Texas Solar Energy Society

09/02/2026

We are thrilled to announce that Houston Chapter HREG - Houston Renewable Energy Group (HREG) has relaunched after a hiatus! 📣They are currently planning a speaker series and other events, including the one below 👏

🌱On Sept. 17th: Join and the Citizens' Environmental Coalition (Houston) at IKEA Houston for a rooftop solar tour, plug-in solar show and tell, and conversation about plug-in solar, an emerging technology coming to home energy.
☀️ Panelists include our own Patrice "Pete" Parsons!
➡️ See more details & RSVP: https://txses.org/new-events/plug-in-solar-power-within-reach-ikea-tour-panel-speakers/

🌱 If you are in the Houston area and would like to join HREG activities or become involved with the group, please sign up for their mailing list here
➡️ https://houstonrenewableenergy.org/join/

08/28/2026

Congratulations to our own Executive Director Patrice "Pete" Parsons for winning the 2026 Leadership in Solar Policy and Market Transformation Award! ☀️👏

The award honors achievements crucial to the widespread adoption of and technologies, with demonstrated extraordinary leadership and innovations in solar policy and market transformation.

Pete has been a leading advocate for and renewable energy across public service and the nonprofit sector for the last three decades, leading TXSES — and Texas — in advocacy for the last seven years. Her career reflects a deep commitment to collaboration, particularly through managing public–private partnerships that advance economic development and energy independence.

🎉☀️ Congratulations again, Pete! 🎉☀️

This week, the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) announced its 2026 roster of award recipients, recognizing outstanding contributions in eight categories across the solar field. The honorees will be celebrated at SOLAR 2026, ASES's 55th annual national conference, held October 19–21 at the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Texas. The Awards Luncheon will take place Tuesday, October 20 at noon.

"Each year, this program shines a light on the people who are moving solar and renewable energy forward, in the lab, in industry, in policy, and in communities nationwide," said Carly Rixham, Executive Director of ASES. “The achievements we celebrate this year are a testament to the continuing success of solar technologies and to the viability of the ASES vision for a world equitably and sustainably transformed to 100% renewable energy.”

The ASES Awards Program is supported through the volunteer efforts of ASES members, including former awardees, noted solar practitioners, and thought leaders from across the field. This year, longtime Awards Program Chair Jill Cliburn will pass Awards Committee leadership to ASES Board Vice Chair and former ASES Award winner Sean White. Other 2026 Awards Program Committee members included Marlene Brown, Trudy Forsyth, Yogi Goswami, Anita Ledbetter, Paulette Middleton, PhD, Tom Thompson, Dave Renne, and Julian (Jialiang) Wang.

Check out our latest press release: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-solar-energy-society-announces-2026-award-winners-and-fellow-inductees-302860127.html

Register for SOLAR 2026: ases.org/conference

08/27/2026

The new Solar Report is out today!🚨☀️ Read it on our website OR be the first to know by having it delivered directly to your inbox! 📩
➡️ Read it here: https://txses.org/the-solar-report/
➡️ Subscribe: https://txses.org/subscribe-2/

✅ This edition features:
⚡TXSES Heads Into 90th Legislature with a Focus on DERs and Solar Access (by TXSES Executive Director Patrice "Pete" Parsons)
⚡CPS Energy Scales Up Community Solar: A Big Step Forward for San Antonio (by Big Sun Solar President Jason Pittman)
⚡Powering the World Cup: From Stadiums to Carports (by TXSES' own Jeremy Lian)
⚡Platinum Business Member Industry Spotlight: Atmos
⚡TXSES chapter updates, events, headlines and more!

08/25/2026

Great message about the new solar licensing rules from Business Members Solar Edge Pros!

08/25/2026

Next week in Washington, DC!⚡️The annual Renewable Energy Markets (REM) conference convenes a broad spectrum of industry professionals who are rapidly transforming the global marketplace. ☀️ TXSES is a Supporting Organization!
🗓️ September 1–3, 2026
➡️ Register: renewableenergymarkets.com/us/register

For 30 years, the REM™ conference has remained the leading event for promoting and accelerating the clean energy economy.

The REM™ conference brings corporate leaders, policymakers, and suppliers together to collaborate and guide the rapidly expanding market. Attendees explore emerging trends in policy, exchange best practices in renewable energy procurement and marketing, review the latest technology and market innovations, and help shape the future for renewable energy.

08/24/2026

TOMORROW, 11am CDT 📣 Join Solar United Neighbors for this webinar on Solar System Maintenance! ☀️
➡️ RSVP: https://txses.org/new-events/webinar-solar-system-maintenance-sun/

Learn what to do in typical maintenance situations, how SUN can help you find a maintenance provider, and what resources are available to you to prepare for your visit.

You'll leave with an understanding of the typical costs involved, how to make informed decisions on maintenance providers, and who to call if you need advice.

08/21/2026

We had a great time at the informative this week in Austin! Yesterday, Executive Director Patrice "Pete" Parsons moderated the panel: “The Future of Smaller Scale Clean Energy: Resi, Community & Other Distributed Projects."

It was a great conversation about the opportunities and challenges ahead for distributed clean energy in Texas—and the important role that residential, community, and other smaller-scale projects can play in our energy future.

Panelists included:
✅ Valerie Paxton, Solar Program Manager, Austin Energy
✅ Margo Weisz, Executive Director, Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute;
✅ Ruby Nahan, Researcher, National Laboratory of the Rockies; and
✅ Dub Taylor, TXSES Board Member & Chief Executive Officer, Texas Pace Authority

08/20/2026

Article Alert! 🚨📣 "Distributed Solar Around the World: What Texas Can Learn from Australia and Germany," in the latest ! ⚡️Written by intern & researcher Jeremy Lian! 👏

➡️ Read it here: https://txses.org/distributed-solar-around-the-world-what-texas-can-learn-from-australia-and-germany/
✅ Subscribe to The Solar Report: https://bit.ly/TXSES-Subscribe

Different countries are approaching the energy transition in different ways. Australia is actively showing what can happen when rooftop solar and home batteries reach mass adoption, whereas Germany is now more focused on increasing accessibility through smaller plug-in solar systems that can work for renters and apartment residents. Both countries are showing how solar can make an immediate impact, and this impact is something well within reach for Texas.

08/19/2026

New report showing that more , wind, and batteries put more money in Texans’ pockets by creating more low-cost, home-grown energy! ☀️💲

https://energyinnovation.org/report/let-the-sun-in-clean-energy-is-the-cheapest-way-to-meet-rising-demand/

Meeting U.S. demand growth with fossil fuels will add $29.7 billion to customer bills per year by 2030, clean energy can do it for less.

08/17/2026

Starts TOMORROW! 🚨📣 TXSES is a Supporting Organization for the Summit 2026️ — members & friends get 15% off registration (use code 260910) 📣 OR, for a limited time, get $250 off using code TX250! (Your choice!)

➡️ Learn more & register: https://txses.org/new-events/texas-clean-energy-2026/
📍 Hyatt Regency Austin, 208 Barton Springs, Austin, TX 78704
🗓️ August 18–20, 2026

📣 Thursday (Aug. 20), Executive Director Patrice "Pete" Parsons will moderate: “The Future of Smaller Scale Clean Energy: Resi, Community & Other Distributed Projects“
🗓️ 10:45am – 11:30am

Panelists include:
✅ Valerie Paxton, Solar Program Manager, Austin Energy
✅ Margo Weisz, Executive Director, Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute;
✅ Ruby Nahan, Researcher, National Laboratory of the Rockies; and
✅ Dub Taylor, TXSES Board Member & Chief Executive Officer, Texas Pace Authority

Texas’ energy boom is accelerating as load growth, project development, and interconnection requests surge across the state. Texas has surpassed California in installed solar capacity, while energy storage deployment is rapidly expanding. At the same time, explosive demand from data centers, AI, advanced manufacturing, and a fast-growing population is placing unprecedented pressure on the grid.

Infocast Events’s Texas Clean Energy Summit brings together policymakers, regulators, developers, financiers and investors, asset owners, QSEs, and offtakers to unpack these developments and more to prepare for what’s ahead in .