Top Solar Industry and Finance Leaders Discuss Key Issues at PV America 2011 in April

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TOP SOLAR INDUSTRY AND FINANCE LEADERS DISCUSS KEY ISSUES AT PV AMERICA 2011 IN APRIL

 Sessions offer expert advice on the latest trends, issues, and legislation in the PV industry in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region

Washington, D.C.,  March 15, 2011 – PV America 2011, the foremost event for the solar photovoltaic industry in the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region, features a lineup of recognized financial leaders and experts in the solar power field discussing solar project financing, best practices, and advances in technologies. Presented by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), PV America 2011 takes place April 3-5 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia.

 “The current utility PV market in the U.S., valued at $1 billion per year, has the potential to reach $8 billion by 2015 and the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region is a major player in this expansive growth,” says Julia Hamm, president and CEO of SEPA. “The conference sessions provide excellent insights on important issues like overcoming interconnection challenges, working more productively with utilities, and how to best leverage SREC subsidies.”

 “We’ve drawn some of the most experienced thinkers and strategists in the PV business,” says Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. “The Northeast/Mid-Atlantic region represents one of the strongest U.S. markets for current PV installations and one of the most promising for projected growth. This conference is designed to move regional businesses forward, giving company owners, managers and consultants the tools and strategies they need to make the most of this high-growth opportunity.”

General Sessions

PV America 2011 offers two general sessions. On Monday, April 4, the Leadership Perspectives session features Rhone Resch, president and CEO, SEIA, and Bob Gibson, vice president, Market Intelligence, SEPA. Resch presents analysis of some of the latest industry growth figures for the region and nation, along with inside tips for regional companies already in or looking to enter the solar business. Gibson highlights how utilities in the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast play leading roles in expanding the deployment of PV.

In a presentation, “Beyond the Point of No Return,” Erik R. Peterson, director of A.T. Kearney’s Global Business Policy Council and a senior adviser at CSIS, a Washington-based nonprofit think tank, discusses some of the most challenging global issues of our times.

On Tuesday, April 5, the second general session, entitled “Financing Solar Projects” features a panel of key players in the banking and financial services industries discussing and debating the state of financing in the solar industry. The session covers tax equity, debt, loan guarantees and other structured financing options.

Moderated by Laura Ellen Jones, partner, Hunton & Williams LLP, panelists include:

John Eber, managing director, Energy Investments, J.P. Morgan Capital Corporation

Barry Neal, senior vice president, head of Environmental Finance, Wells Fargo

Ed Sproull, vice president, De Lage Landen

Darren Van't Hof, director of Renewable Energy Investments, US Bancorp Community Development Corp.

Educational Sessions

A series of 25 educational sessions cover topics in four tracks: Finance; Local, State and Federal Policies; Project, Market and Business Development; and Training the Workforce. Session highlights include:

 Is my Solar Project Financeable? Incorporating Tax Incentives into the Financial Mix—Speakers: Don Nimey, CFA, FRM, principal, Reznick Group; Keith Peltzman vice president, US Solar Finance, LLC; Michael Goldman, partner, Nixon Peabody LLP; and Tom Leyden, managing director, SunPower.

 Community Owned Solar: Benefits to Consumers and Utilities—Speakers: David Wiedinmyer, business development director, Clean Energy Collective; Joe Wiedman, partner, Keyes & Fox/IREC, and Paul Spencer, president, Clean Energy Collective.

Linking Policy to Commercial Planning and Market Forecasting—Speakers: Carrie Cullen Hitt, president, The Solar Alliance; Joseph Fiordaliso, commissioner, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities; Fred Zalcman, managing director of Government Affairs – Eastern U.S., Sun Edison; Terence Sobolewski, business development manager, SunPower Corp, and Steve Gabrielle, director, PPL Renewable Energy.

 The New Jersey Incentive Market: How it Got Here and Where it’s Going—Speakers: Sandra Burton (moderator), regional director – East, Solar Electric Power Association; Dennis Wilson, president of MSEIA, and Alfredo Z. Matos, vice president, Renewable and Energy Solutions, PSE&G.

PV Training Then and Now—Speakers: Kevin M. Wright, director of operations, United Management and Consultants; Jim Dollard, safety coordinator, IBEW Local; Dr. David Riley, executive director of the Penn State Center for Sustainability, and Mark Valori, director – project and asset management, New Jersey Clean Energy Ventures

Next Generation PV Policy: What Does the Future Hold and Where are the Opportunities? Speakers: Rusty Haynes, DSIRE project manager, N.C. Solar Center / DSIRE, NCSU; Benjamin L. Higgins, director of government affairs, AEE Solar, Mainstream Energy, Hal Connolly, senior policy director, Office of Robert Menendez.

Matching Quality Training with Industry Needs and a Look at Credentialing—Where's the Value for the Solar Market? How Do State SREC Policies differ between New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania? Speakers: Jane Weissman, executive director, Interstate Renewable Energy Council and Joseph Sarubbi, Interstate Renewable Energy Council, project manager, Solar Instructor Training Network, DOE.

International Exchange and Best Practices—An Overview of Results from the IEA PV Power Systems Implementing Agreement—Speakers: Benjamin Kroposki, Ph.D., PE, manager Distributed Energy Systems Integration Group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); Christy Herig, SEPA representative, PVPS Executive Committee, SEPA; Katie Bolcar, U.S. Representative to the PVPS Executive Committee, U.S. Department of Energy; Thomas P. Kimbis, director, Policy & Research, SEIA, and Vasilis Fthenakis, senior scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and professor of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University.

Registration fees are as follows:

Full Conference Pre-Registration: Prior to April 2, 2011

Members of SEIA, SEPA and MSEIA: $695

Non-Members: $895

Full Conference On-Site:

Members of SEIA, SEPA and MSEIA: $795

Non-Members: $995

Expo Floor Only On-Site: $300

Companies who join SEIA, SEPA or Mid-Atlantic SEIA (MSEIA) prior to March 31, 2011 are eligible for session discounts

For more information, please visit PV America 2011.

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About PV America 2011

PV America is presented by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA)® and Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) ®, whose combined efforts have created a world-class, regionally focused and vertically integrated event that engages a wide spectrum of industry professionals. Unlike other PV conferences, all proceeds support the expansion of the U.S. solar energy market through SEIA’s and SEPA’s year-round research and education activities, as well as SEIA’s® advocacy efforts. 

About SEIA®

Established in 1974, the Solar Energy Industries Association® is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. Through advocacy and education, SEIA® works to build a strong solar industry to power America. As the voice of the industry, SEIA® cooperates with its 1,000 member companies to make solar a mainstream and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. www.seia.org.

 About SEPA®

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA)® is an educational non-profit organization dedicated to helping utilities integrate solar power into their energy portfolios. With more than 750 utility and solar industry members, SEPA® provides unbiased utility solar market intelligence, up-to-date information about technologies and business models, and peer-to-peer interaction. From hosting national events to one-on-one counseling, SEPA® helps utilities make smart solar decisions. For more information, visit www.solarelectricpower.org.