Las Vegas means business

SPI – Solar Power International – is North America’s premier business-to-business event for professionals in solar energy and related fields, and this year, the event heads to Las Vegas. PES presents an exclusive preview.

Solar Power International (SPI) generates success for solar energy professionals and the global solar industry through an unbeatable combination of factors. Let’s consider the statistics:

More than 15,000 solar energy industry professionals from 75+ countries attend.

There are more than 700 leading manufacturers, service providers, and vendors on the Expo floor.

Four full days of power-packed ROI that will help you grow, learn, connect, and compete.

Mission

Solar Power International is powered by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA). SPI held its inaugural show in 2003 and was designed to serve and advance the solar energy industry by bringing together the people, products, and professional development opportunities that drive the solar industry and are forging its bright future.

This event focuses solely on creating an environment that fosters the exchange of ideas, knowledge and expertise for furthering solar energy development in the United States. Designed and produced by Solar Energy Trade Shows, our events supply your company with solutions that further your success. Offering superior networking, visibility and value, Solar Energy Trade Shows events are important to any company active in the solar market.

Unlike other solar conferences, all proceeds from SPI support the expansion of the solar energy industry through SEIA and SEPA’s year – round research and education activities, and SEIA’s extensive advocacy efforts. SPI’s primary mission is to deliver on the missions of both SEIA and SEPA in a way that strengthens the solar energy industry domestically and globally, through networking and education, and by creating an energetic and engaging marketplace to connect buyers and suppliers.

SPI is the most comprehensive conference and trade show for the worldwide solar power industry and serves as the global marketplace for the industry. A busy schedule that included a unique General Session format, the inaugural competition of emerging companies in the brand – new Start-Up Alley, a whole slate of concurrent conference sessions, and a packed slate of exhibition activities made for four days of concentrated value.

The event, which is co-owned by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), had an estimated $35.5 million economic impact on the Chicago area last year.

Last year’s event

Approximately 13,000 energized solar industry professionals and nearly 600 exhibiting companies packed McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, for Solar Power International 2013. The energy was palpable as the show welcomed significant crowds from the Midwest, the largest first-time attendance in years and record-breaking attendance in conference program sessions.

Knowledge and information seemed to be found at every turn of host center McCormick Place, including the exhibition floor, where the latest industry technology and innovations could be found. Epitomizing the industry’s spirit of innovation was Start-Up Alley, a section of Start-Up companies that were given the opportunity to attend SPI and take part in a competition to determine the most promising business concepts.

Information also flowed elsewhere on the exhibition floor, from the Solar Central section to the Industry Trends booth (home of presentations and data from GTM Research and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council, as well as SEPA and SEIA) and the Poster Presentation area.

“SPI is a concrete manifestation of what an amazing industry we have,” said Stephen Miner, CEO of Solar Energy Trade Shows, LLC. “We thank our exhibitors, speakers, and every single attendee, all of whom came together to create an event like no other. The reason behind SPI’s dynamism: Solar energy is an industry like no other.”

At Wednesday’s General Session, attendees got a rather unique experience: listening to solar companies, utilities, and regulators all try and think like one another. The experiment proved to foster greater understanding of the different responsibilities and priorities of each stakeholder-and hopefully more effective dialogue.

“At SPI, the industry moves forward,” said Julia Hamm, President and CEO of SEPA. “That forward progress was more evident than ever here in Chicago, from the engaging dialogue in session rooms and interactions on the trade show floor, to thought – provoking general sessions and conversations in the corridors of McCormick Place. Solar energy is about stakeholders coming together, and we’re proud that SPI was able to deliver on its promise as the premier place to exchange ideas, inspire innovation, and create opportunities to expand solar.”

“SPI ’13 truly has been one of the best iterations of SPI ever, and that’s thanks to everyone who participated in the event, right down to each and every attendee,” said SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch. “One important role SPI serves is to give the industry an annual energy boost, and I certainly felt that energy all around me here in Chicago. Now it’s time to harness it, take it home, and take action. I urge everyone who believes in our fabulous and mainstream energy source to join me in fighting to ensure that we are able to operate in a stable policy environment, so that our businesses can plan and invest in America the way we know it can.”

Start-Up Alley returns

For the second year in a row, Solar Power International (SPI) is partnering with Clean Energy Trust (CET) to invite emerging companies with innovative solar solutions and products to participate in Start-Up Alley. There will be a special spot on the Expo floor for these companies to display their work and explain their business proposals to attendees.

Start-Up Alley debuted at SPI 2013 with great success. Nineteen companies were chosen as semi-finalists in the inaugural event, giving them space on the Expo floor to showcase their business plans and goals to attendees. Of those, ten companies were selected as finalists and had the opportunity to present their proposals to an esteemed panel of judges comprised of industry leaders.

“Start-Up Alley was an extremely valuable opportunity for SolarCast to gauge the market potential of our Mobile Power Platform both domestically and internationally,” says Eric Castel, President of SolarCast, LLC and Start-Up Alley 2013 Finalist. “We truly have more leads to follow up on than we can get through by the end of the year. We also established relationships with potential partners in five international markets with opportunities to market hundreds of units abroad.”

Introducing SEIA and SEPA

Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association is the national trade association for the solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA and it’s 1,100 member companies are building a strong solar industry. As the voice of the industry, SEIA works to make solar a mainstream, viable, and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. www.seia.org.

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) is an educational non – profit dedicated to helping utilities integrate solar power into their energy portfolios. With more than 1,000 utility and solar industry members, SEPA provides unbiased utility solar market intelligence, up-to-date information about technologies and business models, and peer-to-peer interaction. From hosting national events to one-on-one counseling, SEPA helps utilities make smart solar decisions.

For more information, visit

www.solarelectricpower.org.

This year’s schedule at a glance

Monday, October 20, 2014

7:00AM - 6:00PM Registration Open

8:00AM - 4:30PM Pre – Conference Workshops

3:00PM - 4:30PM How to Power Your SPI Experience: The First – Time Attendee Roadmap

5:00PM - 6:30PM Building Energy & Relationships: An Exponentially More Powerful Experience (Opening General Session & Networking Reception)

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

8:00AM - 6:00PM Registration Open

8:30AM - 10:00AM SEPA Membership Breakfast (for SEPA Members Only)

9:00AM - 5:00PM Education Sessions