California solar energy systems top 1 gigawatt California's rebate program for businesses and homeowners who install solar panels has now funded enough systems to generate 1 gigawatt of electricity - a level few countries and no other states have ever reached. California officials reported Thursday that state residents have installed 1,066 megawatts of solar systems using rebates from the $2.4 billion California Solar Initiative, launched in 2007 as a way to jump-start the industry. The rising popularity of solar lease programs - which allow homeowners to install solar systems without owning the equipment - has also helped fuel the solar industry's growth. When other facilities are included - such as photovoltaic power plants that sell their electricity to utilities - the state can now generate more than 2 gigawatts from the sun, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.