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Feature Article:
Plummeting Solar Panel Prices Hardly Reduce Costs
– Solar is Still Worth It
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The cost of solar panels has dropped more than 65 percent over the past 15 years, making them far more affordable. The total cost of installing solar panels has actually risen a little, though, due to higher costs of labor and other components. Still, installing solar is worth it.
Cost of Solar and Breakeven
Even though the cost per watt of solar panels has indeed dropped about 65 percent over the past 15 years, according to the Department of Energy, installing solar is not inexpensive. Solar panels are less than a third of the total cost of installation. So even though solar hardware costs have fallen in recent years, soft costs such as labor and overhead represent a growing share of total solar system costs...
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Guest Article:
Electrical Generation by Renewables Expanded by over 11% in the First Quarter of 2026
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Over the coming year, U.S. EIA projects new utility-scale solar, wind and better storage capacity to gro more than 80.6 gigawatts as nuclear and fossil fuel capacity falls by 4.3 gigawatts.
EIA and FERC analyses forsee strong renewables and battery growth through 2030 and beyond.
Washington DC – New data recently released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), and reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign, reveals growth of more than...
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Join us for a candid, discussion-based conversation with three women making their mark in the solar industry.
Hear from Catherine Zingg (Tribal Program Policy Director, Tribal Energy Alternatives), Emily Graham (Project Engineer, Teichos Energy), and Erin Zygaitis (Program Manager, Oregon Solar + Storage Industries Association) as they share their journeys into the field, the work they're currently doing, and their perspectives on opportunities and challenges for women in solar.
Whether you're new to the industry or a seasoned professional, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.
When: Wednesday June 24th | 12:00 PM
Where: Zoom (Link provided upon registration)
Cost: Free
Register Here
| Webinar: What To Do When Your Solar Contractor Ghosts You | |
If you started the solar progress, or even have a complete installation- the company going out of business can cause lots of confusion and frustration.
In this webinar, Dever Haffner-Ratliffe of Solar Quote Check LLC and Anders Alexander of Meta Electric LLC will walk through options and potential remedies, resources, and how to screen your next solar contractor.
When: Wednesday July 15th | 12:00 PM
Where: Zoom (Link provided upon registration)
Cost: Free
Register Here
| Introducing Summer Solar-stice! | |
Solar Washington is observing the Summer Solstice on June 25th by bringing together our members and prospective members in Ballard and Spokane for an evening of networking, refreshments, and connection with Solar Washington staff and board members as well as your fellow members.
Venue provided after RSVP
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June 9th, Virtual, Opportunities and Challenges for Data Center Renewables, Join us for this webinar as we explore how solar and storage solutions can power data centers efficiently and cost-effectively. Learn from industry experts about market trends, deployment strategies, and best practices for capturing this growing opportunity—whether you’re a small contractor or a large integrator
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☀️ June 10th, Zoom, Solar Washington Volunteer Orientation Interested in volunteering for Solar Washington? Join us to learn more about Solar Washington and our opportunities for volunteering.
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June 11th, Virtual, Evaluating Solar Module Reliability: Inside the Kiwa PVEL Scorecard, This webinar explores how independent reliability testing from Kiwa PVEL reveals performance differences between solar modules and how that data can support smarter procurement and risk management decisions in solar projects.
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June 11th, Virtual, Ballast/Hybrid Engineering- Understanding AHJ Requirements and How to Expedite Design & Permitting, The session will include a live walkthrough of Sollega's new online design tool, which allows users to generate code compliant permit ready (dry stamp provided) engineering reports quickly and efficiently. We'll use it to demonstrate what a complete, stamp-ready submission looks like from layout through output so attendees leave with a concrete understanding of both the engineering principles and what modern design documentation looks like in practice.
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June 17th, Virtual, What's Changing in Solar Mounting and How Installers Can Stay Ahead This Solar Power World webinar will break down how residential solar mounting has evolved to meet modern roofing challenges and what installers should be paying attention to on today’s job sites. The session will focus on roofing basics, proper site visits as well as practical roof attachment innovations that include advanced waterproofing methods, decking attachment strategies, integrated wire management, and system designs in order to help crews work faster and safer on the roof.
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June 20th, Port Angeles, Spin Your Meter Backwards With Solar Come learn why grid-tied PV is the most reliable and economically sensible way to generate your own energy with Power Trip Energy Corp.
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☀️ June 25th, Ballard & Spokane, Solar Washington Summer Solar-stice Gathering Solar Washington is observing the Summer Solstice by bringing together our members in Ballard and Spokane for an evening of networking and connection. Members only. More details to come.
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June 27, Chimacum, All County Preparedness Day Power Trip Energy Corp will present on solar and battery backup systems for home energy resilience at 11am June 27th at Finnriver Farm & Cidery in Chimacum, WA., as part of Jefferson County's annual community preparedness gathering. The event is is free, open to all Jefferson County residents.
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June 30, Virtual, Solar United Neighbors Policy and Advocacy Chat, Grab your favorite cup of coffee and join us for a lively virtual discussion on the latest developments in solar policy and advocacy. This informal, interactive event is designed to connect and engage as we dive into the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of solar energy. In June the focus is on Virtual Power Plants but please bring all your policy questions - regardless of whether they're VPP related.
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July 2, Virtual, Holistic Design: Ending the Relay Race in Utility-Scale PV Projects This webinar will focus on projects where the isolated excellence of these teams has led to systemic failure later on, which could have been avoided with an earlier look at the project’s big picture. It will discuss how this feeds into a “Holistic Design” approach, and the advantages that come with looking at the big picture and evaluating trade-offs across disciplines, simultaneously rather than sequentially.
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July 13-19, Bellingham/Seattle/Tacoma/Vancouver, PNW Climate Week, PNW Climate Week is a week of community-powered events happening across 7 cities from Vancouver, BC, Canada, to Bend, Oregon, USA. The mission is to transition to an equitable, climate-positive bioregion - that gives back more than it takes. The events spark new ideas, forge lasting partnerships, and shorten the journey from awareness to action.
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☀️ October 9, Seattle, Washington State Solar Summit 2026.
SAVE THE DATE.
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