Solar Power International (SPI), Energy Storage International (ESI) and North America Smart Energy Week 2019 concluded last week in Salt Lake City with more than 19,000 attendees, 700 exhibitors and 500 speakers across the clean energy spectrum, according to a summary from the event coordinators.
The opening general session, “The Role of Clean Energy in an Integrated De-carbonization Strategy,” featured welcome addresses from Julia Hamm, president and CEO of the Smart Electric Power Alliance; Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA); and Tom Starrs, chairman at SEIA and vice president of market strategy and policy at SunPower Corp. The session explored how solar and other technologies can combine efforts to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy.
“SEIA’s Solar+ Decade vision and our Extend the Solar Investment Tax Credit campaign are exactly in line with the pan technology spirit of this conference,” Hopper said. “We hope people will leave this conference with a sense of where this industry is going and what it can accomplish working with other technologies to accelerate clean energy adoption and the many benefits that come with it.”
“The utilities, solutions providers and policymakers attending these events are all committed to integrating multiple technologies into the grid to create the optimal clean resource mix for customers,” said Hamm. “We’ve evolved our program to anticipate and match the needs of the market.”
Beyond solar, ESI continued be the largest energy storage event in North America and featured 250 exhibitors. On the show floor, Hydrogen + Fuel Cells International featured new content developed in partnership with the California Fuel Cell Partnership. Yotta Energy was voted Start-up of the Year by attendees in Start-up Alley, which was home to 40 new businesses in the industry.
“It is a real honor to be recognized for the innovation behind our SolarLeaf platform,” says Omeed Badkoobeh, CEO of Yotta. “This award makes all the hard work – to create a solution that enables solar-plus-storage in a safe, cost-effective and easy-to-install system – worth it. We would like to thank all the attendees at the show that voted for us and would like to thank SPI for giving us and other start-ups a great platform to showcase our technology.”
Wind Energy International (WEI) was a new addition in 2019, whose inclusion underscored North America Smart Energy Week’s theme of integrated decarbonization. WEI was supported by partners including the Distributed Wind Energy Association, Interwest Alliance, Renewable Northwest, ACE NY, the Clean Grid Alliance, REpowering Schools, Clean Coalition, and KidWind Project.
“As a Salt Lake City-based owner and operator of a portfolio of both solar and wind assets, we’re thrilled North America Smart Energy Week provides a platform for companies like us to showcase their full suite of energy solutions,” says Ryan Creamer, CEO of sPower. “It parallels a broader market trend key to the success of our business.”
Attendees packed the Women in Solar and Luncheon with Dr. Jen Welter, the NFL’s first female coach, and were drawn toward the new Podcast Lounge, presented by SunCast Media, where host Nico Johnson invited podcasters and their guests to discuss highlights of the show.
Electric vehicles also made their return to the EV Experience with the support of EZ-EV, which hosted a ride-and-drive.
SPI, ESI and North America Smart Energy Week returns Sept. 14-17, 2020, in Anaheim, Calif. Registration will open in March 2020.
