It’s a story as old as solar panels themselves: The industry has some great tailwinds, but also faces new and continuing headwinds. There are many exciting positives like the Inflation Reduction Act and and the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office’s billions in loan authority, and also potential drags like high interest rates, an uncertain economy, and other policy issues. In this keynote, Jigar Shah, the Director leading the Loan Programs Office, will investigate what he sees coming down the road and even look at innovative ideas like virtual power plants that promise to bring new opportunities to solar installers across the country.

This keynote will take a fresh look at California’s distributed solar and storage market as it stands in the summer of 2023. It will provide a retrospective on what the industry has just been through with regards to various policy challenges, and it will lay out the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for one of the world’s largest clean energy markets.

What’s happening in solar for the rest of 2023 and beyond? More importantly, how are the most innovative solar leaders preparing for what’s to come — and dealing with the current market conditions? This panel of solar founders and leaders, from companies of all shapes and sizes, will address these very questions, and more, with real-world experiences and actionable insights.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken the spotlight across all industries and sectors. Bill Gates recently remarked, “The development of AI is as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone,” and many businesses are investing big to try to harness its power and get ahead. So, what does this mean for the solar industry? AI’s popularity grew quickly, while at the same time the application of the technology won’t just happen all at once. This session brings together experts and thought leaders to facilitate a dynamic exchange of ideas and insights on AI, as well as the impact AI will have on the solar industry.

As demand continues to grow for solar storage, installers are in a great position to benefit by expanding their product offerings. Join industry experts to learn the nuances of selling storage to homeowners, the market outlook, trends, and more. *SEIA predicts that by 2025 one in every three residential solar systems will be paired with storage.

In this fun (and informative) session, we’ll hear from sales experts across the industry on how to handle tough homeowner objections, and get tips for refining your sales pitch so that you can crush your solar sales this year. We’ll also have live voting so you can choose who answered each objection best (with prizes awarded to the winner!).

Uncover the strategies and technologies that can revolutionize your approach to solar. In this panel discussion, we’ll dive deep into how technology can unlock your operations bottlenecks. We’ll investigate how cutting-edge tools can streamline processes, best practices that save you time and elevate your team’s capabilities, and tackle real-world scenarios with inventive solutions.

In this session you will learn some of the best practices when using Aurora's Design Mode to create accurate designs. We will cover the basics on navigating through the Design Mode interface, pre-design, site and system modeling, post-design, and will share some additional resources to get you designing like a pro in no time! This session is a sample offering of our Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) content that will be offered later this year through the NEW Aurora Academy!

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the most transformational clean energy policy in history. Over the next decade, the IRA will more than double industry employment and 5x the amount of solar capacity installed today. But how will supply chain issues in the short term meet rising demand? Join policy experts to understand the implications of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for commercial solar projects and discover where potential opportunities exist to grow your business.

Automated workflows and streamlined processes are the driving forces behind high-growth companies. In this panel discussion, we’ll explore how automations can revolutionize large-scale Commercial and Industrial (C&I) businesses. We’ll be joined by industry pioneers who will share their real-world experiences, success stories, and lessons learned from implementing solar technology to streamline processes and optimize project efficiency.