SolTerra

Alki Elementary students started school this year in a brand new building powered by solar installed by Solterra Solar.

In addition to solar, the school is also powered by both geothermal and the grid. Instead of keeping the clean energy systems a mystery behind the walls, educational murals throughout the school invite students to learn how their classrooms are lit, warmed, and cooled.

"The solar system will be integrated into the school's curriculum," said Principal Mason Skeffington, "with signage and educational materials teaching students about renewable energy and its impact on the environment."

This project is a powerful example of Seattle investing in its own future:
⚡ Solterra Solar is a Seattle-based solar installer and electrical company.
🔧 We used panels made by Silfab Solar, a local manufacturer just down the road in Burlington, WA.
💡 Alki Elementary’s solar system will power 30+ years of student learning in West Seattle.
🌎 The switch to clean energy protects the climate these students will inherit from us.

Collectively, we’ve powered a brighter future for Seattle’s businesses, students, and environment.

Congratulations to all involved in this project. Here’s to Seattle's future investments in the clean energy transition. 😎

Silfab Solar Inc. Seattle Public Schools

We saved the best for last.

The mic drop moment from Aimee’s testimony at the Washington Building Code Council's public hearing went like this:

“Allowing this code as written will create a solar avoidance loophole and it would result in fewer renewables, for more money.”

What’s she referring to, exactly?

The proposed changes create a compliance loophole that lets developers avoid installing solar by paying into a fund or building an undersized system elsewhere (often on affordable housing).

But neither of these options is equivalent to real on-site generation.

The result? Less actual clean energy per dollar.

More from Aimee's testimony on the Washington State Energy Code last Friday.

➡️ Install during construction, not later. Solar is cheapest when the roof and electrical are being built. Deferring it to a retrofit just drives up the cost for the same energy generation.

➡️ Don't exempt affordable housing. Capped rents mean these buildings can't offset rising energy costs like market-rate properties can. Solar would actually help keep their costs down.

More testimony highlights coming soon.

Today, Solterra Solar CEO Aimee Carpenter testified at the Washington Building Code Council's public hearing on proposed changes to the Washington State Energy Codes.

Aimee’s been in the solar industry since 2008, and has navigated many iterations of state incentives and code requirements. She understands how laws play out in practice.

We're breaking down her testimony in a 3-part series, starting with her first point on Proposal 24-GP-187, Section 411.1.

The issue: multifamily system sizing.

The current formula can require solar systems bigger than a building's shared meter will ever actually use. The goal is clean energy progress, not wasted equipment and investment.

Aimee's ask was simple: cap system size to match real usage. Every dollar spent should generate energy the building actually needs.

Part 2 dropping soon.

🏆 For the 11th year in a row, Solterra Solar has been named to Solar Power World’s Top Solar Contractors List!

The 2026 list recognizes solar companies across the country based on their impact from the previous year. In 2025, our team installed 2,027 kW of solar and 1,459 kWh of energy storage across residential and commercial projects, earning us a spot as the #6 Washington-based solar installer and among the top 300 solar contractors nationwide.

But our success isn’t measured by installation volume alone. We measure it by the thousands of conversations, permits, utility processes, and local projects that have helped Washington families and businesses take control of their energy.

As a hyper-local solar installer, we bring nearly 20 years of experience navigating Western Washington’s unique utilities, permitting requirements, incentives, and climate conditions. That local knowledge helps our customers make smarter energy decisions, and it’s something national companies simply can’t replicate.

When you choose a local solar expert, you’re choosing a team that knows your community.

Ready to explore solar for your home or business? Get started today: https://solar.solterra.com/quote/.

Solterra Solar CEO Aimee Carpenter tours Seattle’s first solar-powered hydroponic farm on Cherry Street Farm’s opening day.

Helping power visions like this is why we love solar. Hip Hop is Green is revolutionizing climate education in Seattle’s Central District. We can’t wait to see the ripple effect of their work in the CD and beyond.

As Aimee says, this is the future of sustainability.

Hip Hop is Green Cherry Street Farms

Keith Tucker, founder of Hip Hop is Green, wants you to reimagine what fighting climate change looks like.

Hip Hop is Green is creating the next generation of climate changemakers in Seattle's Central District. Through its Cherry Street Farm project, the organization reimagines how hip hop's revolutionary demands for social change can translate into climate-resilient safe havens for young Black, Indigenous, and people of color.


Cherry Street Farms

Welcome to Cherry Street Farm, Seattle's first solar-powered hydroponic growing lab + farm. (and Solterra’s first solar mural install).

In the heart of the Central District, a historically Black neighborhood in Seattle, Hip Hop is Green is empowering the next generation of climate activists. Through farming and plant-based cooking, students learn how what's on their plate affects both health and the environment.

For Keith Tucker, founder of Hip Hop is Green, powering the farm with solar was always the plan. But like a true visionary, he wanted to push beyond the status quo.

Join us in celebrating the gifted artists who transformed Solterra Solar’s installation into a work of art: Julianna (Insta: .juju.art) and Aniekan (Insta: ).


Cherry Street Farms

Nothing like a Solterra Solar family barbecue to celebrate the longest, sunniest days of the year! ☀️