Intersolar North America Delivered Critical Insights and Connections Across the Solar Supply Chain in 2013

SAN FRANCISCO, July 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Intersolar North America, the most attended industry exhibition and conference in North America for solar professionals to exchange information and develop business opportunities in the U.S. solar market, concluded four days of successful networking and sharing of technology and market trends. For the sixth year in a row, solar policymakers and industry leaders convened at San Francisco's Moscone Center and InterContinental Hotel, located in the leading solar market in the United States.

This year's exhibition and conference kicked off with a rousing keynote speech from California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr., which urged attendees to continue the collaboration necessary to grow the U.S. solar industry. Panel sessions and exhibitions on the show floor provided a comprehensive view of the solar market and cutting-edge technological advancements. For the first time, Intersolar North America featured a dedicated exhibition segment for energy storage players, as well as special section for e-mobility technologies. PV module solutions, balance of system components and mounting and racking companies were again the largest industry segments represented on the show floor.

Intersolar North America, co-located with SEMICON West, attracted more than 17,000 visitors from 70 countries to comprehensive workshops and presentations, as well as product showcases from 576 exhibitors. Several exhibition segments experienced significant growth, including balance of systems, which grew by 25 percent, and the new energy storage segment attracted more than 40 companies. All exhibitors noted the robust foot traffic and high quality of attendees on all three floors of the Moscone West.

"Intersolar is a great tool for achieving both current and new objectives. For the second year in a row, we had an increase of over 50 percent in qualified sales leads and strong visibility with the press, which resulted in interviews and coverage," commented Outback Power Vice President of Sales, Glenn Baker. "We also had our first Certificate Training Program series of special half-day classes, and were able to fill those to capacity."

"SMA has been a longtime supporter of the Intersolar exhibition and conference organization, and we were pleased to exhibit at this year's show in North America," said Henry Dziuba, president and general manager of SMA America and president of SMA Canada, an exhibitor for the second year in a row. "Intersolar North America provided SMA with the perfect opportunity to announce the availability of our new solutions for the residential, commercial and utility-scale markets."

"Intersolar provides us a great opportunity to demonstrate the value and quality of our panels to potential customers and strengthen Trina Solar's brand within the solar industry as a leading solar partner," said Mark Mendenhall, president of Trina Solar (US) Inc.

Global Solar Leaders Meet at Intersolar North America Conference

More than 50 panel discussions featured insights from over 200 expert speakers during the Intersolar North America conference at the InterContinental Hotel. For four days, industry leaders and solar executives packed conference rooms to discuss topics from PV module technologies to areas of market growth to new financing solutions. The four sessions covering energy storage were especially popular, as was the "Future of PV" panel, a detailed exchange of cost reduction expectations, performance trends and global deployment scenarios in select markets. The panel "Financing Business Models" was of interest to many attendees, as solar power purchase agreements and leases are growing as a share of the distributed solar market. Discussions focused on the future of the California and U.S. solar market and the policies needed to continue its growth were also well attended.

About Intersolar North America

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.

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 Sao 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/

SOURCE Intersolar North America