Searching for answers in an unpredictable world
I attended the Intersolar & Energy Storage North America tradeshow in San Diego in late February — my first tradeshow since the second Trump administration took office. The mood in the exhibit hall was…subdued. Everyone claims to be busier than ever, but there is a hesitancy when looking toward 2026 and beyond. With increased federal support of fossil fuels, new tariffs initiated every day and executive orders threatening to roll back Inflation Reduction Act investments, it feels like we’re in an eternal limbo. The demand for solar is huge, but is there any support to build it?
Instead of discussing technology trends and new products, more people at the show wanted to thank the Solar Power World team for our everyday reporting. We’re all clamoring for shreds of accurate news in all aspects of daily life — not just solar. While I appreciate the kind comments about our editorial team just “doing our jobs,” it doesn’t exactly give me warm-fuzzies when thinking about the state of society. So know that our editors will continue to do the job that we have so much pride in, and we won’t report on anything until it’s vetted. I don’t want to preach too highly about ourselves, but we know that your work — installing panels, determining supply chains, developing policy — relies on Solar Power World’s dependable, trustworthy work. We have respect for you and for journalism, so we will keep doing our very best to bring you timely insights into all areas of solar and energy storage so we can actually look forward to the next few years.
We all need to hear it more often, so I’ll say it loudly: Thank YOU for keeping at it. Your work in solar might just feel like a job that pays the bills, but it’s important to so many lives. I’m very happy to be riding this rollercoaster with you all. Let’s continue to celebrate our wins this year
Kelly Pickerel
Editor in Chief
kpickerel@wtwhmedia.com
Totally agree – the installation quality is the foundation of everything. Skilled and knowledgeable technicians doing the install work are vital for a positive job outcome. It’s not that easy to do!
I would like to see even more focus on installation. I feel like your focus is mostly on equipment and the developer/engineering side of things. The installation component i feel does not get enough attention from the industry.