To say that the solar industry is heating up even as a heat wave wilts crops across the midwest is somewhat ironic. It’s summer; it’s hot, but it’s also true, and the industry’s health was evident last week at Intersolar North America, one of the largest solar industry events in North America. But last week also saw new solar contests, a new stadium going solar and photovoltaic efficiency records being broken.

Intersolar was an opportunity for renewable energy luminaries and advocates to discuss the driving factors behind the solar industry in the U.S. and across the world. Among the event’s speakers were DOE SunShot Initiative Director Prof. Ramesh Ramamoorty, Parliamentary State Secretary of Germany Katharina Reiche and Solar Energy Industries Association Executive Director Rhone Resch. One of the most pressing issues raised at the conference was about the need for a feed-in tariff for solar in the U.S. and how to implement such a scheme.

Also discussed at Intersolar was the need for transatlantic cooperation to help further solar development in Europe, the U.S. and throughout the world. Such cooperation, Reiche said, will help decrease dependency on fossil fuels from unstable countries while domestically creating sustainable jobs.

Prior to Intersolar, SunPower invited media to two of its California locations, where reporters got a hands-on demonstration of how to install photovoltaics, and a chance to speak with company executives—including President Emeritus Richard Swanson. Swanson discussed how changes in commercial agriculture, which now uses highly sophisticated equipment including robotic harvesting equipment, could be adapted to the solar industry as it pursues central power-plant sized solar farms.

States, like Arizona, are increasing their push for more solar. Arizona Commerce Authority’s Managing Director of Business Attraction, for instance, had 13 meetings with companies at Intersolar. He was there to bring more solar companies to Arizona or open up offices there.

San Francisco launched its Solar@Work campaign, an effort to increase solar adoption by businesses in the Golden Gate City. The campaign is a group-purchasing discount aimed at companies with long-term leases or that own their buildings. As more companies sign up, the discounts get bigger. Businesses and property owners can apply for the discount until October 14.

The merger of two utilities in Vermont could help spread the adoption of solar in that state. Following the announcement that Gaz Metro subsidiary, Green Mountain Power, won the Governer’s Environmental Award for its solar incentive programs, the company announced that it would acquire Central Vermont Public Service, another utility in the state to expand solar coverage.

The Washington Redskins are greening the gridiron with a new 8,000 NRG photovoltaic panel carport array being installed over a premium parking lot. The array will provide power for the stadium. It’s the latest NFL franchise to go solar. Already the Seattle Seahawks have installed a photovoltaic array and the Philadelphia Eagles also are going solar in big way.

Last week was a good week for thin-film photovoltaic manufacturer Uni-Solar, an Energy Conversion Devices subsidiary. The company announced reaching 16.3 percent efficiency in laboratory tests, a new record for thin-films. The company will now work to commercialize the efficiency level, but it will likely take a few years before it reaches the market. The company now is selling modules rated at roughly 12 percent efficiency. The higher levels of efficiency will make the modules more attractive to the homeowner market.

Photo: Chris Meehan / Clean Energy Authority.