The fierce competition within the solar and energy storage industries drove conversations among the executives, policymakers and project financers in attendance at the sixth annual Intersolar and ees Summit USA East.
The event attracted leaders in clean energy, including New York State Sen. Kevin S. Parker; Richard Kauffman, chairman of energy and finance for New York, Office of the Governor of New York; and David Sandbank, director of NY-Sun at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
These three pioneers of the New York energy community discussed what is next for solar and energy storage in the United States during the Summit’s plenary session. Intersolar Managing Director Dr. Florian Wessendorf opened the Summit by addressing solar and storage’s growth, despite market hurdles caused by shifts in federal policy. Richard Kauffman then began the rousing session by expressing his appreciation for Sen. Kevin S. Parker and his efforts to bring the Intersolar brand to New York. “I think that I have big ideas, but this was really a big idea. He deserves all the credit for drawing the bright light on solar to New York state,” said the state’s “energy czar” and 2017 Intersolar Champion of Change AWARD winner.
Kauffman proceeded to present a figure that was echoed in many presentations throughout the conference, stating that solar has grown over 1000 percent in New York over the past six years. Kauffman asserted that the proliferation of storage would be crucial in meeting Governor Andrew Cuomo’s aggressive goal of reaching 50 percent renewables by 2030 – expressing that “all of these actions are not individual things, they are designed to work together to build the grid of the future, not just to rebuild the grid of the past.”
During his presentation Sen. Parker reflected on the symbiotic relationship between New York’s environmental and social advocacy efforts. “The green collar economy is crucial not only because it helps to protect our environment, but just as important is its potential to produce living wage jobs with benefits in communities of color across New York State.” He went on to express his appreciation for Intersolar’s role in growing New York’s clean energy market, “I am proud to partner with Intersolar and facilitate a meaningful conversation about real solutions and effective ways to ensure we are bringing about a solar energy future”, said the Brooklyn lawmaker.
Following these statements, David Sandbank discussed the continued growth of the solar industry despite federal headwinds. His presentation focused on technology advancements beyond net metering that will require planning, partnership and price signals to support the state’s clean energy vision.
“New York’s commitment and investment in renewable sources and clean energy technologies will help achieve the State’s ambitious renewables goal,” Sandbank said.
The afternoon’s conference program was split into two tracks to discuss specific topics within the solar and energy storage industries separately. Each track offered three sessions, featuring industry executives, technology providers, utilities, market analysts, venture capitalists, and financers, and discussed the current state of the market. This year’s solar track covered traditional solar topics and beyond. In one panel, industry experts demystified the business case for blockchain as it pertains energy applications and identified opportunities to optimizing self-consumption using feed-in management technology.
During the energy storage track Brett Simon, storage analyst at GTM Research, discussed the relative insulation of the energy storage market from Section 201 tariffs, and predicted growth reaching $3.8 billion in annual value in 2023 after a year of notable M&A activity. Simon discussed the domination of lithium-ion technology, noting that scale ups in manufacturing, technological innovations, advancements in consumer electronics and EV advancements have driven down costs dramatically. These improved economics have allowed energy storage to compete with utility-scale natural gas peak plants, allowing utilities to explore cleaner long-term resourcing planning activities heading into 2018.
Intersolar and ees Summit USA East organizers would like to thank of the all speakers, sponsors, exhibitors, media partners and attendees who participated in this year’s event.
For further information on this year’s event: www.intersolar-summit.com/USA
About Intersolar and ees Summit USA East (April 4, 2018, New York, NY)
Organizers: The Solar Promotion International GmbH and the Freiburg Management and Marketing International GmbH are the organizers of the event.
Sponsors & Supporters: The Intersolar and ees Summit USA East 2018 is officially supported by the New York State and the New York State Senate. Diamond Sponsor is the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Board (NYERDA). Other sponsors include Atlantic Clean Energy Supply (ACES), Brooklyn SolarWorks, Con Edison, Rhombus Energy Solutions, SolarReviews, Tectonic and Pegasus Solar. Strategic partner is EuPD Research. The Summit is also supported by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA), the California German American Business Association (GABA), GreenCity Freiburg, IBESA International Alliance, Joint Forces for Solar, Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Association (MSEIA), NAATBatt International, North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), New Jersey PACE (NJPACE), New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA), SolarConnecticut, SolarPower Europe, Tennessee Solar Energy Industries Association (TenneSEIA) and Texas Renewable Energy Industry Alliance (TREIA).
About Intersolar North America (July 10 – 12, 2018, San Francisco)Since 2008, Intersolar North America has served as the industry’s go-to source for invaluable information and premier networking opportunities that move the North American market forward. Co-located with ees North America, Intersolar North America’s exhibition and conference sit at the cross-section of solar technology, energy storage, and smart transportation. The event takes place annually in San Francisco, California, the heart of energy innovation, and is co-located with SEMICON West.
More than 530 exhibitors and 15,000 visitors from over 80 countries participated in Intersolar North America 2017. The conference and exhibition program featured 40 sessions and educational workshops with more than 200 speakers.
Intersolar North America is organized by Solar Promotion International GmbH, Pforzheim and Freiburg Management and Marketing International GmbH (FMMI). For more information on Intersolar North America, please visit: http://www.intersolar.us
Intersolar Global is the world’s leading exhibition series dedicated to the future of clean energy. With more than 25 years of experience, Intersolar has the unique ability to bring together members of the energy industry from across the world’s most influential markets and supply chains. Intersolar exhibitions and conferences are held annually in Munich, San Francisco, Mumbai, São Paulo, and Dubai. These global events are complemented by the Intersolar Summits, which take place in emerging and growing markets worldwide.
For more information on Intersolar Global, please visit: http://www.intersolarglobal.com
