Visitors examine the advanced technologies on display at Intersolar North America.
The Intersolar North America exhibition floor and conference program – running from July 13 to 16, 2015, in San Francisco – will once again highlight innovations across the solar value chain, from emerging start-ups to established market leaders.
More than 200 distinguished speakers will provide insight into the technologies, policies and financing models driving down solar costs and expanding the market. The conference will be held from July 13 to 15 at the InterContinental Hotel, located at 888 Howard Street.
On the exhibition floor, visitors can see products and services shaping the North American solar industry from 500 solar exhibitors and 50 energy storage companies. This year’s exhibition, held from July 14 to 16 in San Francisco’s Moscone Center West, features six dedicated exhibition segments, including the U.S. debut of a special exhibition for ees (electrical energy storage).
Intersolar organizers expect approximately 18,000 visitors from around the world to attend. Here is some of what they’ll find at the tradeshow:
Expanded technical training
Expanded workshops and technical training sessions will provide practical, hands-on educational opportunities that cover topics including system design, battery safety and racking and mounting best practices at the InterContinental Hotel and Moscone West exhibition hall.
In partnership with CALSEIA, Intersolar will host the second annual CALSEIA Contractor Day on Tuesday, July 14. The daylong program features tracks designed for both sales and installation teams.
Participants can choose from up to six workshops that cover energy storage, permitting and product face offs between different inverter and racking companies. The program includes a catered lunch and a ticket to Solar Summerfest.
Spotlight on solar financing leaders
This year’s conference program features a nine-session financing package, eight of them developed with the SunSpec Alliance, and one more about developments in U.S. solar policy that will impact financing.
Now in its sixth year, the expanded SunSpec Solar Finance and Asset Management Symposium brings together expert speakers from banking, market researchers, national laboratories, leading developers, originators, financiers and standards bodies to discuss the current market and new trends in solar finance.
“SunSpec has expanded its partnership with Intersolar to host this unique cross-cutting forum addressing PV technology, asset and finance topics to gain fresh insights needed to tackle next year’s opportunities,” said TJ Keating, SunSpec’s Director of Development.
Special exhibits
A growing trend in the PV market is the use of solar carports. Residential and commercial customers are embracing them because they not only generate clean electricity, but also shade parking lots during the day. Additionally, electric vehicles play a key role in renewable energy systems. Their batteries can store electricity and, in turn, help to stabilize the grid. Attendees can learn about the confluence of these trend and the technologies and strategies shaping this sector of the solar market at the E-Mobility Special Exhibit, booth #8060.
Back for another year, the Solar Rollers Special Exhibit features the solar-powered remote control cars used in the innovative Solar Rollers high school solar energy education program. These surprisingly quick PV-powered machines will turn laps on a dedicated racetrack at Intersolar. Don’t miss the races, which start at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
45 conference sessions
What’s happening with the reduced ITC? Where is the market? What PV, energy storage and solar heating innovations are next? What will the future financing roadmap look like? What are the needs of a reliable solar future?
Learn the answers to these questions in 45 conference sessions (1.5 hours ea.), covering the latest innovations. More than 200 international industry and financial experts, researchers, policy analysts and visionaries will shed light on the dynamic market and technology landscape with in-depth analysis of the current solar and energy storage industry.
Bigger BOS segment
As solar PV module prices have declined, BOS components represent the next challenge for reducing overall system costs. Intersolar’s BOS and mounting and tracking systems exhibition segments have expanded year after year. Organizers expect the BOS segment to grow by up to 10% this year.
Recent developments include the expanded market share of module-level power electronics, the increasing use of string inverters in mid-sized PV plants and the growing dominance of non-penetrating racking for rooftop PV. In utility-scale installations, the industry is focused on reducing labor in the field and commercializing innovative racking and mounting systems that provide the same amount of strength with less steel, part of an ongoing effort to simplify system design.
Honoring solar standouts
The Intersolar AWARD, now in its eighth year, promotes the industry’s power to innovate. Since 2012 The “Solar Projects in North America” category recognizes landmark projects that exemplify a high degree of technological innovation, uniqueness, economic feasibility and benefit to the environment and society. Winners are selected by an independent committee of industry experts and trade press and are announced during Intersolar.
Finalists include projects from Eaton, First Solar, Outback Power, Princeton Power Systems, Solaire Generation, Solar FlexRack, Solar Frontier and tenKsolar.
Additionally, Intersolar, in collaboration with CALSEIA, will present the second annual Champion of Change award to an individual who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to supporting the development of renewable energy. The winner this year, former California State Assembly member Nancy Skinner, authored AB 510 which greatly expanded California’s net metering law.
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