IntertechPira’s Industry Leading Solar Conferences Return to California in 2012

IntertechPira is pleased to announce the return of the 7^th annual Photovoltaics Summit 2012, scheduled for April 16-18 and the 4^th annual Concentrating Solar Thermal Power 2012 conference, scheduled for April 18-20 at The Westin San Diego, in San Diego, CA, US. These two events will bring together the solar industry’s experts, manufacturers, researchers and end users for a balanced, comprehensive discussion of the opportunities and challenges surrounding photovoltaic markets and concentrated solar thermal power.

“We are pleased to bring back the Photovoltaics Summit and Concentrating Solar Thermal Power to California next year,” said Christopher Smith, senior conference producer at IntertechPira. “The solar industry is rapidly growing with new technologies introduced frequently and it is more important than ever for those involved in research and development, manufacturers and users of the technology to come together, share ideas and network.”
Key speakers at last year’s Photovoltaics Summit included Jeffrey S. Britt of Global Solar Energy; Tom Dyer of Kyocera Solar Inc.; Tom Gutierrez of GT Solar; Steve Horne of Solfocus; Roger Little of Spire Corporation; and Robert Petrina of Yingli Green Energy Americas. Attendees also heard from many of the leading companies in the industry including Navigant Consulting, Lux Research, Lincoln International, Meridian Clean Fuels, Denham Capital, Recurrent Energy, Quanta Renewable Energy Services, First Solar, Surek PV Consulting, Amonix, Abound Solar, Solaredge Technologies and SAFT America.
The 2011 version of Concentrating Solar Thermal Power featured a keynote panel presentation delivered by Uwe Schmidt, CEO, SOLAR TRUST OF AMERICA, Kevin Smith, Chief Executive Officer, SOLARRESERVE, Albert Fong, Managing Director, ALBIASA CORPORATION and Thomas Doyle, President & CEO, NRG SOLAR. Other presenters included Kevin Sara, Founder and Managing Director, NUR ENERGIE, Keith Casey, VP Markets and Infrastructure Development, CALIFORNIA ISO, Richard Leblanc, CEO, SKYFUEL, Asif Ansari, CEO and Founder, SUNTROUGH ENERGY, Jose Martin, CEO, SENER and many others.
Each event will feature approximately 20-25 expert presentations assessing market trends, technical development and application related advances through presentations, question-and-answer sessions and panel discussions. Throughout the conference, there will be a number of hosted luncheons, breaks and receptions, which will be held in and around the exhibit area located outside the main conference room. Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are available.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110707005011/en/IntertechPira%E2%80%99s-Industry-Leading-Solar-Conferences-Return-California

73 workers a day losing jobs: solar industry

A fresh fight is brewing within the solar panel industry, as installers prepare to mount another public campaign against the NSW government over the state's axed tariff.
The government is standing firm on a decision reached last week to get the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal to investigate a future tariff rate at which solar households could be paid for the electricity they feed back into the power grid.
But solar panel companies say they cannot wait until next year for the review to take place.

The industry claims that 73 workers a day are losing their jobs because of the uncertainty around tariff cuts, basing the figure on an estimate that the 8000-strong solar workforce will decline by half in the next two months.
One installer, NewSouthSolar, said it had been reduced in the past few weeks from a peak staff of 20 employees and contractors to just one - the company's director, David Trouville.
"As of today, it's just me sitting in the office by myself," Mr Trouville said. "We were able to hang on when the Labor government reduced the tariff from 60 cents, but since the tariff was completely dropped we have only sold one system."
Other solar installers said the industry was in crisis, with employees being laid off as work dried up.
"Sales activity has essentially dried up in NSW," John Grimes, the chief executive of the Australian Solar Energy Society, said.
Mr Grimes called on the government to adopt an industry-developed plan to pay solar households a tariff equal to the cost of fossil-fuel power, an interim while the IPART review was being undertaken.
If the government did not do that by tonight, it would mount another public campaign against the tariff cuts, Mr Grimes said.
NSW Energy Minister Chris Hartcher said any solution would not involve adding to the power bills of non-solar households.
"The NSW government made the deliberate decision – against the wishes of the Australian Solar Energy Society - to allow an additional 40,000 applicants entry under the Solar Bonus Scheme to provide ongoing income and certainty for the industry," Mr Hartcher said in a statement.
"At the current rate of installation, the government is advised it will take up to four months to connect the additional 40,000 applicants still awaiting installation to reach scheme capacity."
A Greens MP, John Kaye, said past public investment in the solar industry would be squandered unless the government provided interim support.
"An IPART Inquiry will take months if not an entire year," he said. "By that time, order books will have dried up and the industry will have all but vanished."

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/73-workers-a-day-losing-jobs-solar-industry-20110706-1h1q4.html