What is the best place to find solar news?
We know, there’s a dizzying array of solar news and everyone’s got an opinion.
Some people love solar, some people hate it. One person thinks the industry is growing, another thinks there’s no future in renewables. With so many different viewpoints, who are we to trust? How do we know that the solar news we’re reading are reliable?
Well, we’ve come to the rescue, putting together the short list below of 10 reputable sites publishing up-to-date solar news and information on the solar industry and technology. All the sites below are well-known, established and respected solar news sources. Because sometimes you don’t want opinions, you want hard facts.
1. Greentech Media
Best for: Thought-provoking dives into the renewables industry
If you want to go deep into the inner-workings of the solar industry, check out Greentech Media’s website. They provide extremely up-to-date information on solar, wind, storage and a host of other green energy-related topics. Many in the solar industry themselves trust Greentech Media to get a grasp on serious issues and developments surrounding solar, from how to deal with scuffles with utilities to Tesla’s microgrid in American Samoa.
Visit Greentech Media
2. Solar Today
Best for: A broad overview of everything and anything solar-related
Solar Today is an incredibly dense resource packed with tons of information on solar, including the latest news on big installations, new technology, and the solar industry. A lot of the information is geared towards readers in the industry or who do have some background knowledge on solar, but they also publish news articles on rooftop solar, residential financing and even DIY solar projects. You can get lost for days learning about how oil price is affecting solar, the world’s largest solar power plant, and even setting up DIY solar for Burning Man. Want your news in an easy and succinct format? Check out their backlog of newsletters that goes back almost 10 years!
Visit Solar Today
3. Solar News from CleanTechnica
Best for: Learning about solar technology, technology updates, and solar integration in other technology areas.
Check out CleanTechnica to stay current on all the latest fun technological advancements in solar that cause a hub-bub. They have a strong focus on electric vehicles (EVs)–if you aren’t careful you can forget your initial reason for visiting the site as you read about high-performance EVs fast enough to rival Italian super cars and how cities across the world are seeking to ban diesel cars. After you remember you came to the site to learn about solar, you can read up on new high-efficiency solar cells and how Tesla is focusing more and more on energy storage.
Visit CleanTechnica
4. Solar Power World
Best for: Annual rankings of the best solar equipment and components
If you’re looking to stay on top of the latest advancements in solar installations and equipment, check out Solar Power World. The site publishes rankings each year of the best solar products and manufacturers, from mounting systems to battery storage and even to installation components like junction boxes, meters and ice guards. The site publishes articles about new models of inverters and solar panels and also covers ground-breaking installations across the world as well.
Visit Solar Power World
5. Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE)
Best for: Current information on solar policy and incentives in the US
DSIRE is the place to go for up-to-date information on solar policy, regulations and incentives. Funded by the US Department of Energy and run by the University of North Carolina, the site is a repository of federal, state, and local regulations and financial incentives. If you’re looking to see what laws affect your installation or what incentives you’re eligible for, DSIRE is THE place to go. Type in your zip code and use the filters to wade through the thousands of programs included in the site.
Visit DSIRE
6. Renewable Energy World
Best for: News on international government policy around solar
Another exhaustive site that publishes news on the solar industry from across the world, Renewable Energy World really focuses on large-scale topics – the future of solar under Trump, renewables in the developing world and the World Energy Congress. As you can probably surmise from the name of the site, they don’t just limit themselves to the solar industry, they also focus on wind, geothermal, biofuels and a host of other renewable-related topics.
Visit Renewable Energy World
7. PV Magazine
Best for: News on the global solar market
Somewhat similar to Renewable Energy World, PV Magazine focuses on tracking and analyzing the international growth of solar, but with more of a focus on the solar market instead of policy. The site documents growth, buyouts, and sales of key players in the industry as well as major steps those businesses make, like SolarCity moving into the Florida market in December 2016 after an anti-solar bill was voted down.
Visit PV Magazine
8. SEIA (Solar Energy Industries Association)
Best for: Graphs of solar industry growth and maturation
SEIA is well known across the industry for their highly detailed and deep dives into solar industry trends, especially around cost changes and growth in the US. Now that you’re in the know, you’ll see sites across the website citing and highlighting information from their famous blue graphs, like this one on the growth of solar installations in the US since 2010 (43% annually!). Visit their Research and Resources section to learn about how the industry has changed over the last 10 years. Fascinating stuff and their findings make you excited about the future of solar!
Visit SEIA
9. Utility Dive
Best for: Staying up to date on utility-happenings around solar
Utility Dive focuses on… you guessed it, utilities. It might sound counterintuitive to include a utility-focused site in an article about sources for solar news, but if you want to stay up to date on how utilities and state regulators are reacting to the huge growth in solar, take a look at their Solar & Renewables section.
Visit Utility Dive
10. Understand Solar
Best for: Oh, just about everything!
I know, I know. It’s shameless promotion, but here at Understand Solar we’ve got all the information you need to not only understand your own solar installation, but also stay up to date on all the latest solar-related happenings. From new technological breakthroughs such as solar fabric and even to the political sphere, we’ve got it covered! Want to learn about solar in your area? We’ve got that too!
Feel like we missed some great solar news sites? Write it in the comments!