During my ride to work in the morning, I drive by a plethora of rooftop solar installations: On my street alone, there is a row of about 10 houses covered with panels. Then, once I make it into the office, I can see our publishing company’s ground-mount installation in the backyard.

That’s a whole lot of solar to see within a 30-minute time span.

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, my home state of Connecticut ranked 17th in installed solar capacity nationally last year - meaning that other drivers in several other states likely come across even more installations on their way to work.

There’s no denying that the U.S. is witnessing the meteoric rise of solar. 2015 was a record year for the domestic industry, which installed 7.5 GW of solar capacity, and newly released data suggests that the U.S. is on track to obliterate that record this year by adding a whopping 14.5 GW.

Globally, solar and wind power also helped renewable energy set both installation and investment records in 2015. A recent report from REN21 said one key factor for the worldwide milestone last year was that “renewables are now cost-competitive with fossil fuels in many markets.”

“What is truly remarkable about these results is that they were achieved at a time when fossil fuel prices were at historic lows, and renewables remained at a significant disadvantage in terms of government subsidies,” said Christine Lins, executive secretary of REN21, in a press release.

This month, many representatives from the solar sector will converge in San Francisco for the Intersolar North America conference - a fact I kept in mind when preparing this particular magazine issue. Aside from making new contacts and friends, trying to generate sales leads, learning about trends, and checking out new technologies, industry events are great for taking time to reflect on progress.

This July issue features some articles and news items that demonstrate the headway the solar sector has made despite the world’s obdurate addiction to fossil fuels. Whether it be with jobs, installations or promising legislation, the industry is making its mark, and what was once considered an alternative energy is increasingly becoming mainstream.

It has been hard work getting to this point, and challenges remain. But, ultimately, the progress thus far has been astounding.

Also during my drive to the office, I pass a large shopping center that is currently under construction. Before the site was as wide and flat as it is now, it was a massive rock quarry. Somehow, the construction team skillfully demolished and removed all of the rock - tons of it - and started building a bank and some shops.

Undoubtedly, that transition was incredibly difficult to achieve, as has been the solar sector’s reshaping of the global energy landscape. After all, like that construction team, the solar industry is tasked with moving mountains.