Best of CASE District VII Award
 

Institution: University of California, Office of the President

Title of entry: California’s new solar panels do MORE than generate power

About this entry: "California’s new solar panels do MORE than generate power" was designed for Fig. 1’s highly engaged audience. This includes viewers interested in solar innovation and California’s leadership in climate solutions. The episode features an on-camera host who introduces the technology and takes viewers on a tour of the solar canal site in California’s Central Valley.

The story highlights how the project began with UC research and investment, and how it has developed into a promising solution addressing both clean energy generation and water conservation.

The video opens with a compelling fact and quickly invites viewers on a tour of the solar canal sites in the Central Valley. This strong hook helped retain nearly 75% of viewers through the first 30 seconds, a key signal that helped the YouTube algorithm prioritize the video in search results and recommendations.

To date, the video has received 463,000 views, generated 3,200 new subscribers, and driven strong engagement with 1,373 comments and 13,445 likes.