Event - Solar Power International: Who is Attending

This event will take place on October 20 - 23, 2014, at the Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, Nevada. Some of the biggest names in the solar industry will be in attendence at Solar Power International. This includes:

G&W provides medium voltage switches to the renewable energy market. All G&W switches are maintenance-free, weatherproof, and can be used in submersible applications, as they are impervious to the environmental elements typically found in offshore wind applications. Ratings through 38 kV, 630 amps continuous, as well as fault interrupting up to 25 kA (-40° F to 122° F). Booth #2060

UL offers a suite of PV plant services that helps owner-operators, developers, financiers, EPCs, insurers and manufacturers manage risks associated with building and operating a PV plant. We help manage risk by providing technical information and data for energy yield assessments, technical due diligence, and measurements and inspection. Booth # 2912

Event - Solar Power International

This event will be held October 20-23, 2014 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Solar Power International, the solar industry’s most powerful, comprehensive educational conference and product exhibition.

Infographic - US Solar Power Statistics and Rankings

Click here to see the PDF.

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The Rapid Growth of On-Site Solar Energy in the US
Solar's Prodigious Growth in the US
Solar Power's Prodigious Global Growth
Photovaltaic Panel Shortages - The Downside of the Solar Boom
The Obama Administration's Support for Solar

Global Solar Industry Outlook for 2014
The Solar Industry at a Glance: Past Present and Future
Ambitious Growth Predicted for Solar in 2013 and 2014
US Solar is Breaking Records and Shining Bright in 2013

Top Twelve Solar Friendly US States
The Growth of Global Solar Energy
Chinese Solar to Lead the World
America Surpasses a Solar PV Milestone and Keeps Going
Infographic - The Growth of Solar Energy (2014)
Infographic: Global Solar Energy 2007 - 2014

Course - Solar Photovoltaic

This two-day course on solar photovoltaics (Basic + Advanced) will take place on the 26th - 27th September 2014, at Edinburgh Napier University. It is also available online. The course is designed for technicians and individuals intending to learn how to install, maintain and repair Solar Photovoltaic equipment.

Participants of this course learn how Solar Panels work and gain a thorough understanding of solar PV systems, this allows them to apply for registration with an Microgeneration Certification Scheme.

Photovaltaic Panel Shortages - The Downside of the Solar Boom

The solar industry is booming but a looming shortage of photovoltaic panels reveals that there is a downside to the industry's prodigious growth. A glut of photovoltaic panels drove prices down sharply. The oversupply that drove the price decline forced some companies into bankruptcy and slowed capital investment. Now the industry is expecting the first supply shortfall since 2006.

Although there will be huge demand from small scale solar, particularly home based, suppliers may sell most of their supply to big customers. If utility-scale solar farms get priority this will be a serious limiting factor inhibiting the growth of rooftop systems.

The news is not all bad. The fact that production capacity is not keeping up with demand is causing some companies to expand. Companies that are already expanding or planning to expand in the near term include Canadian Solar Inc SunPower Corp. The gap between supply and demand is expected to narrow by the end of 2014 and this is expected to lead to increased investments in advanced equipment.

Infographic - The Growth of Solar Energy

Solar's Prodigious Growth in the US

Home based solar, commercial scale solar and on-site solar for businesses are growing in the U.S. and around the world. US solar energy capacity grew 418 percent from 2010 to mid 2014 (2,326 megawatts to 12,057 megawatts).

Solar is one of the fastest-growing power sectors in the US and around the world. Over the last several years we have seen a 20 percent annual growth rate in the US solar industry. US solar power expanded by 100 percent in 2013.

The Obama Administration's Support for Solar

Earlier this year at what was billed as a "solar summit" the Obama administration announced a $15 million program to help state, local and tribal governments build solar panels and other infrastructure to fight climate change. The initiative is designed to push governments and private and nonprofit businesses to increase their use of solar power.

This program encourage federal agencies, military installations, and publicly-subsidized buildings in the Washington area to install more solar panels on roofs, covered parking garages and open land.

Event - Solar Power International (SPI) 2014

Solar Power International (SPI), will be held October 20-23, 2014 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event is the solar industry’s most powerful, comprehensive educational conference and product exhibition.

Whether as an exhibitor, sponsor, or attendee, explore ways to participate an engage with more than 15,000 professionals in solar energy and related fields for four days of action-packed show floor hours, educational sessions and workshops, general sessions and special events and the best chance of the year to connect with colleagues and industry leaders.

Course - DIY Solar Installation

The DIY Solar (Photovoltaic) Micro-FIT Installation weekend course, will take place on Saturday July 5 to Sunday Jul 6, 2014 at The Living City Campus at Kortright, 9550 Pine Valley Drive, Woodbridge, Ontario.

This course offers participants both the theory and hands-on knowledge and skills sets to install a Micro-FIT solar system on your own roof. Discover how you can reap a better return on investment on a micro-fit installation potential payback less than 7 years and a ROI of greater than 10% for 20 years.

Event - Intersolar North America

The Intersolar North America conference will take place on July 7 - 9, 2014 and the exhibit will occur on July 8 - 10, 2014. The conference will be held at the InterContinental Hotel San Francisco and the exhibition is located next door. Intersolar North America is the most-attended Solar Exhibition in the United States.

This year's conference is set to reach a new level by covering the latest innovations, from PV and energy storage to solar heating & cooling technologies.

Workshop - Photovoltaic System Fundamentals

The Photovoltaic System Fundamentals workshop will take place on June 13 2014 - Jun 14 2014. This 1 1/2 day workshop will introduce participants to the basic concepts, tools, materials and construction and engineering techniques needed to design and construct systems that convert solar resources into electricity with photovoltaic (PV) technologies. Participants will learn how to assess the solar resources available at a particular site and how to use that information to estimate the energy production and economics of a PV system. Participants will learn how to design and construct safe and reliable code compliant photovoltaic systems.

The workshop will address contemporary trends, products and policies and incentives. It will include lectures and power point presentations, site assessment and system design and construction activities, computer modeling, and exploration of numerous systems we have set up around the Department of Technology & Environmental Design at Appalachian State University.

Webinar - SEPA's Annual Utility Solar Survey

A one hour webinar reviewing SEPA's Annual Utility Solar Survey takes place on June 26th 2014 at 11AM Pacific/2PM Eastern.

Event - PV America Solar Industry Conference and Exhibition

PV America is the Solar Industry’s Conference and Exhibition. It will take place on June 23 - 25, 2014 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in Boston, Massachusetts.

This event is all about PV solar solutions with a regional focus. PV America brings together manufacturers and service providers with professionals interested in the technologies, innovations, research, and policy that is driving the PV industry today and into the future. This annual event offers a focused Expo, quality networking, professional development, and timely educational content and training.

Video - Commerical Solar for Business in the UK

The UK agriculture and business sector needs to get this on board for the survival of their businesses. It's here and it's being funded by the Government so get those rooftop installations completed and win more business.

Related Articles
Solar's Prodigious Growth in the US
Solar Power's Prodigious Global Growth
Photovaltaic Panel Shortages - The Downside of the Solar Boom
The Obama Administration's Support for Solar
Solar Innovation in Energy Generation and Transportation

Global Solar Industry Outlook for 2014
The Solar Industry at a Glance: Past Present and Future
Ambitious Growth Predicted for Solar in 2013 and 2014
US Solar is Breaking Records and Shining Bright in 2013

Top Twelve Solar Friendly US States
The Growth of Global Solar Energy
Chinese Solar to Lead the World
America Surpasses a Solar PV Milestone and Keeps Going
Video - Local Small Scale Solar Across the US: Freeing the Grid
Infographic - The Growth of Solar Energy (2014)
Infographic: Global Solar Energy 2007 - 2014
Infographic - US Solar Growth 2013
Infographic - Solar Energy Price Declines
Infographic - Leading Companies Installing Solar Energy (2013)
Infographic - Solar Installations by State
Infographic - Top 10 Solar States

Video - PutSolarOnIt National Day of Action

June 21 is the longest day of the year and in 2014 it is the date for the first National Day of Action known as PutSolarOnIt. On this day there is a social media blitz with organizations across the country staging events and coming together to show their support for solar power.

The Rapid Growth of On-Site Solar Energy in the US

Led by home solar energy, there is a revolution in on-site renewable electricity generation underway in the U.S. The process of generating electricity from small energy sources is called by a number of names, including distributed generation, dispersed generation, embedded generation, decentralized generation, decentralized energy, distributed energy or district energy. These energy systems commonly employ small-scale power generation technologies, typically in the range of 1 kW to 10,000 kW.

Video - Solar Sphere: A Revolutionary Sun Tracking Technology

The Future is not Green it is Transparent. This highly efficient, low carbon, sun harvesting concept has proven to be far more effective than traditional solar panels. This short video explains the concept of the solar sphere which can diffuse light for better electricity generation. The sphere is called the Rawlemon after its inventor, a German architect working in Barcelona Spain. Sun is the greatest technology source on Earth, however, for optimal energy solar panels must turn to track the sun as it moves through the sky. This glass sphere concept can track the sun without moving.

Solar Innovation in Energy Generation and Transportation

As far as solar power is concerned innovation is far more than just a buzzword. There are a vast number of innovations that are driving solar growth and contributing to the industry's bright future.

One novel approach involves using the sun's energy to manufacture solar panels.

Perhaps the most revolutionary applications involve solar powered transportation. Sun powered vehicles can significantly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

The number of solar innovations run the gamut from pragmatic to fantastic. Some fascinating solar powered concepts not only reduce our footprint but help to clean up the environment. One example is the solar sponge which can harvest and sequester carbon from the air.

Here is a list of solar innovations in energy generation and transportation:

President Obama Talks about Solar Power and Energy Efficiency at Walmart on May 9

On Friday May 9th, President Obama went to Walmart to promote his new plans to combat climate change through solar energy and energy efficiency. The president outlined 300 "private and public sector commitments" designed to create jobs and reduce carbon pollution.