From January 2017 Press Release

Renton, WA-Home furnishings retailer IKEA recently completed an installation of solar panels atop the relocated Seattle-area store that opened in early Spring 2017. The project is the largest solar rooftop array in the state of Washington.

The store’s 244,000-square-foot solar array consists of a 1.13 MW system, built with 3,268 panels that will produce approximately 1,261,000 kWh of electricity annually for the store, the equivalent of reducing 886 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) – equal to the emissions of 187 cars or providing electricity for 131 homes yearly (calculating clean energy equivalents at www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator).

REC Solar, based in the Bay Area, designed the store’s solar array, which was installed by Seattle-based A&R Solar. Deacon Corp. managed the construction of the store, that reflects the unique architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide.

The Northwest Energy Coalition and the Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association hosted the Fall 2016 Northwest Clean & Affordable Energy Conference November 17 & 18 in Portland, Oregon. The roughly 200 conference attendees heard from leaders in the policy, utility, renewable energy, energy efficiency, fish and wildlife, and business sectors. They discussed challenges and opportunities in transitioning to the low-carbon grid, next-generation energy efficiency, building the market for clean energy investments, and salmon recovery in the Columbia River basin. Economic and policy opportunities for expanding solar in the Northwest were also highlighted.

The Energy Department announced $21.4 million in funding for 17 new projects to help reduce the "soft costs" commonly found with solar energy, such as installation, permitting, and connecting to the grid. As more U.S. consumers turn toward renewable energy each year, nine of the awards will focus on how the solar industry can sustain and accelerate this growth by understanding the motivations and factors that influence the technology adoption process, particularly in low- and moderate-income communities. The other eight awards will focus on tackling solar market challenges at the state and regional levels through better strategic energy and economic planning.

Everett, WA — Several thousand Snohomish County PUD customers are supporting solar energy by participating in the utility’s voluntary Planet Power green energy program. The PUD will fund two additional projects for installation in the coming months. With the new systems, the program now has helped fund 34 solar arrays throughout Snohomish County. This is the eighth year of grants under the program. Click to read more.

On Tuesday, August 22 Solar Washington Board President David Nicol served on a Climate Careers Panel for teens led by the Seattle Youth Climate Action Network in partnership with the Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Aquarium and Pacific Science Center. Nicol spoke to a group of approximately 50 high school students who were there to learn about careers in the renewable energy field and other science fields related to climate change.

The goal of this event was to expose participating teens to a range of career paths and fields that connect to studying and fighting climate change. The Seattle Youth Climate Action Network (CAN) empowers teens to address climate change in their communities through education, leadership, and action. The event was co-hosted by UW College of the Environment. Click to read panel bios.

The May 2016 SW General Meeting took place Wednesday, May 4 in Seattle. The May General Meeting featured two topics: 

• Post 2016 Legislative Session Discussion, and
• Next Generation Materials and Systems for Solar Energy Capture.

March 29, 2016 - During the 2015 Washington State Solar Summit presented by Solar Washington a panel of stakeholders discussed the future of net metering, third party ownership, and rate design. At the end of the Summit an impromptu meeting initiated by Dave Warren, Energy Services Director of the Washington Public Utilities Association (WPUDA) along with various stakeholders, was created for the purpose of staying on top of these issues.