AGENDA - AT A GLANCE
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
TIMEEVENT DESCRIPTION8:30am – 5:00pmSolar Leadership Summit
Location
San Ramon Valley Conference Center
6:00pm – 9:30pmEvening Welcome Reception & Dinner
Location
Blackhawk Museum
Thursday, April 22, 2010
TIMEEVENT DESCRIPTION9:00am – 4:00pmInnovation & Commercialization Forum
Location
San Ramon Valley Conference Center
4:30pm – 6:30pmCalifornia Solar Initiative (CSI) Public Forum
Location
San Ramon Valley Conference Center
AGENDA
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
ACCELERATING THE SOLAR ECONOMY
TIMEEVENT DESCRIPTION7:30am – 10:00amRegistration
7:30am – 8:30amContinental Breakfast
8:30am – 8:45am Opening Remarks
Mayor H. Abram Wilson, City of San Ramon
Mayor's Welcome to San Ramon
Doug Payne, Executive Director, SolarTech
8:45am – 9:10amKeynote Address
Steve Westly, Former CA State Controller and Managing Director, The Westly Group
The World is "Going Solar" - Who? Where? Why?
9:10am – 9:30am Keynote Address
Jeanne Clinton, Manager, Energy Division, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
What’s Next for Solar & California?
9:30am – 10:00amBreak Out Session Tee Off
Session Moderators & Doug Payne
Session Leads “Tee Off” each panel, outlining the critical issues, opportunities and broad industry goals to be explored within each session.
10:00am – 10:15amCoffee Break
10:15am - 11:45amBreak-Out Sessions
Financing Session
The use of financial products such as Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and Tax Lease Structures is predicted to reach over 2.3GW by 2013. This growth represents a tremendous opportunity to reduce the time and money being spent on legal, accounting and banking due diligence items through the standardization of key developer and off-taker contracts. The triple bottom line effect reduces risk, increases profitability through the value chain, and fuels economic growth.
Hear from developers successfully leveraging the unique value of SolarTech financing tools and gain unique insight into other contracts and templates under development.
Moderators:
Todd Grenich, President, Grenich Capital & SolarTech Finance Committee Chair
Justin Bradley, Director of Business Development, EnerTechnologies
Panelists:
Ed Feo, Partner, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP
Bethany Speer, Financing, Policy and Market Trends Analyst, NREL
Michael Mendelsohn, Senior Financial Analyst, NREL
William DeGrandis, Partner, Paul Hastings
Alex Von Welczeck, Managing Partner, Clean Power Advisors LLC
Permitting Session
The U.S. PV sector’s ability to scale is largely dependent on local jurisdictions’ deployment of permitting best practices to streamline the permitting process. Many stakeholders at the local level have adopted national best practices but widespread adoption still remains a barrier.
Understand the issues pertaining to bringing large volumes of PV distributed generation through the inspection process and learn from local regional collaboratives that are making a difference. This session will also illustrate how industry initiatives such as SolarTech’s Online Permitting Challenge can substantially simplify and expedite solar permitting.
Moderators:
Greg Sellers, President Burnham Energy & SolarTech Permitting Committee Chair
Larry Sherwood, Chair, Solar America Board for Codes and Standards (Solar ABCs)
Panelists:
Joseph Brakohiapa, President & CEO, Clean Power Finance
Bill Brooks, Principal, Brooks Engineering
Matt Eggers, Vice President of Corporate Development, Sun Run Inc.
Gwen Rose, Deputy Director, Vote Solar
Installation Session
Decreasing the time for solar PV installations requires attention to quality and verification of work performed in conjunction with standardized procedures. It is also imperative to guide new installers on best demonstrated practices and processes.
The session will explore various methods to ensure quality and efficiency within the installed PV environment. This session will also review successful PV incentive programs to discuss how policy was used to encourage consumers to hire certified installers and by doing so, improved the quality of installation in their service area.
Moderators:
Doug Eakin, Manager of Business Development, Wieland Electric & SolarTech Installation Committee Chair
Ezra Aurerbach, Executive Director, NABCEP
Panelists:
Jeanine Cotter, CEO, Luminalt
Johan Alfsen, International Training Manager, Quick Mount PV
Gary Gerber, President & CEO, Sun Light & Power
11:45am – 1:00pm Lunch Break
1:00pm – 2:30pmBreak-Out Sessions
Performance Session
Making the Transition from $/W to $/kWh. Are we there yet? This breakout will interactively discuss how the industry can dramatically accelerate the buying decision for solar systems using standardized performance metrics and energy yield tools.
Topics include generating practical and meaningful quotes including a presentation of a standard performance format. In addition, advances in performance modeling and monitoring systems that reduce financial uncertainty will be discussed.
Moderator:
Tim Keating, VP of Marketing, Skyline Solar & SolarTech Performance Committee Chair
Tom Tansy, VP Sales & Marketing, Fat Spaniel Technologies
Panelists:
Ben Bourne, Senior Performance Engineer, SunPower Corp.
Dave Llorens, CEO, OneBlock Off The Grid
Raghu Belur, Co-founder & VP of Marketing, Enphase Energy
Ralf Muenster, Director of Strategy & Business Development, National Semiconductor
Jurgen Krehnke, Preseident & General Manager, SMA America
Interconnection Session
With California utilities leading the nation in interconnecting distributed PV projects, and the CPUC implementing additional programs to facilitate distributed PV, it is important to consider ways to streamline the interconnection process so that high penetrations of solar PV can be interconnected quickly, reliably and efficiently.
This session aims to discuss potential challenges associated with facilitating high penetrations of (1) net energy metered and/or retail non-exporting PV systems and (2) wholesale systems, and to identify ways that increased cooperation can help avoid or reduce the impact of these challenges.
Moderators:
Chuck Hornbrook, Principal Energy Consultant, Itron, Inc.
Panelists:
Wendy Boyle, Incentives & Interconnections Manager, Real Goods Solar
Kevin Fox, Attorney, Interstate Renewable Energy Council
Kate Sherwood, Director, Development, Recurrent Energy
Sachu Constantine, California Public Utilities Commission
Gerry Torribio, Manager, Combined Heat & Power Contracts, Renewable & Alternative Power Department, Southern California Edison
Workforce Session
The objective of this session will be to create a rich and timely interchange between employers and workforce development partners to share labor and market trends and uncover needs and opportunities for partnerships. Our goal will be to coordinate training institutions and provide for near real time market transparency in a clearing house of workforce information.
Attendees will hear from business leaders on economic trends and workforce needs and learn trends on how workforce development organizations are responding to the opportunity (Programs and personnel; New Technology and Standards).
Moderators:
Rick Kuhn, Director, Professional & Workforce Development, FHDA, SolarTech Workforce Committee Co-Chair
Justin Bradley, Director of Business Development, EnerTechnologies
Panelists:
Jane Weissman, Executive Director, Interstate Renewable Energy Council
Gerald W. Bernstein, Director, Advanced Transportation Technologies and Energy initiative, City College of San Francisco
Steve Daniel, Independent Solar Industry Sales Executive
Ian Kalin, Director, Power Advocate
Energy Efficiency
Solar energy is generally seen as an application specific solutions, as is energy efficiency. When combined properly, the results are highly complementary. However, the convergence of the multiple technologies from multiple market sectors is not as seamless as it should be.
Panelists will explore ways to better provide cohesive, compelling and integrated solutions for consumers to deploy hybrid solutions.
Moderators:
Mike Alvarado, President, Going Evergreen
Panelists:
Michael Lechner, Program Manager, Quantum Energy Services & Technologies (QuEST)
Hari Sripadanna AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Srusti Architecs
David Kaneda, Principal, Integrated Desing Associates (IDeAs), PE, AIA, LEED AP
2:30pm – 2:45pmCoffee Break
2:45pm – 3:15pmSummit Report
Collaborative Results! Session leaders summarize the outcome of each session: industry driven initiatives to further reduce system costs and cycle times, accelerating the adoption of solar on a broad basis.
Moderators:
Session Moderators & Doug Payne
3:15pm - 3:35pmKeynote Address
Bill Watkins, Chief Executive Officer, Bridgelux
Scaling an Industry: What Matters, What Doesn't
3:35pm – 4:45pm CEO Situation Desk
Executives comment on the impact these industry initiatives will have on their companies and the opportunities they represent for the solar economy.
Moderator:
Scott Clavenna. President and CEO, Greentech Media
Panelists:
Jon Guerster, CEO, Groom Energy
James Resor, CFO, groSolar
Angiolo Laviziano, CEO, REC Solar
Jim Petersen, President and CEO, PetersenDean Solar
Barry Cinnamon, CEO, Akeena Solar
4:45pm – 5:00pm SolarTech Permitting Challenge On-Line Solutions Demo
Discover new solutions for on-line permitting from SolarTech Permitting Challenge Teams
5:00pmAdjourn
WELCOME RECEPTION & DINNER
6:00pm – 7:00pm RECEPTION
7:00pm – 9:30pmDINNER
7:45pm – 8:30pmKeynote Address
Ronnie Lott, NFL Hall of Fame Member and Founder of All Stars Helping Kids
Leadership, Success and Making a Difference in our Communities
Nancy McFadden, Sr. VP and Sr. Advisor to the Chairman and CEO of PG&E
Leading Solar Industry - Paths to Success
Thursday, April 22, 2010
INNOVATION & COMMERCIALIZATION FORUM
The Innovation & Commercialization Forum will investigate ways of streamlining industry processes for bringing new technologies and products to market, while minimizing potential impact on current standards and best practices. We will explore strategic trends in international testing and certification standards and examine current gaps relative to new product commercialization efforts.
Critical issues such as product pipelines, testing trends, and workforce readiness will be brought together, setting a course towards closer ties between industry stakeholders and those preparing the clean tech workforce. Join this event and uncover emerging concepts to accelerate adoption of new technologies; learn how pending public policy developments might impact industry dynamics and help prioritize workforce related needs.
8:00am – 10:00amRegistration
8:00am – 9:00am Continental Breakfast
9:00am – 9:15am Welcome Remarks
Scott Perkins, City Councilmember, The City of San Ramon
Earth Day in San Ramon!
9:15am – 9:30amDoug Payne, Executive Director, SolarTech
Accelerating Innovation & Increasing US Competitiveness. Solar Can Lead the Way.
9:30am – 10:00amKeynote Address
John Lushetsky, Manager US Dept of Energy Solar Energy Technology Program
Innovation & Commercialization: What’s Being Done? What Must Be Done!
10:00am – 10:30am Coffee Break
10:30am – 11:30am Executive Panel:
Translating “Lessons-Learned” From the Semiconductor Industry to the Photovoltaic Sector”
If innovation is the lifeblood of US competitiveness, then commercialization is the air we breathe into the economy to fuel sustainable economic development for a renewable industry. However, between innovators and early adopters lies a chasm, fraught with barriers, risks, and challenges to new companies. Against the backdrop of climate change and domestic competitiveness, how does a new industry “Cross the Chasm” with increased speed, agility, confidence, AND predictability? How can we learn from those who have “been there done that?”
Senior executives from the semiconductor industry will share their experiences and insights from the early days of semiconductor manufacturing. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn firsthand about the challenges and opportunities in this adjacent sector which, in its early days, shared much of the growing pains the PV sector is experiencing now. Hear about the important lessons learned and the insights gained which may help accelerate the PV learning curve now. Understand the opportunities lost and won as these leading visionaries draw parallels to past and present.
Moderator:
Mac Tully, President & Publisher, San Jose Mercury News
Panelists:
Brian Trafas, Chief Marketing Officer, KLA-Tencor Corp.
Charlie Gay, President of Applied Solar, Applied Materials & Co-Founder or Greenstar Foundation
Scott Graybeal, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, Oerlikon Solar
Bob MacDonald, CEO, Skyline Solar
11:30am – 12:30pmPolicy Landscape Panel
State and national policy leaders will provide unique perspectives on the most pressing policy issues affecting our industry. Timely, relevant insights will inform participants while providing opportunity for the audience to influence policymakers.
Moderator:
Merideth Tirpak Sterkel, Program Manager, California Solar Initiative, CPUC
Panelists:
Adam Browning, Co-Founder & Executive Director, VoteSolar
Susan Kateley, Executive Director, CALSEIA
Kevin Fox, Attorney, Interstate Renewable Energy Council
Sara Birmingham, Director, Western Policy, Solar Alliance
12:30pm – 1:45pmLunch
1:45pm – 2:45pm Break-out Sessions (Track 1 & 2)
Track 1: Innovation Methodology
Panel 1: Upstream Commercialization & Manufacturing Challenges
The intersection of public and private stakeholders, by its very nature, creates unique challenges for commercialization and manufacturing of solar energy products. We need to find ways to reduce investment risk, strategically position companies for success, and accelerate economic growth. It is imperative to understand how companies might benefit from such methodologies, along with those who represent the early stage investors essential to fueling innovation.
This panel will investigate collaborative opportunities to reduce risks for achieving manufacturing scalability and illustrate examples of company-specific successes that can be scaled for the benefit of the industry and consumers downstream.
Moderator:
Melinda Richter, Founder and CEO of Prescience International
Panelists:
Ross Mackie, Project Manager, Underwriters Laboratories
Hal LaFlash, Director, Emerging Clean Technology, PG&E
Lionel Bony, Director, Office of the Chief Scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute
Paul Douglas, Supervisor, Renewable Procurement and Resource Planning, CPUC
Track 2: Product & Workforce Training
Panel 1: Commercialization fueling Workforce Development & AB32 Implementation: Linking Innovation, Energy, and the New Economy
Despite lingering economic effects, technology investments made prior to the economic crisis have primed the innovation pipeline with hundreds of new products poised to enter the solar market, creating an exciting array of new choices for consumers
Product innovation fuels economic development, which drives jobs, which drives migration to a clean tech economy. Hear from industry stakeholders breaking ground with downstream solutions for consumers and business seeking renewable energy solutions in response to AB32 visions. Gain insights into convergence between policy & business. Learn how energy efficiency, solar thermal and PV come together in preparation for upcoming policy drivers.
Moderators:
Bob Hines, VP & General Council, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Panelists:
Jeff Anderson, President, Clean Economy Network
Donnie Fowler, Founder, Dogpatch Energy Strategies
Doug Henton, Chairman & CEO, Collaborative Economics
2:45pm – 3:00pmCoffee Break
3:00pm – 4:00pmBreak-out Sessions
Panel 2: Downstream Challenges “Crossing the Chasm”
All stakeholders across the solar value chain face the challenges of moving their products and services downstream, and require information on how to integrate new upstream technologies. In order for the industry to operate in a more integrated and efficient manner, stakeholders need a framework and a methodology that would provide equipment and component manufacturers, materials suppliers, integrators, building officials and consumer advocacy groups access to the right level of new product information at the right time.
“Systems Not Silos”: Hear about what methodologies currently exist and uncover what is needed for new product introduction to be streamlined at an industry-level. Participate in defining which systems and partnerships are essential to achieve this goal and how we can overcome consumer adoption challenges.
Moderator:
Eric Wesoff, Senior Analyst, Greentech Media
Panelists:
Paul Detering, CEO, Tioga Energy
Nancy Hartsoch, VP Marketing, SolFocus
Eric Alderman, CEO, SolarNexus
Jim Pape, President of Residential and Commercial Business Group, SunPower Corp.
Brian Stone, VP Sales & Product Management, Nanosolar
Panel 2: Workforce Readiness
Over 1,000 new PV products are currently undergoing product certification in the U.S. alone. In contrast, workforce development and training organizations have had little insight into this product pipeline while they defined the early needs of the industry and developed training programs for installers, project managers, and related hands-on skills. In order to strategically prepare the current and future workforce with adequate understanding on how to integrate these new technologies into their workflow and processes, there needs to be close collaboration between those charged with workforce readiness and those who need skilled talent.
This session brings together solar industry leaders, educational institutions, private and public green training programs and building officials to identify the current and future training needs to assure the industry’s workforce readiness.
Moderator:
Jose Milan, CA State Chancellors Office
Panelists:
Barbara Halsey, Executive, Director of CA Workforce Investment Board
Thomas Dinkel, CEO, Sunreports Inc.
Deep Chakraborty, CEO, Centrosolar America
Van Ton-Quinlivan, Director, Strategic HR Programs/Workforce Development, PG&E
4:00pm - 4:15pmClosing Remarks: Reflections & Call for Change - Where Do We Go From Here and What Are We Willing To Do?
Doug Payne, Executive Director, SolarTech
Evelyn Butler, Director, Business Strategy, Energy Sector, Underwriters Laboratories
Bettina Weiss, Sr. Director, Photovoltaics, SEMI / PV Group
4:30pm - 6:30pmCalifornia Solar Initiative (CSI) Public Forum
The California Solar Initiative (CSI) Public Forum provides a venue for public stakeholders to identify and discuss priority issues related to the administration and implementation of the CSI program with the California Public Utility Commission and the three Program Administrators: Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison and the California Center for Sustainable Energy.
AGENDA - AT A GLANCE
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Solar Leadership Summit
Location
San Ramon Valley Conference Center
Evening Welcome Reception & Dinner
Location
Blackhawk Museum
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Innovation & Commercialization Forum
Location
San Ramon Valley Conference Center
California Solar Initiative (CSI) Public Forum
Location
San Ramon Valley Conference Center
AGENDA
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
ACCELERATING THE SOLAR ECONOMY
Registration
Continental Breakfast
Opening Remarks
Mayor H. Abram Wilson, City of San Ramon
Mayor's Welcome to San Ramon
Doug Payne, Executive Director, SolarTech
Keynote Address
Steve Westly, Former CA State Controller and Managing Director, The Westly Group
The World is "Going Solar" - Who? Where? Why?
Keynote Address
Jeanne Clinton, Manager, Energy Division, California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)
What’s Next for Solar & California?
Break Out Session Tee Off
Session Moderators & Doug Payne
Session Leads “Tee Off” each panel, outlining the critical issues, opportunities and broad industry goals to be explored within each session.
Coffee Break
Break-Out Sessions
Financing Session
The use of financial products such as Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and Tax Lease Structures is predicted to reach over 2.3GW by 2013. This growth represents a tremendous opportunity to reduce the time and money being spent on legal, accounting and banking due diligence items through the standardization of key developer and off-taker contracts. The triple bottom line effect reduces risk, increases profitability through the value chain, and fuels economic growth.
Hear from developers successfully leveraging the unique value of SolarTech financing tools and gain unique insight into other contracts and templates under development.
Moderators:
Todd Grenich, President, Grenich Capital & SolarTech Finance Committee Chair
Justin Bradley, Director of Business Development, EnerTechnologies
Panelists:
Ed Feo, Partner, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP
Bethany Speer, Financing, Policy and Market Trends Analyst, NREL
Michael Mendelsohn, Senior Financial Analyst, NREL
William DeGrandis, Partner, Paul Hastings
Alex Von Welczeck, Managing Partner, Clean Power Advisors LLC
Permitting Session
The U.S. PV sector’s ability to scale is largely dependent on local jurisdictions’ deployment of permitting best practices to streamline the permitting process. Many stakeholders at the local level have adopted national best practices but widespread adoption still remains a barrier.
Understand the issues pertaining to bringing large volumes of PV distributed generation through the inspection process and learn from local regional collaboratives that are making a difference. This session will also illustrate how industry initiatives such as SolarTech’s Online Permitting Challenge can substantially simplify and expedite solar permitting.
Moderators:
Greg Sellers, President Burnham Energy & SolarTech Permitting Committee Chair
Larry Sherwood, Chair, Solar America Board for Codes and Standards (Solar ABCs)
Panelists:
Joseph Brakohiapa, President & CEO, Clean Power Finance
Bill Brooks, Principal, Brooks Engineering
Matt Eggers, Vice President of Corporate Development, Sun Run Inc.
Gwen Rose, Deputy Director, Vote Solar
Installation Session
Decreasing the time for solar PV installations requires attention to quality and verification of work performed in conjunction with standardized procedures. It is also imperative to guide new installers on best demonstrated practices and processes.
The session will explore various methods to ensure quality and efficiency within the installed PV environment. This session will also review successful PV incentive programs to discuss how policy was used to encourage consumers to hire certified installers and by doing so, improved the quality of installation in their service area.
Moderators:
Doug Eakin, Manager of Business Development, Wieland Electric & SolarTech Installation Committee Chair
Ezra Aurerbach, Executive Director, NABCEP
Panelists:
Jeanine Cotter, CEO, Luminalt
Johan Alfsen, International Training Manager, Quick Mount PV
Gary Gerber, President & CEO, Sun Light & Power
Lunch Break
Break-Out Sessions
Performance Session
Making the Transition from $/W to $/kWh. Are we there yet? This breakout will interactively discuss how the industry can dramatically accelerate the buying decision for solar systems using standardized performance metrics and energy yield tools.
Topics include generating practical and meaningful quotes including a presentation of a standard performance format. In addition, advances in performance modeling and monitoring systems that reduce financial uncertainty will be discussed.
Moderator:
Tim Keating, VP of Marketing, Skyline Solar & SolarTech Performance Committee Chair
Tom Tansy, VP Sales & Marketing, Fat Spaniel Technologies
Panelists:
Ben Bourne, Senior Performance Engineer, SunPower Corp.
Dave Llorens, CEO, OneBlock Off The Grid
Raghu Belur, Co-founder & VP of Marketing, Enphase Energy
Ralf Muenster, Director of Strategy & Business Development, National Semiconductor
Jurgen Krehnke, Preseident & General Manager, SMA America
Interconnection Session
With California utilities leading the nation in interconnecting distributed PV projects, and the CPUC implementing additional programs to facilitate distributed PV, it is important to consider ways to streamline the interconnection process so that high penetrations of solar PV can be interconnected quickly, reliably and efficiently.
This session aims to discuss potential challenges associated with facilitating high penetrations of (1) net energy metered and/or retail non-exporting PV systems and (2) wholesale systems, and to identify ways that increased cooperation can help avoid or reduce the impact of these challenges.
Moderators:
Chuck Hornbrook, Principal Energy Consultant, Itron, Inc.
Panelists:
Wendy Boyle, Incentives & Interconnections Manager, Real Goods Solar
Kevin Fox, Attorney, Interstate Renewable Energy Council
Kate Sherwood, Director, Development, Recurrent Energy
Sachu Constantine, California Public Utilities Commission
Gerry Torribio, Manager, Combined Heat & Power Contracts, Renewable & Alternative Power Department, Southern California Edison
Workforce Session
The objective of this session will be to create a rich and timely interchange between employers and workforce development partners to share labor and market trends and uncover needs and opportunities for partnerships. Our goal will be to coordinate training institutions and provide for near real time market transparency in a clearing house of workforce information.
Attendees will hear from business leaders on economic trends and workforce needs and learn trends on how workforce development organizations are responding to the opportunity (Programs and personnel; New Technology and Standards).
Moderators:
Rick Kuhn, Director, Professional & Workforce Development, FHDA, SolarTech Workforce Committee Co-Chair
Justin Bradley, Director of Business Development, EnerTechnologies
Panelists:
Jane Weissman, Executive Director, Interstate Renewable Energy Council
Gerald W. Bernstein, Director, Advanced Transportation Technologies and Energy initiative, City College of San Francisco
Steve Daniel, Independent Solar Industry Sales Executive
Ian Kalin, Director, Power Advocate
Energy Efficiency
Solar energy is generally seen as an application specific solutions, as is energy efficiency. When combined properly, the results are highly complementary. However, the convergence of the multiple technologies from multiple market sectors is not as seamless as it should be.
Panelists will explore ways to better provide cohesive, compelling and integrated solutions for consumers to deploy hybrid solutions.
Moderators:
Mike Alvarado, President, Going Evergreen
Panelists:
Michael Lechner, Program Manager, Quantum Energy Services & Technologies (QuEST)
Hari Sripadanna AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Srusti Architecs
David Kaneda, Principal, Integrated Desing Associates (IDeAs), PE, AIA, LEED AP
Coffee Break
Summit Report
Collaborative Results! Session leaders summarize the outcome of each session: industry driven initiatives to further reduce system costs and cycle times, accelerating the adoption of solar on a broad basis.
Moderators:
Session Moderators & Doug Payne
Keynote Address
Bill Watkins, Chief Executive Officer, Bridgelux
Scaling an Industry: What Matters, What Doesn't
3:35pm – 4:45pm
CEO Situation Desk
Executives comment on the impact these industry initiatives will have on their companies and the opportunities they represent for the solar economy.
Moderator:
Scott Clavenna. President and CEO, Greentech Media
Panelists:
Jon Guerster, CEO, Groom Energy
James Resor, CFO, groSolar
Angiolo Laviziano, CEO, REC Solar
Jim Petersen, President and CEO, PetersenDean Solar
Barry Cinnamon, CEO, Akeena Solar
SolarTech Permitting Challenge On-Line Solutions Demo
Discover new solutions for on-line permitting from SolarTech Permitting Challenge Teams
Adjourn
WELCOME RECEPTION & DINNER
RECEPTION
DINNER
Keynote Address
Ronnie Lott, NFL Hall of Fame Member and Founder of All Stars Helping Kids
Leadership, Success and Making a Difference in our Communities
Nancy McFadden, Sr. VP and Sr. Advisor to the Chairman and CEO of PG&E
Leading Solar Industry - Paths to Success
Thursday, April 22, 2010
INNOVATION & COMMERCIALIZATION FORUM
The Innovation & Commercialization Forum will investigate ways of streamlining industry processes for bringing new technologies and products to market, while minimizing potential impact on current standards and best practices. We will explore strategic trends in international testing and certification standards and examine current gaps relative to new product commercialization efforts.
Critical issues such as product pipelines, testing trends, and workforce readiness will be brought together, setting a course towards closer ties between industry stakeholders and those preparing the clean tech workforce. Join this event and uncover emerging concepts to accelerate adoption of new technologies; learn how pending public policy developments might impact industry dynamics and help prioritize workforce related needs.
Registration
Continental Breakfast
Welcome Remarks
Scott Perkins, City Councilmember, The City of San Ramon
Earth Day in San Ramon!
Doug Payne, Executive Director, SolarTech
Accelerating Innovation & Increasing US Competitiveness. Solar Can Lead the Way.
Keynote Address
John Lushetsky, Manager US Dept of Energy Solar Energy Technology Program
Innovation & Commercialization: What’s Being Done? What Must Be Done!
Coffee Break
Executive Panel:
Translating “Lessons-Learned” From the Semiconductor Industry to the Photovoltaic Sector”
If innovation is the lifeblood of US competitiveness, then commercialization is the air we breathe into the economy to fuel sustainable economic development for a renewable industry. However, between innovators and early adopters lies a chasm, fraught with barriers, risks, and challenges to new companies. Against the backdrop of climate change and domestic competitiveness, how does a new industry “Cross the Chasm” with increased speed, agility, confidence, AND predictability? How can we learn from those who have “been there done that?”
Senior executives from the semiconductor industry will share their experiences and insights from the early days of semiconductor manufacturing. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn firsthand about the challenges and opportunities in this adjacent sector which, in its early days, shared much of the growing pains the PV sector is experiencing now. Hear about the important lessons learned and the insights gained which may help accelerate the PV learning curve now. Understand the opportunities lost and won as these leading visionaries draw parallels to past and present.
Moderator:
Mac Tully, President & Publisher, San Jose Mercury News
Panelists:
Brian Trafas, Chief Marketing Officer, KLA-Tencor Corp.
Charlie Gay, President of Applied Solar, Applied Materials & Co-Founder or Greenstar Foundation
Scott Graybeal, Head of Global Sales & Marketing, Customer Support, Oerlikon Solar
Bob MacDonald, CEO, Skyline Solar
Policy Landscape Panel
State and national policy leaders will provide unique perspectives on the most pressing policy issues affecting our industry. Timely, relevant insights will inform participants while providing opportunity for the audience to influence policymakers.
Moderator:
Merideth Tirpak Sterkel, Program Manager, California Solar Initiative, CPUC
Panelists:
Adam Browning, Co-Founder & Executive Director, VoteSolar
Susan Kateley, Executive Director, CALSEIA
Kevin Fox, Attorney, Interstate Renewable Energy Council
Sara Birmingham, Director, Western Policy, Solar Alliance
Lunch
Break-out Sessions (Track 1 & 2)
Track 1: Innovation Methodology
Panel 1: Upstream Commercialization & Manufacturing Challenges
The intersection of public and private stakeholders, by its very nature, creates unique challenges for commercialization and manufacturing of solar energy products. We need to find ways to reduce investment risk, strategically position companies for success, and accelerate economic growth. It is imperative to understand how companies might benefit from such methodologies, along with those who represent the early stage investors essential to fueling innovation.
This panel will investigate collaborative opportunities to reduce risks for achieving manufacturing scalability and illustrate examples of company-specific successes that can be scaled for the benefit of the industry and consumers downstream.
Moderator:
Melinda Richter, Founder and CEO of Prescience International
Panelists:
Ross Mackie, Project Manager, Underwriters Laboratories
Hal LaFlash, Director, Emerging Clean Technology, PG&E
Lionel Bony, Director, Office of the Chief Scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute
Paul Douglas, Supervisor, Renewable Procurement and Resource Planning, CPUC
Track 2: Product & Workforce Training
Panel 1: Commercialization fueling Workforce Development & AB32 Implementation: Linking Innovation, Energy, and the New Economy
Despite lingering economic effects, technology investments made prior to the economic crisis have primed the innovation pipeline with hundreds of new products poised to enter the solar market, creating an exciting array of new choices for consumers
Product innovation fuels economic development, which drives jobs, which drives migration to a clean tech economy. Hear from industry stakeholders breaking ground with downstream solutions for consumers and business seeking renewable energy solutions in response to AB32 visions. Gain insights into convergence between policy & business. Learn how energy efficiency, solar thermal and PV come together in preparation for upcoming policy drivers.
Moderators:
Bob Hines, VP & General Council, Silicon Valley Leadership Group
Panelists:
Jeff Anderson, President, Clean Economy Network
Donnie Fowler, Founder, Dogpatch Energy Strategies
Doug Henton, Chairman & CEO, Collaborative Economics
Coffee Break
Break-out Sessions
Panel 2: Downstream Challenges “Crossing the Chasm”
All stakeholders across the solar value chain face the challenges of moving their products and services downstream, and require information on how to integrate new upstream technologies. In order for the industry to operate in a more integrated and efficient manner, stakeholders need a framework and a methodology that would provide equipment and component manufacturers, materials suppliers, integrators, building officials and consumer advocacy groups access to the right level of new product information at the right time.
“Systems Not Silos”: Hear about what methodologies currently exist and uncover what is needed for new product introduction to be streamlined at an industry-level. Participate in defining which systems and partnerships are essential to achieve this goal and how we can overcome consumer adoption challenges.
Moderator:
Eric Wesoff, Senior Analyst, Greentech Media
Panelists:
Paul Detering, CEO, Tioga Energy
Nancy Hartsoch, VP Marketing, SolFocus
Eric Alderman, CEO, SolarNexus
Jim Pape, President of Residential and Commercial Business Group, SunPower Corp.
Brian Stone, VP Sales & Product Management, Nanosolar
Panel 2: Workforce Readiness
Over 1,000 new PV products are currently undergoing product certification in the U.S. alone. In contrast, workforce development and training organizations have had little insight into this product pipeline while they defined the early needs of the industry and developed training programs for installers, project managers, and related hands-on skills. In order to strategically prepare the current and future workforce with adequate understanding on how to integrate these new technologies into their workflow and processes, there needs to be close collaboration between those charged with workforce readiness and those who need skilled talent.
This session brings together solar industry leaders, educational institutions, private and public green training programs and building officials to identify the current and future training needs to assure the industry’s workforce readiness.
Moderator:
Jose Milan, CA State Chancellors Office
Panelists:
Barbara Halsey, Executive, Director of CA Workforce Investment Board
Thomas Dinkel, CEO, Sunreports Inc.
Deep Chakraborty, CEO, Centrosolar America
Van Ton-Quinlivan, Director, Strategic HR Programs/Workforce Development, PG&E
Closing Remarks: Reflections & Call for Change - Where Do We Go From Here and What Are We Willing To Do?
Doug Payne, Executive Director, SolarTech
Evelyn Butler, Director, Business Strategy, Energy Sector, Underwriters Laboratories
Bettina Weiss, Sr. Director, Photovoltaics, SEMI / PV Group
California Solar Initiative (CSI) Public Forum
The California Solar Initiative (CSI) Public Forum provides a venue for public stakeholders to identify and discuss priority issues related to the administration and implementation of the CSI program with the California Public Utility Commission and the three Program Administrators: Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison and the California Center for Sustainable Energy.
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