California’s new energy policy will ensure the sun keeps shining on the state’s solar industry even if it’s not likely to benefit the residential rooftop market.

The new energy policy passed by California legislators last week and waiting for a signature from Governor Jerry Brown, will require utilities to get 50 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and for building owners to double the efficiency of their properties by the same time.

The California Public Utilities Commission received dozens of proposals from the state’s publicly-traded utility companies Monday night offering a glimpse into the future of rooftop solar in the state.

State legislation passed in late 2013 tasked the commission with revamping utility regulations regarding residential utility bills and solar tariffs. The legislation dictates that the PUC prioritize continued rooftop solar industry growth while aligning solar costs and benefits.

A new California regulation that allows companies to package energy from small producers and sell it on the wholesale market is good news for the long-term viability of rooftop solar.

As utilities push back against paying the full retail rate for the power solar customers feed onto the grid, some expect the popularity of rooftop solar to wane. News outlets this week have noted that the meteoric rise of rooftop solar could slow when the 30 percent national investment tax credit declines in 2016 and as utilities reduce net metering payments.

When California legislators vote to increase the state’s renewable energy portfolio standard to 50 percent by 2030, will rooftop solar count toward the total?

Many will be surprised to learn that rooftop solar doesn’t currently count toward utility companies' quota requirements.

Solar energy is the perfect solution to providing low-cost power to the poorest people and to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If only we could find a way to encourage solar adoption where it would make the most difference...

The Obama administration is announcing a new initiative today that will encourage solar energy development in the poorest communities.

Residential rooftop solar is making more and more financial sense to homeowners across the country, which is driving record industry growth.

There were 76 percent more residential solar installations in the first quarter of 2015 than in the first quarter of 2014, according to the US Solar Market Insight report from Greentech Media released this week.

I recently went home shopping with some friends in Southern California. Aside from the striking price tags on the properties, two things stood out to me – swimming pools and rooftop solar panels are inherently desirable real estate inclusions.

Walking into an open house we stalked online, my friend’s husband said, “it already has a pool. That will save us $20,000.”

A few open houses later, the conversation about the rooftop solar went similarly,

Rooftop solar panels are proving profitable when homeowners sell, according to a recent study from the Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory.

Researchers evaluated 1,894 sales of California homes that featured rooftop solar arrays between 2000 and 2009 and compared them with 70,425 sales of homes without solar arrays.

On average, homebuyers paid an extra $24,705 for homes with rooftop solar arrays, according to the study titled “Exploring California PV Home Premiums.”

Last week, California’s legislature passed new bills to support the expansion of solar in what’s already the largest solar energy market in the U.S. Meanwhile the energy storage industry showed signs that it’s poised for significant growth in upcoming years, particularly due to an increase in the popularity of solar. This will be ideal to help stabilize the grid, especially in places where solar might be used independently of the grid, like in Chile, where SunEdison is moving forward on installing a 100 megawatt project.

The California Assembly unanimously passed a piece of legislation today that secures the future of the solar industry in the state.

With a vote of 65 to 0, AB 327 waits only for a signature from Governor Jerry Brown to become law.