PennWell Corporation Announces Large-Scale Solar Conference and Exhibition

TULSA, Okla., May 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- PennWell Corporation announces a new annual conference & exhibition for the large-scale solar power market. Solar POWER-GEN Conference & Exhibition, which will premiere in Long Beach, CA on Feb. 14-16, 2012, will be co-located with the 9th annual Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America. The new event will delve into the specifics of developing, supporting and growing large-scale solar power in North America.

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"PennWell Corporation sees large-scale solar power as an area poised for explosive growth in the power markets," said Dick Rauner, Group Publisher North American Renewable Energy Group for PennWell Corporation.  "The large-scale solar market is expected to double in the next year and costs are projected to be cut in half by 2020," he said.  "Solar POWER-GEN Conference & Exhibition will be THE place to watch the market evolve and continue to expand in the years to come."

Solar POWER-GEN Conference & Exhibition fills a void in the market by offering an annual event dedicated to large-scale solar power. Conference participants will learn about large-scale solar policy, markets, finance and technology through discussions covering a wide range of topics such as the expanding role of solar power across North America; how policy is driving innovation; technology breakthroughs in solar power equipment; utility ownership of solar and much more. Attendees will enjoy educational seminars, product demonstrations, exhibits and entertainment.

Exhibitors will reach attendees from North America, Europe, and Asia – a truly worldwide audience. Solar POWER-GEN Conference & Exhibition will provide a dynamic conference program, expert speakers and high-level discussion all set in one of North America's most forward-looking solar energy markets -- California. Attendees and exhibitors will meet in Long Beach to discuss and debate large-scale solar energy development issues such as:

Market Growth - In 2010, the U.S. solar power market grew more than 100%, with 28% of installations considered large-scale – over 1 MW. There are now more than 700 MW of utility PV projects under contract and 11 GW of concentrating solar power plants in various stages of development.

Falling Costs - Industry analysts predict the costs associated with development of large-scale solar power plants will be cut by 50% by 2020, if not sooner.

Greater Demand - With global events like nuclear disasters and growing concern over C02 emissions, water shortages and energy security, solar power will be the go-to energy source in the next decade.

Large-Scale Solutions - Large-scale solar power is not without its own environmental, financial, political and technical challenges, all of which will be explored and discussed at Solar POWER-GEN Conference & Exhibition, a conference dedicated to the growing large-scale solar power industry.

• How will the industry overcome the backlash against large solar projects?
• Is financing readily available given the technical challenges of installing large-scale projects?
• Will limited water supplies favor PV over CSP?
• Can costs continue to drop as fast as they have been?
• Which local, state and federal policies favor large-scale solar over distributed solar?
• Will the need for more transmission impact the industry?
• How can the North American, European and Asian large-scale solar players learn from each other's successes – and failures?

Rauner went on to mention, "PennWell also produces the world's largest annual power event, POWER-GEN International and plans to draw on its same strengths to create a world-class educational and networking event. We'll package Solar POWER-GEN with our successful Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo North America event for even greater exhibitor and attendee appeal across the solar power generation spectrum."

To find out how to Attend, Present, Exhibit or Sponsor at Solar POWER-GEN Conference & Exhibition visit http://www.solar-powergen.com.

About PennWell Corporation

PennWell Corporation is a diversified business-to-business media and information company that provides quality content and integrated marketing solutions for the following industries: Renewable energy, electric power, oil and gas, water, electronics, semiconductor, contamination control, optoelectronics, fiberoptics, enterprise storage, fire, emergency services and dental. Founded in 1910, PennWell publishes 75 print and online magazines and newsletters, conducts 60 conferences and exhibitions on six continents, and has an extensive offering of books, maps, web sites, research and database services. In addition to PennWell's headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the company has major offices in Nashua, New Hampshire; Houston, Texas; London, England; Fairlawn, New Jersey; Moscow, Russia; and Hong Kong, China. For additional information about PennWell, visit www.pennwell.com.

Contact:
Cassie Chitty
Event Marketing Manager
PennWell Corporation
Email: [email protected]
Ph: 918.831.9597

SOURCE PennWell Corporation