S3 Solar Software Summit

For an additional cost, join Folsom Labs on April 30 for for the third year of the industry’s first dedicated event covering the growing solar software ecosystem. To view the full Solar Software Summit agenda, click here.

Continental Breakfast & Check-In
GTM Welcome

Scott Clavenna, Chairman, Greentech Media

Day 1 Morning Theme: Solar & the Transformation of Electricity
GTM Research Presentation: The Transformation of Solar & the Future of Energy

Solar at record low prices. Pairing with storage becoming standard. Wholesale markets and utilities disrupted. These are just a few themes dominating the headlines in 2018 as cumulative solar installations are poised to exceed 50 GW in the U.S. and 500 GW globally. Yet, as solar races towards a competitive, unsubsidized future, will it be able to withstand continued cost pressure, receding wholesale pricing and a host of technology integration challenges? Hear Wood Mackenzie's Global Lead for Renewables and Emerging Technologies present the latest Wood Mackenzie / GTM Research analysis on the broad energy and technology trends that will shape the future of solar.

MJ Shiao, Director of Community Solar, Arcadia Power

Keynote Interview with NRG

NRG's renewable energy business is going through a major transition, with a sale to Global Infrastructure Partners currently underway. In this keynote session we'll learn about what's next for NRG Yield and Renewables Platform, and discuss the latest trends in renewable power markets.

Craig Cornelius, Senior Vice President, Renewables, NRG

Moderator: Julia Pyper, Contributing Editor, Greentech Media

Solar in the Trump Era - The Effects of Tax Reform, Section 201 & Further Unknowns

If you thought the extension of the federal investment tax credit meant the end of national market risks for U.S. solar, think again. The U.S. solar market is crowded right now with multiple elephants in the room affecting how companies raise capital and maintain growth. In this panel, we'll explore how corporate tax reform, Section 201 and other macro level risks will affect the future of U.S. solar.

Laura Beane, President & CEO , Avangrid Renewables
Dr. Charlie Gay, Solar Energy Technologies Office Director, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy
Abigail Ross Hopper, President & CEO, SEIA

Moderator: Cory Honeyman, Director of Business Development & Strategy, AES Distributed Energy

Networking Break
Keynote Interview with Lightsource Renewable Energy

Utility-scale solar is in flux. Developers are getting more creative about location and plant design, while pipelines are acquired by global energy majors at a record pace. However, policy uncertainty and new solar tariffs are threatening some projects. In this discussion, we’ll talk with Lightsource US Chief Operating Officer Katherine Ryzhaya about the company’s outlook for the utility-scale solar market in 2018 and beyond.

Katherine Ryzhaya, Chief Commercial Officer, Lightsource Renewable Energy

Moderator: Stephen Lacey, Editor-in-Chief, Greentech Media

Solar as an Electricity Market Disruptor

Within wholesale electricity markets, solar is transitioning from being a niche to disruptive resource. In this panel, we'll discuss how developers are managing wholesale market risks in a dirt cheap PPA environment with shortening contract terms. We'll also discuss what services solar can provide to the grid beyond being the lowest-cost resource, and market reforms that can turn those benefits into reality.

Anne Hoskins, Chief Policy Officer, Sunrun
Jeff Lyng, Director of Energy & Environmental Policy, Xcel Energy
Matthew McGovern, Co-Founder & CEO, Cypress Creek Renewables

Moderator: Cory Honeyman, Director of Business Development & Strategy, AES Distributed Energy

Lunch

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Track 1: The New Solar Deal - Beyond Traditional Project Finance
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Track 2: Innovations at the Solar & Grid Edge

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Structuring a Corporate PPA Deal

Keynote Interview: Consecutively in 2016 and 2017, the US saw over 1.0 GWdc of annual capacity additions from utility PV projects with a corporate offtakers. Join us as project developers and corporate offtakers will share their insights on how corporate PPAs are originated, discuss PPA structures though direct offtake agreements or through green tariffs, and examine what trends are emerging over the next five years.

Darin Lowder, Partner, Ballard Spahr
Colin Schofield, Associate, Edison Energy

Moderator: Colin Smith, Senior Analyst, Solar, Wood Mackenzie

track 2
Keynote Interview with ENGIE North America

Frank Demaille, President & CEO, ENGIE North America

Moderator: Julian Spector, Staff Writer, Greentech Media

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The Investor Perspective: What Long-Term Owners Want

Vertical integration or specialization? Early-stage development risk or high developer fees? Long-term owners are wrestling with these questions as the solar asset ownership landscape has been consolidating. Asset owners and investors will share their insights on project origination strategies and what they’re looking for in the utility and commercial solar industries.

Derek Hasek, Vice President, New Markets & Policy, Greenskies Renewable Energy
Yuri Horwitz, CEO, Sol Systems, LLC
Kristina Peterson, Senior Vice President, Solar Operations, Terraform Power / Brookfield Renewable Partners

Moderator: Michelle Davis, Senior Analyst, Solar, Wood Mackenzie

track 2
What to Expect for Solar Modules 2018: Ramifications of 201, Technology Improvements, and Supply-Demand

2017 was a wild year for module procurement. Following Suniva's filing of the Section 201 petition, buyers frantically tried to lock down modules as inventory quickly dried up and prices increased. Supply-demand was tight for standard and high efficiency modules in the U.S. Will the market chill out in 2018? In this session, we'll cover 2018 module trends, including the prospect for new domestic facilities, availability of high efficiency modules, and expectations for supply-demand.

David Chang, Sr. Director, Head of Sales – Solar & Energy Storage, LG
Nigel Cockroft, General Manager, Jinko Solar U.S. Inc.
Hongbin Fang, Ph.D., Director of Product and Technology, LONGi Solar
Nicola Sicchieri, VP Business Development Americas, Royal DSM B.V.

Moderator: Jade Jones, Senior Analyst, Solar, GTM Research

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Financing Solar-Plus-Storage

While solar financing model are well-understood and have been widely deployed, solar-plus-storage financing is less developed, and the winning model remains an open question. In this discussion, we will dive deep into the financing mechanisms that exist for solar-plus-storage today, how they differ from solar financing models, and what challenges remain to be addressed. Experts will elucidate specific examples of solar-plus-storage financing models and deals, and offer opinions on where financing models will go over the next five years.

Joel Cohn, Partner, CohnReznick
Walter Cuculic, Senior Vice President, Renewable Energy , AVANA Capital
Robert Rogan, Head of Strategy and Business Development, Sunpower

Moderator: Ravi Manghani, Head of Solar, Wood Mackenzie

track 2
Key Trends in Solar Inverters and Power Electronics

In this panel, we are going to discuss hot topics for inverters and utility PV system design. We'll hit on next-generation inverter technology, chat about why folks still aren't decided on string vs. central inverters, and discuss how to manage the aging fleet of inverters out in the field.

Wes Fuller, Director of Sales Solar Business, Schneider Electric
Levent Gun, CEO, Ampt, LLC
Bates Marshall, Vice President, General Manager, North America Smart PV Plant Solutions, Huawei
Mahesh Morjaria, Vice President, PV Systems Development, First Solar

Moderator: Scott Moskowitz, Director of Strategy and Market Intelligence, Hanwha Q CELLS America

Networking Break

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Q1 2018 Market Update - A First Look at Distributed Solar in the Section 201 Environment

With the first quarter of Section 201 tariffs in the books, join GTM Research for data-driven analysis and market update on how distributed solar has fared in the face of tariffs, an evolving policy environment, and an increasingly challenging customer acquisition landscape.

Austin Perea, Senior Analyst, Wood Mackenzie

track 2
Solar as a Platform: Fitting Solar with EVs, IOT, HEMS & Other Fun Acronyms

Here we'll discuss trends in next-generation residential solar and home energy technology. We'll also tackle issues of technology integration and customer preferences. How will EVs work with solar? Do homeowners need sophisticated management systems? What buzzword should just go away? Join us for a fun no non-sense conversation.

Samuel Adeyemo, Chief Operating Officer, Aurora Solar
Chadwick Manning, Co-Founder & CEO, ElectrIQ Power
Mike Rogerson, Marketing Director, North America, SolarEdge

Moderator: Julian Spector, Staff Writer, Greentech Media

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Finding the Right Consumer Finance Solution

The residential solar market is quickly transitioning to one where cash and loans are dominating, and just a few third-party ownership options remain. Join us for a discussion on why some product offerings are succeeding over others, and how this will shape the future of the residential market.

Michael Grasso, Chief Marketing Officer, Sunnova Energy Corp.
Matt Potere, CEO, Sunlight Financial
Ruben Ugarte, Director of Business Development, Horizon Solar Power

Moderator: Allison Mond, Senior Analyst, Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables

track 2
Why the Solar Tracker Market Is Going Gangbusters

Over 14.5 GW of solar trackers were shipped in 2017. That's double what was sold just two years ago in 2015 and 32% more than 2016. GTM expects an additional 30% shipment increase in 2018, and the long-term outlook is strong. In this panel, well learn from the top tracker vendors in the market about key near-term topics such as tracking with bifacial modules and what to think of potential import tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Colin Caufield, VP of Sales, North America, Soltec
Ron Corio, Founder & CEO, Array Technologies
Yury Reznikov, Consultant & Advisor, Renewable Energy, Axsus

Moderator: Scott Moskowitz, Director of Strategy and Market Intelligence, Hanwha Q CELLS America

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The Corporates Roundtable: Selling Solar to the Business Community

While policy and financial innovation have helped the solar and energy storage industries flourish in the U.S., they create a complex web for end customers. Learn from leading companies' experiences with purchasing solar and energy storage, their continued needs and their expectations from the industry.

Matthew Beltz, Manager, Global Corporate Renewables, First Solar
Carolyn Campbell, Manager, Energy & Climate Practice, 3Degrees
Craig Konz, Cleantech Client Manager, Schneider Electric

Moderator: Ben Kass, Attorney, Husch Blackwell

track 2
Crowdsourced: The Future of PV Systems and Technologies

What will the cost of solar be in ten years? Will integrated solar roofs be a real market? How big of an impact will drones have on system maintenance? What share of the market will bifacial modules garner? We'll poll the audience and some esteemed panelists to uncover the next big things in solar technology.

Eva Pauly-Bowles, Representative Director, Ciel et Terre USA, Inc.
Dean Solon, Founder & CEO, Shoals Technologies Group
Costa Nicolaou, CEO, PanelClaw, Inc.

Moderator: Benjamin Gallagher, SME, Carbon & Emerging Technology, Energy Transition Practice, Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables

Networking Reception

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Day 2