SAN FRANCISCO, April 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Intersolar North America, the most attended industry exhibition and conference in North America for solar professionals to exchange information and develop business opportunities, is expanding its focus on energy storage for the 2014 event.

Intersolar North America exhibition will feature a host of energy storage companies showcasing their latest innovations, and new conference sessions will foster in-depth discussions on the market policies and business models pushing this sector forward.

Energy storage is positioned for strong growth in 2014 and beyond, with solar playing a crucial role in its early market success. According to market research firm IHS, the U.S. storage market is expected to grow to 1.7 GW by the end of 2017—of this, more than 300 MW will come from systems paired with solar installations.

Driven by energy storage-supporting legislation, California leads the U.S. in storage project volume. Of the 330 storage projects planned or completed across the nation, California is home to 119. This market leadership reinforces Intersolar North America's commitment to hosting its event in San Francisco each year.

Exhibition Boasts Diverse Energy Storage Companies

The Intersolar North America exhibit hall hosts a special section dedicated to energy storage solutions. A wide range of energy storage companies are exhibiting on site, reflecting the diversity of technologies in the marketplace, ranging from electrochemical batteries to fuel cells to chargers to battery and PV management systems. Notable exhibitors at this year's conference include ABB Inc., MK Battery, Engion by VARTA Storage, JuiceBox Energy, Outback Power and Ideal Power. A full list is available here.

New this year, Intersolar North America will host a special program on the electrical energy storage (ees) Forum (exhibition stage, level 2, alcove 2). The forum is located on the show floor and is included in an exhibition visitor pass. Presentations on this stage will focus on technology solutions, market developments, regulations and policy, new incentives and project case studies deployed in the field. The full schedule of presentations will be announced in May.

"In the last few years, we've worked to integrate the growing field of energy storage technology more deeply into our exhibition and conference agenda," Markus Elsaesser, CEO of Solar Promotion International, an organizer of Intersolar North America. "Attendees of Intersolar North America 2014 will find this year's event, more than ever before, tackles the technology and business models helping the sector get from ideas and innovation to an economically viable enterprise."

More information on the energy storage exhibition is available online here, and the full conference program is available here.

Energy Storage at the Heart of the Intersolar North America Conference Program

The Intersolar North America conference which will take place at the InterContinental Hotel will provide valuable insights on the factors accelerating the adoption of energy storage. It will host four sessions focused on storage, including:

InterContinental Hotel Conference Programs:

• Markets Prospects & Policies, Monday, July 7, 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
• Innovative Technologies, Monday, July 7, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Applications & System Solutions, Monday, July 7, 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
• Energy Storage Panel Discussion, Monday, July 7, 3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Storing the Sun: How Batteries and Other Storage Technologies Can Re-Shape California's Grid, Tuesday, July 8, 9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. (hosted by CALSEIA)

Official energy storage partner, the National Alliance for Advanced Technology Batteries (NAATBatt), will play a critical role in shaping the content for each session. Intersolar partners, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) and the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA) will also provide counsel on the agenda.

Additionally, attendees can sign up for practical classes designed for downstream professionals, including:

• Solar Energy International Workshop: Advanced Battery-Based PV System Design & Maintenance, Tuesday, July 8, 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., InterContinental Hotel
• NAATBatt Storage Workshop: Using Storage to Juice the Value of Solar PV, Thursday, July 10, 2014, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Moscone Center

"Energy storage is a vital to the continued expansion of solar and other renewable energies," commented Klaus Seilnacht, CEO of FMMI International GmbH, an organizer of Intersolar North America. "The North American market is growing at an explosive rate and this new capacity will greatly benefit from increased storage availability and solutions. Our aim is to foster the business connections and impart critical insights around storage at Intersolar for professionals to apply toward this goal."

About Intersolar North America  
With events 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.

Since its establishment in 2008, Intersolar North America has become the most attended solar event and the premier networking platform for the North American solar industry. Co-located with SEMICON West, it takes place annually at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, the United States' pioneering solar market.

The event's exhibition and conference both focus on the areas of photovoltaics, PV production technologies, energy storage and solar thermal technologies. Since being founded, Intersolar has become the most important industry platform for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, service providers and partners of the solar industry.

A total of 576 exhibitors and 17,163 trade visitors participated in Intersolar North America in 2013. The conference featured more than 50 sessions with more than 200 speakers and approximately 1,600 attendees.

With more than 20 years of experience, Intersolar has the unique ability to bring together members of the solar industry from across the world's most influential markets. Intersolar exhibitions and
conferences are held in Munich, San Francisco, Mumbai, Beijing and Sao Paulo. Starting in 2014, these global events will be complemented by the Intersolar Summits, which will take place in emerging and growing markets worldwide.

For more information on Intersolar North America, please visit: www.intersolar.us

Organizers: Intersolar North America is organized by Solar Promotion International GmbH, Pforzheim and Freiburg Management and Marketing International GmbH (FMMI).

SOURCE Intersolar North America