More and more Washingtonians are curious about solar, how it works, how much it costs, and how it can serve their needs. Solar Washington is a 501(c)3 mainly volunteer-driven non-profit organization with a mission to promote the uses and benefits of solar energy to all Washingtonians. Our activities include providing solar educational resources and presentations for the public and industry personnel, hosting informational and networking events, and more. Below are examples of our work over the past few years. 

Pictured: Solar Washington volunteer Craig Olson demonstrating how a solar powered fan works to kids at Penny Creek Elementary School in Everett (May 2019).

2020 Activities & Accomplishments:

• Website updates and content improvements (nearly 29,000 users so far in 2020)
• Hosted our first ever Virtual Solar Trivia Night for Solar Washington members in November
• Presented the 2020 Virtual Washington State Solar Summit in October
• Hosted Battery Based Systems: Design Considerations for Washington Solar webinar presented by Steve Higgins of Rolls Battery in July. 
• Presented Opportunities for emerging perovskite-based PV webinar presented by UW Clean Energy Institute's David Ginger in June. 
• Hosted Member-Only Virtual Happy Hour in May with special guest Lawrence Tsang, Executive Advisor, Strategy with Convergent Energy + Power, who shared his thoughts concerning energy storage and solar in the Pacific Northwest including general policy changes taking place in Washington and what storage has done in other geographies.
• Added Solar for Tribal & Indigenous Communities resources page on our website.  
• Presented An Introduction to Solar webinar in April.
• Recorded and shared an introduction to solar for kids video.
• Presented webinar on Rural Energy for America Program in January.

2019 Activities & Accomplishments:

• Presented the January 2019 Community Forum.
• Hosted a solar networking night in Tacoma in February.
• Presented a Solar 101 at the Coalfield Crossing residential neighborhood annual meeting near Renton in March.
• Hosted a solar networking night in Olympia in March.
• Tabled at the 2019 Celebration of Science fair in Richland in April.
• Tabled at the 2019 Bellevue College Earth Week in Bellevue in April.
• SW Board Member Jack Newman Speaks at a meeting on community engagement in energy democracy in April 2019.
• SW presented to over 100 fourth grade students at Penny Creek Elementary's Science Day in Everett on May 30. 
• Watt sponsor and exhibitor at the 2019 Northwest SolarFest in July. 
• Tabled at the 2019 Sustainable Ballard Festival in September. 
• Presented the 2019 Washington State Solar Summit on October 18 in Bellevue.
• Presented and tabled at the 2019 Farm & Food Expo in in October Spokane, WA.
• Hosted a forum on Community Solar December 18 in Seattle, WA. 

2018 Activities & Accomplishments:

• Presented the January 2018 General Meeting
• Presented the March 2018 General Meeting
• Participated in the 2018 YMCA Earth Service Corps Environmental Symposium where SW personnel presented in front of 20 students from all throughout the Puget Sound
• Participated at Richland's Celebration of Science, a festival showcasing contributions of science based industries in the Mid Columbia area of Washington state
• Hosted an information table at the 2018 Bellevue Neighborhoods Conference.
• Co-presented the Washington Women in Solar Networking Event on May 2 with DLR Group in Seattle. 
• Hosted an information table at the 2018 Energy Management Congress in Seattle
• Spearheaded the July 11 solar + energy efficiency tour of Google in Kirkland
• Solar Washington was a sponsor and exhibitor at the July 28 Northwest Solarfest in Shoreline.
• Presented a night of networking and a presentation by Solarize Puerto Rico at Hellbent Brewing Company on September 5 in Seattle. 
• Presented the 2018 Washington State Solar Summit on October 19
• Presented a November 2018 community event at the Phinney Center in Seattle featuring guests from the Northwest Energy Coalition and Shift Zero.

2017 Activities & Accomplishments:

• Presented the 2017 Washington State Solar Summit
• Delivered a presentation on solar at the Fall Real Estate Conference presented by the Seattle Chapter of the Appraisal Institute
• Presented the January, March, May and July General Meetings
• Co-hosted an Open House in September at the Washington Clean Energy Testbeds at the University of Washington-Seattle
• Publicized its support for HB 1048 and provided grassroots efforts in support of the bill; provided a comprehensive listing of solar and energy related legislation introduced in the 2017 legislative session
• Facilitated Solar 101 presentation to high school aged students at Emerson H.S. in Kirkland, WA
• Participated in the 2017 YMCA Earth Service Corps Environmental Symposium where SW personnel presented in front of 30 students from all throughout the Puget Sound
• Presented on solar and its uses at the April 2017 Tri-Cities Climate Forum as well as the 2017 Celebration of Science Day organized by the WSU Tri-Cities Environmental Club.
• Shared solar information for the general public at an info table at the People's Climate Festival & March on April 29 in Richland, WA where over 300 people turned out.

Solar Washington participated in the 2017 YMCA Earth Service Corps Environmental Symposium (pictured left). Here's feedback from staff, volunteers and participants:

"Many youth commented that they learned a lot (from Solar Washington), loved that your presentation was interactive and highlighted it as the workshop from which they learned the most. A handful of evaluations also specifically highlighted that they felt hopeful after Solar Washington's workshop. Our staff and volunteers also commented on the high quality and engaging nature of your workshop. It was highlighted as one of the best by all groups!"

2016 Activities & Accomplishments:

• Presented January, March, May, July and November General Meetings. 
• Attended and/or tabled at the following outreach events
  • Northwest SolarFest (Shoreline, WA)
  • Sustainable Ballard (Seattle, WA)
  • Aviation Technical Services Earth Day event (Everett, WA)
  • Energy Management Congress Expo (Seattle, WA)
  • Youth Climate Action Summit Fair at the Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle, WA)
  • Attended Fall 2016 Northwest Clean & Affordable Energy Conference (Portland, OR)
• Invested in a new website with more user-friendly functionalities and improved database and communication capabilities
• Presented the 2016 Washington State Solar Summit (Shoreline, WA)
• Provided a Solar 101 presentation at the United Church (University Place, WA); shared solar resource materials for Go Green Tricities for the Elements at the REACH event (Richland, WA)
• Supported the #SolarStrong effort to encourage a healthy solar industry in Washington
• Utilized the industry expertise of Solar Washington's board of directors and volunteers to answer solar-related questions via our website and at outreach events

Notable Past Programs & Accomplishments:

• Organized the state solar tour in conjunction with the national solar tour annually since October 2000, and coordinate the 4th largest tour in the nation in 2005, with over 150 sites and more than 1,200 visitors in at least a dozen communities, statewide.
• Produced a 2014 survey reporting on the positive impact of solar on Washington's economy.
• Continuously host bi-monthly public General Meetings bringing homeowners, clean energy advocates and industry professionals to discuss solar news, information, research and more.
• Participated in Northwest Solar Communities, a team of jurisdictions, utilities, industry partners, and citizen groups facilitated by Northwest SEED (now Spark Northwest), Washington Department of Commerce, Oregon Department of Energy, Solar Oregon and other groups, which worked to make the process of going solar simple, fast, and cost effective for customers and the jurisdictions and utilities that serve them.
• Presented the 2015 and 2016 Washington State Solar Summits which welcomed industry personnel across the state in discussions concerning the current and future state of solar in Washington.

Also, ongoing...

• Solar Washington participates in the Washington PV module recycling program planning.  
• SW Board of Directors field solar-related questions from the general public via our website.  

How you or your company can support our efforts

Click on the image to the left to become a member or a sponsor of Solar Washington.

Picture of Solar Washington board members Dean Van Vleet, Joan Schrammeck, Chandra Romel and Craig Wahl on a tour of PSE's Wild Horse facility in Kittitas County (November 2018).