Inovateus Solar LLC installed the solar systems at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium to launch the first phase of the institution’s clean-energy initiative. The solar installer was an integral part of an energy construction project headed by Schneider Electric.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $2.2 million for three projects to help lower the costs of solar electricity and increase deployment nationwide. DOE said this funding will help develop technologies and streamline processes to make solar more accessible for residential and commercial applications.

SolarWorld is now accepting applications for the 2014 SolarWorld Junior Einstein Award. Now in its ninth year, the Junior Einstein Award is for young scientists doing research relevant to the solar photovoltaic industry.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced the award of 20 base contracts to companies for renewable energy-related technologies. The contracts include 15 for solar energy, three for wind energy, and two for biomass energy.

Through its GEOSmart Financing Clearinghouse, the Electric & Gas Industries Association (EGIA), a national nonprofit energy efficiency and renewable energy contractor association, announced that it has exceeded $1 billion in funded loans for energy efficiency upgrades and solar projects.

Kingspan Environmental has designed and installed one of its largest solar panel systems to date at Syracuse University. The company recently commissioned a 240 solar thermal panel system to heat water in 20 Skytop apartment buildings at the university’s South Campus, in Syracuse, N.Y.

The Solar Foundation has released its National Solar Jobs Census 2013, which found that the United States solar industry employed 142,698 people as of November 2013. This figure includes the addition of 23,682 solar workers over the previous year, representing 19.9 percent growth in employment since September 2012.

DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products has collaborated with Skyline Innovations Inc. to launch the company’s first solar thermal installation using a heat transfer fluid based on Susterra® 1,3-propanediol, a bio-based glycol which can improve energy efficiency and reduce maintenance costs.