systems Fall off Grid 0723 - Wear and tear makes things break.  They are too far from big towns and roads for parts and maintenance.  Or too expensive to send parts and repair-person so far away from "civilization".  Mostly in India's far northeast.

Spinach and Sheep Show Us that Solar Farms Aren't Just for Green Energy 0723

Lack of Local Benefits Fuels Upstate Opposition to Solar Farms 0523

Click for more

Biden Vetoes Resolution That Would Have Restored Solar Tariffs 0523

Photovoltaics for Highways 0920 - Covering highways and parking areas provides shade and does not use farmland, etc.

As Millions of Solar Panels Age Out, Recyclers Hope to Cash In 0223

Tariffs Threaten to Undermine Global Shift to Clean Energy 1022

This Is the Future - Rural Virginia Pivots from Coal to Green Jobs 0922

First Solar to Spend Up to $1.2 Billion to Expand U.S. Solar Panel Production 0822

Senators Plead with Biden for Quick End to Solar Trade Probe 0522

Why Covering Canals With Solar Panels Is a Power Move 0321

Inside First Solar’s Ohio Factory That Makes Solar Panels 0921

4 Ways to Make Solar Panels More Sustainable 0821 - repair & recycle

Solar Energy Heats Up Job Market around the Globe 0721

Recycling Next-Generation Solar Panels Fosters Green Planet 0621

Green Energy’s Dark Side; End-of-Life Disposal Threatens the Environment 0121

Wind and Solar Farms Can Make Their Own Weather, with Extra Rain over Sahara 0918

Trump’s Policies Are Costing 10,000 Jobs in America’s Solar Power Industry 0218

There Are Now Twice as Many Solar Jobs as Coal Jobs in the US 0217

Solar Power Will Cross a Carbon Threshold by 2018 - 1216 Cumulatively, PV produce more energy than it took to make.

Solar Impulse 2 Lands in Abu Dhabi, to Complete 1st 0-Fuel Flight around Earth 0716

More US Solar Jobs than Oil + Gas Extraction & Pipeline Jobs Combined In 2015 - 0116

Solar and Wind Just Did the Unthinkable 0116

Solar Job Boom Continues As Prices Spur Demand 0116

Leading UK Solar Entrepreneur to Put Business into Liquidation 1015

Modi Calls Solar ‘Ultimate Solution’ to India’s Energy Problem 0815

Clouds over China’s Solar Power Industry 0815 - factory overcapacity, bankruptcies, razor-thin margins

Cost of Household Solar Has Outweighed Benefits - Grattan Institute Report 0515

Obama Announces Solar Job Training Initiative, Meets with Utah Officials 0415

Leased Solar Panels Can Complicate — or Kill — a Home Sale 0315

Solar Power, and Somewhere to Store It 0315

Experts Claim Australians Waste Multi-Billion Dollar Subsidies on Cheap, Dodgy PV Panels 0215

Defective Panels Threatening Profit at China Solar Farms 0115

There Are About as Many US Jobs in Solar as in Coal 0115

Solar Jobs Report Shows Huge US Growth 0115

Rooftop Solar Adds $15,000 Premium to Home Values 0115

Rooftop Solar Already Cheaper than Utility Rates in 42 of 50 Largest US Cities 0115

Australia Green Energy Firms Hit by Target Cuts 1014

How Solar Desalination Could Help Parched Farms 0514

Flexible Solar Cells Could Release Toxic Metals After Disposal 1013

Solar Panels - Firefighters' Clean-Energy Foe 0913

Solar-Powered Travel - New Routes Across Sky, Sea and Land 0813

China's Solar PV Moguls 0813

Minnesota’s New Solar Law - Looking Beyond %s - 0513

US Military Goes Solar in Foreign Battle Zones 1010

Map of Solar & Wind Resources in China

Section Map: Fossil Fuels & Nuclear Energy