Solar Power International 2012: The Best Place to be an Installer?

Carter Lavin, Solar Marketing Group
September 27, 2012 | 3 Comments

Solar Power International may be the best place in the country to be a solar installer. Hundreds of companies spent tens of thousands of dollars on booths, presentations, parties, and message crafting, all to get a consumer to use their product. The conference was an international product and service showcase, and installers were some of the most popular people there.

With all the opportunities for networking, learning, dealing, and partying, installers would have had an amazing time at SPI. So why were they noticeably absent?

While solar conferences provide a lot of value to installers, they are generally targeted and sold to upstream manufacturers. Normally, this is a smart business decision since the upstream players are the ones who have the resources to make big booths or be big sponsors. And for years it has worked fine – upstream companies have gladly invested large parts of their limited marketing budget to have a prominent presence at these conferences because they had a strong return on investment. But now, for a variety of reasons, many installers are no longer making attending SPI a priority, which diminishes the ROI for exhibiters.

Thankfully this can be fixed. By reaching out to installers and telling them about the real value of attending SPI, installer attendance can return to healthy levels. In fact, since the installer market has grown so much in the U.S. in the last few years, and there are more products than ever on the market, installer attendance should be able to break all previous records, and here’s why.

While the conference sessions were geared towards upstream manufacturers or international project developers, the exhibit hall was dedicated to installers. Check out this list of exhibitors. Everyone who has marketed, sold, or designed any product installers have used or could use was there. Not to mention, everyone who has written for an industry publication was there to hunt for a good story.

Installers at SPI likely got a lot of special attention because while most potential suppliers were present, only a handful of competitors were there, as well. Installers were able to learn about these new products, features, and services, and have in depth conversations with industry partners. Conferences are places where installers can talk directly with a wide variety of industry professionals, but only SPI can be a place where small and mid-sized installers spend quality time with higher-ups from racking, inverter, or module companies.

SPI in Orlando was a rare opportunity for installers to talk directly to the heads of many solar companies or product engineers and give feedback on each company. Was there a flawed or missed shipment? Unhappy with a product redesign? Don’t understand some new feature? SPI allows installers to directly ask the people involved. SPI also gave installers the chance to compare competitor’s products and sales strategy side by side.

If an installer is unsure about power optimizers vs. microinverters vs. imbedded microinverters vs. package optimizers and string inverter systems, SPI was the perfect place to participate in a lengthy battle with sales leads from different companies. Installers had the opportunity to watch the Tigo team give their presentation, then have a nice long chat with one of their sales reps. They could swing by the SolarEdge booth for a magic show and hear about their product differentiations. After this power optimizer love-fest installers had the option to stop in at the Enphase booth and see how their pitch stands up to the rest. Finally, installers could visit the SolarBridge booth and hear why their imbedded microinverter solution is the way to go. It is exciting to stop by a booth armed with questions and figures from a competitor.

These in-depth, in-person product comparison sessions are some of the best parts about SPI and installers can do that with rackers, trackers, module manufacturers, monitoring system providers, and installer tool providers. So while an installer won’t generate a lead at the conference, they can collect all this information, make their purchasing decisions, and save themselves from hours of hunting down facts on websites and webinars.

Solar conferences, like the solar industry, have a compelling story to be told. They can provide a strong ROI to all participants if they are packaged correctly. In the next 12 months until Solar Power International in Chicago the story can be told, attendance rates can stabilize, and the value it provides to the entire industry can grow. But it will only work if we keep SPI the best place to be an installer.

3 Comments

Gregory L Smith
October 2, 2012

Thanks for the kind reply Carter. I was not trying to berate the process, but wanted to call attention to the market,the biggies in Solar are missing,for passing up my state in particular...I was invited to the Texas event last year, and I did keep track of some of my friends who went, but its benefit would have been better if it had been held in the heart of Oil country, and not just in the money pit called Texas, where they were sure to get their return on investment, which was the real reason for their action. I was trying to pass on the frustration we feel because we have people clamoring for training and education here, but no support from the Industry. I recognize they are limited, but even a smaller exhibition in Oklahoma City would draw interest to the sunny skies and the many clear ways Solar could benefit the cities of the SW area with LED lights run by solar for city parks and stand alone locations, and how solar could be used in incorporated passive lighting inside the sidewalks so that evening lighting could be indirect but safe for night loving people...I simply wish it was here already, so I apologize for being critical about the writing, when it should be that the Organizations that run Solar should be the ones with the burning ears! I never meant to "shoot" at the messenger! Sorry it sounded that way! Gregor Smith OFFER SUN foundation

Carter Lavin
October 2, 2012

Gregor,

First off I'm sorry that you're out of work. It's a very frustrating place to be in. Also, to clarify a point, I didn't put on the conference, I went to it and wrote a piece about it.

You bring up a bunch of different issues, but one I think is particularly important is the question of- should SEIA and SEPA use SPI as a way to try to promote solar in a nascent market, or should SPI be used to get everyone together in a big booming solar market? It sounds like you'd pick the first one. But since SPI was in Texas in 2011, Florida in 2012, and it'll be in Chicago next year and Vegas after that- I'd say SEIA and SEPA share your view on the matter.

Gregory L Smith
October 1, 2012

Has it occurred to you that the cost of attending is too expensive for those you are targeting? Your ROI is one thing, but OUR ROI is also important, and the value just isn't there yet, despite the non-direct benefits. You are missing your audience, because you are on the wrong side of the USA. You need to go where new and innovative efforts are starting like Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas, where a huge chunk of your market lies dormant and in need of support. But if you love Florida just for the atmosphere, it is time for you to get real about what you are offering. You need educational outlets in states via Vo-techs and Jr. Colleges, you need Boards of Education to attend so they can first-hand see the impact, the value of education will have on their states and their pocketbooks, since money is the true singluar reason for their interests, and then reach out to installers to tell them about a big Conference in OKlahoma City, mid-way between Texas, Arkansas and Kansas, and low cost enough to attract attendees and easily the best venue for parking and facilitating your audience with entertainment just blocks, not miles away! You need to start thinking smarter where Solar is headed, and it is headed here to Oklahoma. If you want your ROI to be better, offer incentives to come. Training and value based savings, free PV, or an Inverter PV package for emergencies, or even a pretest class for NABCEP certification! You COULD make this HUGE, but instead you have catered to the already runs, the set-in-their-ways, and the experienced installers that have less incentive to attend. Where is NABCEP? You'd think they'd recruit where almost 2,000,000 people need solar to win against their Utility companies and the hidden costs of fees,state and city taxes, and Utility sanctions. You basically need to start doing your job better! Sincerely, a frustrated out-of-work installer in Oklahoma...

Add Your Comments

To add your comments you must sign-in or create a free account.

Carter Lavin

As The Solar Marketing Group's Business Development Manager Carter Lavin helps renewable energy companies analyze the market, articulate their message, and connect with their targeted audience to achieve their marketing/communications goals....