At the Solar Power International (SPI) conference in Dallas last week, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) introduced eight Solar Champion Awards to organizations and people that were making significant process toward the goal of installing 10 gigawatts of solar in the U.S. annually by 2015.

Awardees ranged from elected officials like Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), to companies like Sempra Generation, Schneider Electric and Johnson & Johnson.

The eight categories, Adopter, Advocate, Federal Legislator, Governor, Innovator, Manufacturer, Project Developer and Service Provider, showcased the wide range of players in the world of solar, said a SEIA representative speaking on background.

Each was awarded for their particular actions in the realm of solar. For instance Giffords was awarded for introducing the Solar Technology Roadmap Act, which led to the SunShot Initiative (Modeled after the MoonShot Initiative of the 60s—remember her husband is an astronaut.), and her support of programs like the 1603 Treasury Grant Program.

Sempra Generation was recognized for its development of utility-scale projects in the U.S. southwest. The company has a pipeline of up to 1,400 megawatts of clean energy projects in the works, according to SIEA.

That’s not bad for a company that only started developing solar projects in the last few years.

“We moved into the space in 2008,” said Sempra spokesperson Scott Crider. “We’re absolutely honored and humbled by the award,”

Sempra began developing utility-scale solar installations in Nevada, Arizona and California in the past year. And the scale of those projects has quickly gone from 10s of megawatts to 100s of megawatts.

“It shows the continuous growth and expansion of solar in the U.S.,” Crider said. “Solar has become a viable and reliable, cost-effective source of energy for consumers.”

For instance, Sempra started working on the first, 150-megawatt phase of the Mesquite Solar project in Arizona this year.

“The Mesquite site we started on this year could support up to 700 megawatts,” Crider said.

Other winners included: Johnson & Johnson, which was awarded for its adoption of solar, with 21 projects across the world; Fred Morse, Morse Associates senior advisor and solar advocate, who was awarded for raising solar awareness among utilities and policymakers in the southwest; SunRun, for its work to lower the cost of solar for homeowners and for its work to reduce residential permitting costs for homeowners; Schneider Electric for its dual-voltage solar farm in Smyrna, Tenn.; and Hunton & Williams, which was awarded for its role as a service provider.

Image courtesy of SPI.