Sunnydisposition:Fallingpricesfuelsolarboom ThomasContent,MilwaukeeJournalSentinel Published10:03p.m.ETNov.7,2016|Updated2:28p.m.ETNov.9,2016 Solarpowerappearstobeonthevergeofsomethingbig. Recordsarebeingsetatthenationalandlocallevelswhenitcomestoaddingsolarpanels,andnewtechnologyannouncementshavefolksturningtheirheadsaboutturningtothesuntopowertheirhomes. Buoyedbya63%dropinpricesoverjustthepastfiveyears,solarinstallationsarebeingbuiltataneye-poppingpace. Considerthesemilestonesannouncedoverjustthepasttwoweeks: •Thenumberofparticipantsinagroup-buyingsolarprogramhastripledsincethissummer,withatotalof52homesandbusinessesinMilwaukeeandShorewoodaddingsolarpanels.Thatmarksthelargestgroupbuyeverofthiskindinthestate.Theprogramprovidesdiscountsbybundlingsolarinstallations. •DairylandPowerCooperativeunveiledaseriesofnewsolarprojectsthatarepushingitssolardeploymentinsideWisconsintonearly20megawatts.Asaresultofthatandotherprojects,morepanelswillbeaddedbetweenJulyofthisyearandtheendof2017thanwereinstalledstatewidepriortothatstretch. •AnewforecastbytheU.S.EnergyDepartmentsaystheamountofsolarenergyproducednationwideispoisedtotriplebetween2014and2019. •Nationally,solarinstallationsjumped45%inthefirsthalfofthisyearcomparedwiththesameperiodin2015. •Cutting-edgetechnologycouldgivesolarpoweranevenbigger'wow'factor.ElonMusk,knownfordevelopingelectric-poweredTeslacarsandpushingforcommercialspacetravel,seesthepotentialforsolar-poweredrooftiles,suchasthosemadebyhiscompanySolarCity,thatresembleconventionalshingles. 'Ireallythinkit'sgoingtogettothepointwhereifyougetanormalroofit'ssortofodd,'Musk,founder/CEOofTesla,saidduringaninterviewlastweekonCNBC.'It'sgoingtobe:Ofcourseyougetasolarroofbecauseitlooksbetter,itlastslonger,it'sgotbetterinsulatingvalue,anditcostslesswhenyoufactorintheelectricityitgenerates.' Wisconsinhasseenstopsandstartstoitssolardevelopment,asutilitiesreducedwhattheywouldpayforthepowerhomeswithsolarpanelsgenerateandasfundingofincentivesfromtheFocusonEnergyprogramhasbeenuneven. Theprogramranoutofmoneyforincentives,butregulatorsrecentlyrenewedfundingthatwillenablehundredsmorehomesacrossthestatetoaddsolarpanelsinthenexttwoyears,accordingtoRenewWisconsin,anonprofitgroupthatsupportsrenewableenergydevelopment. 'Ifyou'velookedatsolarforyourhomeorbusinessinthepast,nowisagreattimetogetanewassessment,'saidTylerHuebner,executivedirectorofRenew.'Costscontinuetofall,FocusonEnergy'sprogramswillbefundedin2017,andelectricrateshavecontinuedtoriseoverthepastdecade.'