Call for Speakers Now Open, Abstracts Due March 13

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 10, 2015 -- Intersolar North America, the most well attended solar industry exhibition and conference dedicated to the North American market, is now accepting abstract submissions for its annual conference July 13-15, 2015 in San Francisco. Intersolar will draw on the input from its roster of industry partners, including the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA), to develop a robust conference program that highlights the new financing models, policies and technologies driving record-breaking growth in the U.S. market. The deadline for abstracts is Friday, March 13.

The U.S. solar market has tripled in the past three years, with cumulative PV and CSP capacity reaching 17.5 GW in Q3 2014, as reported by GTM Research. The fastest growing segments in 2014 were the residential and utility segments, which expanded by 49 and 45 percent, respectively. In California, the utility-scale market received a boost from the 550 MW Topaz Solar Farm in San Luis Obispo County, now the world's largest grid-connected PV plant. As a result, the state is expected to become a global leader in PV penetration. According to IHS, solar power is expected to provide more than 10 percent of California's annual power generation in 2015, which will help the state pass Italy and Germany in terms of the share of total power generation sourced from solar PV.

Conference organizers will select speakers across sessions dedicated to the innovative business models and technologies behind market expansion, and lessons learned from implementation.

Intersolar North America is soliciting abstracts on the following topics:

* PV: Markets & Finance
* PV: Technologies
* Electrical Energy Storage
* Solar Heating and Cooling

"The expanded availability of financing and the deployment of efficient, cost-effective technologies has unlocked the vast potential for solar in the U.S. market," said Markus Elsaesser, CEO of Solar Promotion International GmbH, organizer of Intersolar North America, and Daniel Strowitzki, CEO of FMMI International, organizer of Intersolar North America, in a joint statement. "The conference program at the 2015 event will spotlight the latest developments deployed in the field, as well as the advancements in energy storage and policy that promise to enhance the industry's impressive growth."

Organizers plan to build on the success of last year's conference program, which featured more than 200 speakers, and 60 sessions and workshops. Intersolar North America is working closely with its partners and solar industry organizations to develop a conference program that will include presentations from industry executives and policymakers, and will encourage lively discussions among attendees.

Partner CALSEIA To Spotlight California Policy

CALSEIA again will play an invaluable role shaping conference programs at Intersolar North America that chart a path forward on important issues facing the industry. CALSEIA recently released its 2014 annual report highlighting successful campaigns in the last year, which include extending net metering rules, streamlining permitting guides and supporting energy storage incentives. Additionally, the report shows that California solar industry now employs 47,000 people, more than the state's three investor-owned utilities combined.

Intersolar North America brings together leaders from across the solar value chain, and is a critical networking event for CALSEIA. The two organizations announced at last year's conference and exhibition the formation of a long-term agreement to strengthen solar policies in California through joint campaigns and programs.

"We achieved critical policy victories in 2014, including passing the nation's first statewide permitting law," said Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of the CALSEIA. "In partnership with Intersolar North America, we are able to draw attention to the strategic initiatives that will usher solar to the mainstream. We look forward to developing panels and programs that provide the industry with the insights needed to grow the solar market in California and beyond."

About Intersolar North America
With events spanning four continents, Intersolar is the world's leading exhibition series for the solar industry and its partners. It unites people and companies from around the world with the aim of increasing the share of solar power in our energy supply.

Since its establishment in 2008, Intersolar North America has become the most attended solar event and the premier networking platform for the North American solar industry. Co-located with SEMICON West, it takes place annually at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California, the United States' pioneering solar market.

The event's exhibition and conference both focus on the areas of photovoltaics, PV production technologies, energy storage and solar thermal technologies. Since being founded, Intersolar has become the most important industry platform for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, service providers and partners of the global solar industry.

A total of 530 exhibitors and 17,473 trade visitors participated in Intersolar North America in 2014. The conference featured 40 sessions and 25 workshops with more than 200 speakers.

With over 20 years of experience, Intersolar has the unique ability to bring together members of the solar industry from across the world's most influential markets. Intersolar exhibitions and conferences are held in Munich, San Francisco, Mumbai, Beijing and Sao Paulo. Starting in 2014, these global events will be complemented by the Intersolar Summits, which is to take place in emerging and growing markets worldwide.

For more information on Intersolar North America, please visit: www.intersolar.us