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Our Team Tackles Trendy Topics

I’m not someone who, as a general rule, follows trends too closely. I have suits older than most of my co-workers, and my pop musical taste runs from the 1960s through the 1990s (and the 1970s were a completely lost musical decade for me).

Solar trends, however, are different. I voraciously read every article on solar I can find, and I’m in constant contact with industry experts to ensure I’m current with what’s going on in the industry.

This is no small task. With new advances in technology coming daily, it can be hard to keep up.

As the beat reporter for panels for Solar Power World, I’m excited about efficiency increases, price drops and new technologies that offer dreams of using solar power in ways unimaginable even three years ago.

I’ve also followed the European Union-China bilateral negotiations closely, as well as the long-term effects of last year’s United States-China trade dispute. And then there’s the prediction from Shayle Kann of GTM Research that, in the next two years, more than 150 panel companies will disappear from the market.

Assistant Editor Steven Bushong follows advances in solar thermal and racking-and-mounting, and newly minted Managing Editor Kathie Zipp (congratulations on the promotion, Ms. Zipp) is watching the inverter market closely to make sure she understand the issues facing that segment inside and out.

(As an aside, I don’t envy Kathie — with the recent consolidation going on in that segment, it may soon be hard to tell the players without a scorecard. I wish her luck, but she’s certainly up for the task.)

For this special Intersolar issue, we have packed it full of information on 16 trends we see in the industry, from the importance of post-installation O&M (Dust Wars), to the state of the racking-and-mounting segment (Simplicity & Sophistication). We predict how future solar projects will be funded, where the different inverter segments fit in the industry and the future of battery storage.

The experts we interviewed for these pieces provided thoughtful insights on where the industry is at this pivotal moment in its development — and where they see it going in the coming years. As always, we at Solar Power World offer the most comprehensive solar industry coverage that you will find in one place.

If you feel there’s a trend we haven’t covered or think we should keep our eyes on for the future, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re available everywhere — on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and old-school communication tools like the phone and email. We look forward to receiving your feedback.