This week in sunny Anaheim, California, more than 800 solar industry leaders gathered for the 2014 SunShot Grand Challenge Summit. The Summit, launched by the Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative, brings together the solar community to network, share ideas and develop strategies to make solar more affordable for American families and businesses.

The focus of this year’s event is charting a path forward to meet the SunShot Initiative’s ambitious goals. Launched in 2011, SunShot’s overarching mission is to make solar-generated power fully cost-competitive with traditional energy sources by the end of the decade. Through partnerships with industry, universities, local communities and the Department’s National Laboratories, SunShot is already two-thirds of the way to achieving its mission. Still, to truly succeed at dramatically reducing the cost of solar, more must be done.

That’s why, just in time for the Summit, the Energy Department announced further efforts to keep the momentum for solar energy in America moving forward. First, the Department launchedSunShot Catalyst — a new competition that challenges innovators to devise solutions to the solar industry’s toughest challenges. Second, the Department awarded $10 million for six new projects to advance innovative concentrating solar power technologies. By improving energy storage technologies for concentrating solar power systems, the new projects will enhance our ability to provide clean and reliable solar power when the sun is not shining.

Learn more about the all-star keynote speeches, breakout sessions and networking events happening this week at the SunShot Summit by checking out these daily recaps from the SunShot team:

• Opening Day at SunShot Summit 2014
• The Final 40%: SunShot Charges Forward to Tackle Solar Challenges!

For more Summit highlights, take some time to look through the slideshow above — capturing compelling moments from the event.