Mercury News: Despite the turbulent economy, or perhaps because of it, solar energy remains a growth industry in California. The amount of electricity generated in the state by solar energy soared in 2008, and applications for rebates under the state’s Million Solar Roofs program reached record levels in the last five months of the year. “While we don’t have the final numbers yet, it appears we nearly doubled the amount of solar installed in 2008 versus 2007,” said Molly Tirpak Sterkel, …