Solar Washington volunteer Craig Olson along with SW Executive Director Patrick Nugent presented at Penny Creek Elementary School's annual Science Day in Everett on Thursday, May 30. Solar Washington was one of several other organizations and individuals who presented on various science related topics to elementary school kids throughout the day. 

Representatives from companies, government agencies and advocacy organizations met on Thursday, April 25 at the Centilia Cultural Center in Seattle to continue the conversation around building the movement for energy democracy.

On hand was special guest Denise Fairchild, author of Energy Democracy: Advancing Equity in Clean Energy Solutions. who is the inaugural president of Emerald Cities Collaborative, a national nonprofit organization of business, labor, and community groups. She is charged with advancing ECC’s “high-road” mission to green our cities, build resilient local economies and ensure equity inclusion in both the process and outcomes of a new green and healthy economy.

Denise drew from her book to establish the conversation during the workshop which aimed to address questions such as the following:

• Who makes decisions about our energy systems and structures?
• What are the barriers to energy democracy broadly and in our local context?
• What assets and opportunities do we have to overcome those barriers to increase community ownership over our energy system and reduce energy burdens?
• What is the role of utilities in energy democracy, and how can they serve communities in a democratic way?
• How can we use energy democracy as tool for advancing affordable housing?

The audience also heard from local panel of experts about work going on in the region to advance community-owned energy, improve access to both energy efficiency and renewable energy, and increase community development and ownership of renewable energy resources. This includes SW board member Jack Newman of Sazan Environmental Services (pictured below) who spoke about utilizing solar in unique ways as to promote resiliency, energy independence, equity and more. Also speaking were Katrina Peterson, Climate Justice Program Manager at Puget Sound Sage, and Derek Hoshiko, community-supported organizer with For the People. 

Pictures by Patrick Nugent

LIND, Wash. - In a place known for fields of wheat, something new sprouted up. The largest solar farm in Washington spans more than 200 acres with 81,000 solar panels. Click to view slide show. 

Solar Washington Board Member (and CEO of Pure Solar) Rich Phillips (pictured left) and SW Executive Director Patrick Nugent gave a presentation on solar on Friday, March 23, 2018 on the campus of the University of Washington in Seattle in front of 20 Puget Sound area students at the YMCA's annual Environmental Symposium presented by YMCA's Earth Service Corps. Click to learn more about the Earth Services Corps.

Solar Washington's presentation covered the various uses of solar (including solar PV and passive), how solar works, why solar is important from environmental and economic perspectives, as well as career opportunities in solar. Students asked a range of questions and were presented with hands-on items including solar PV wafers that are incorporated into panels, a solar PV panel itself, and more

Solar Plus is a regional effort led by a broad coalition of stakeholders that are working towards tripling the amount of solar energy installed in Washington and Oregon by 2019.

Solar Washington President David Nicol presented an introduction to solar in the residential market in front of an audience of real estate professionals and appraisers at the October 6 Fall Real Estate Conference presented by the Seattle Chapter of the Appraisal Institute and held at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in downtown Seattle.

By Joan Schrammeck, Solar Washington Board Member

Signed by the Governor on July 7, 2017, SB 5939 moves clean renewable solar electricity forward in our state now through 2029. The bill was backed by a strong broad coalition led by Solar Installers of Washington (SIW) that included manufacturers, suppliers, utilities, environmentalists, clean tech industry leaders, Democrats, Republicans and would not have passed without the ten thousand citizens who repeatedly contacted their legislators to urge its passage.

The purposes of the new program are outlined in the bill. These are in plain English and easy to understand, so I’ll let you read them online or on paper. The importance of the purposes is they give the legislature a way to evaluate whether or not the program is working to meet its goals.