SAN FRANCISCO, July 2, 2013 – Intersolar North America, the most well attended venue in North America for solar professionals to exchange information and develop business opportunities, will showcase a variety of important downstream solar innovations during presentations on the Innovation & Application Stage on the third level of Moscone West. Free to exhibition visitors, the stage will feature training programs and practical workshops from exhibitors and partners. On Tuesday, July 9, the stage will host the prestigious Intersolar AWARD ceremony to honor landmark projects in North America, as well as breakthrough PV production technologies.

“With a slew of new solar technologies hitting the market, downstream companies are looking for practical advice on how best to incorporate these innovations into bankable, reliable and high-performing projects and installations,” said Markus Elsässer and Klaus W. Seilnacht, respective CEOs of the Intersolar organizing companies, Solar Promotion International and FMMI International GmbH. “Intersolar North America allows attendees to take what they see on the show floor and build real world projects that integrate these advancements. We’re excited to provide solar integrators and installers with the first look at new technologies that are expanding the market for solar.”

Each of this year’s nine finalists for the Intersolar AWARD for Projects in North America successfully incorporated innovative new technologies, financing models, and aesthetic advancements to develop landmark solar projects, and demonstrate how the U.S. solar market, which grew 71 percent from 2011 to 2012, can continue to expand.

Novel financing models have enabled the installation of projects in new solar markets, such as the Celina 1 solar PV plant in Ohio. The 5 MW project was funded through a combination of sponsor equity, solar renewable energy credits (SCRECs), the federal investment tax credit, and the state of Ohio’s new market tax credits (NMTCs), a unique incentive available locally that the developer plans to use for future projects.

Another project, the Solar Technology Acceleration Center (SolarTAC), an Intersolar AWARD finalist, brought together a consortium of utilities, solar developers and manufacturers, and research centers to test solar technologies at scale. The site currently hosts a range of technologies including PV, concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) systems.

Innovative structural designs, such as solar carports, are emerging to address the need for efficient land use by solar projects. The recent PV carport project at Dow Jones’ campus in South Brunswick, N.J., is a particularly high-profile example of this increasingly popular model. This plant not only provides 3.6 MW of electricity, but also parking space for the facility’s 2,000 employees.

Finally, innovation is also occurring in the balance of systems category. Given the relatively high amount spent on installation labor in the U.S. PV market, creative solutions for faster installation are making waves on rooftop plants and beyond. The incorporation of SnapNrack mounting at the recently built Progress II PV plant in North Carolina is a shining example of the use of innovative BoS technology for a ground mount system.

Other finalists include: 15th Street Solar Thermal+PV Project (Free Hot Water); Hopital de Port a Piment, Outback Grid/Hybrid Power System (Outback Power); Martin Luther King, Jr. Charter School Solar System (Sunora Energy Solutions); and Park Villas Solar Project (Trina Solar). The full list of projects is available online.

Representatives from all Intersolar AWARD finalists in the category of solar projects in North America will provide short presentations starting at 12 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9. The presentations will culminate in the Intersolar AWARD ceremony, which is open to all exhibition visitors, exhibiting companies and members of the press. The ceremony begins at 3 p.m.

Additionally, 18 workshops and presentations from industry experts and exhibitors on the Innovation & Application stage will create a forum for industry insiders, practitioners, installers and system integrators to exchange expertise and experiences. Presentations on Wednesday, July 10, have a special focus on components, mounting and tracking systems, and on Thursday, July 11, the stage will turn its attention toward PV cells, modules and systems.

The stage will also be home to four special events that are integral to the solar community:

Tuesday, July 9: SolarTech will host “Reaching Out to Industry to Leverage the DOE Soft-cost Reduction Programs,” featuring a presentation from Marianne Walpert, executive director of SolarTech.

Wednesday, July 10: Hands-on Workshop hosted by Quick Mount PV, Solar Roofing Best Practices (held on the PV ENERGY WORLD Stage)

Wednesday, July 10: The popular Joint Forces for Solar program returns for its “11th PV Briefing and Networking Forum USA,” which will include panel discussions on achieving successful market penetration across the value chain, and market and policy updates, as well as a panel featuring representatives from state solar organizations. A networking event follows the forum.

Thursday, July 11: The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) will host a workshop on NABCEP certification.

Thursday, July 11: Quick Mount PV will host another hands-on workshop, Successful Solar Business

Intersolar North America developed the program for the Innovation & Application stage, as well as its full conference program, with the input from several solar industry organizations, including CALSEIA. Intersolar North America works closely with its partners to expand the market for solar energy in the United States and beyond, and to create opportunities for solar companies to grow their business.

With around 3,000 exhibitors and 100,000 visitors spanning four continents, Intersolar is the world’s leading exhibition series for the solar industry and its partners. It unites people and companies from around the world with the aim of increasing the share of solar power in our energy supply.

Intersolar North America takes place annually in San Francisco’s Moscone Center. Since its establishment in 2008, the exhibition and conference have developed into the premier platform for the solar industry in North America. The exhibition focuses on the areas of photovoltaics, PV production technologies, solar thermal technologies, and energy storage. It is co-located with SEMICON West and, since its founding, has become the international industry’s meeting point for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, service providers and partners of the solar industry.

In total, 757 exhibitors and 17,823 trade visitors participated in 2012. The conference featured 30 sessions with 220 speakers and catered to about 1,500 conference attendees.

Intersolar’s storied history of international exhibitions and conferences spans more than 20 years. Taking place in addition to Intersolar North America in San Francisco are Intersolar India in Mumbai, Intersolar China in Beijing, and Intersolar South America in São Paulo. The world’s largest exhibition for the solar industry is Intersolar Europe in Munich.

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/