Obama energy advisor Ali Zaidi speaks at most-attended industry event in U.S.; exhibition hall showcases the latest innovations from more than 500 solar and energy storage industry leaders

SAN FRANCISCO, July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Intersolar and ees North America, the most-attended solar-plus-storage industry exhibition and conference in North America, officially opened its doors in San Francisco for its ninth year. Ali Zaidi, the White House Office of Management and Budget's associate director for natural resources, energy and science, addressed a standing-room-only crowd during the Opening Ceremony in the InterContinental Hotel. The keynote speakers remarked on the growth potential of the solar and energy storage markets, policies, technologies and financial models helping drive the industry to its next phase of development.

"It's important you find yourself a set of leaders that will put in place a set of policies to make sure the next 25 years are good," said Zaidi, reflecting on Intersolar's 25th anniversary. "It's a risky business to not invest in climate change."

"Clean energy is no longer a niche market or a plaything of the wealthy," said California State Sen. Kevin de León, president pro tempore of the California Senate, upon being presented with the 2016 Intersolar Champion of Change AWARD. "It is officially a pillar of our economy, and it is here to stay. In California, we are showing one of the world's leading economies can thrive while also reducing carbon emissions."

On the heels of another record-breaking year, the U.S. will add an estimated 14.5 GW of new solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in 2016. By 2021, cumulative solar installations to pass the 100 GW mark, due in part to declining costs and favorable policies, notably the extension of the investment tax credit (ITC). The extension of the ITC through 2021 marked a major victory for the U.S. solar market, and demonstrated the success of solar-friendly policy programs in spurring market expansion.

"Solar brings resources to our communities in more ways than one," said Bernadette Del Chiaro, executive director of the California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA). She noted that 66 percent of the California residential market in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, and there is 25 percent growth in solar for renters and in the multifamily housing sector. "Solar energy is truly building a smarter clean energy future."

"Solar is for everybody," added Joshua Arce, a founder of the Brightline Defense Project, a policy advocacy non-profit which works to help low-income neighborhoods polluted by power plants to create sustainable and healthy living conditions. "That's where you can make the case to local workers -- it's energy savings, and it's jobs.

This year marks Intersolar North America's ninth annual event in San Francisco — the heart of the U.S. solar industry and the country's largest solar-plus-storage market. It also is the first year Intersolar is co-located with ees North America, a standalone event devoted showcasing energy storage technologies and services. Throughout the course of the three-day exhibition, approximately 18,000 visitors from across the globe will see the latest breakthroughs from more than 500 exhibitors at Moscone West.

In addition to the innovations on display on the exhibition floor, visitors will also learn about technology advances during presentations on two exhibition stages: the ees Stage and the Innovation & Application Stage. Visitors to the stages can attend sessions from Intersolar and ees North America exhibitors and partners, and from Intersolar and ees AWARD finalists. Here, Intersolar and ees North America will unveil a new white paper on smart renewable energy from partner GTM Research, as well as a new Solar Plus Storage Job Analysis from The Solar Foundation.

This year, Intersolar and ees North America also feature two special pavilions. An expanded CALSEIA California Pavilion, which returns for its second year, will host solar and energy storage companies from the country's leading market. The Powerhouse Pavilion, making its debut at Intersolar and ees North America, will feature both new and established solar software, financing and energy management companies. The pavilion is hosted by California-based Powerhouse, the world's first and only incubator and accelerator dedicated to solar.

"Intersolar and ees North America are proud to host the exhibitors, speakers and visitors shaping the industry through impactful discussions and high-caliber networking," said Florian Wessendorf, managing director of Solar Promotion International GmbH, and Daniel Strowitzki, CEO of Freiburg Management and Marketing International GmbH (FMMI), the organizers of Intersolar and ees North America. "Year after year, industry stakeholders know they can rely on their peers to congregate each July in San Francisco."

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, Intersolar North America takes place annually at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, in the heart of the United States' pioneering solar market. The event will expand to host a co-located energy storage-focused exhibition, ees North America. ees grew out of Intersolar North America's popular energy storage exhibition segment.

A total of 521 exhibitors and around 17,835 visitors participated in Intersolar North America in 2015. The conference and exhibition program featured 47 sessions with more than 200 speakers and 25 workshops.

Intersolar North America's exhibition and conference focus on photovoltaics, energy storage systems, smart renewable energy and solar heating & cooling technologies. Since being founded, Intersolar has become the most important industry platform to connect manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, service providers, policy makers, start-up founders, financiers, installers and partners in the global solar industry.

With 25 years of experience, Intersolar has the unique ability to bring together members of the solar industry from across the world's most influential markets and solar supply chain. Intersolar exhibitions and conferences are held in Munich, San Francisco, Mumbai, and São Paulo, and, starting in 2016, in Dubai. These global events are complemented by the Intersolar Summits, which take place in emerging and growing markets worldwide.

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

About ees North America

The ees global exhibition series is the electrical energy storage industry's hotspot for manufacturers, distributors, users and suppliers of stationary and mobile storage solutions. ees exhibitions are organized in cooperation with Intersolar, the world's leading exhibition series for the solar industry.

The ees exhibitions and accompanying conferences are focused on storage solutions for renewable energy, from residential and commercial applications to large-scale storage systems for stabilizing the grids. ees also features energy management, electric transportation and uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

There are three ees events around the world—ees North America in San Francisco, ees Europe in Munich, and ees India in Mumbai. The ees North America debuted in 2015 as a special exhibition in San Francisco. In 2016, ees North America becomes a stand-alone exhibition co-located with Intersolar North America.

With 100 expected exhibitors and 18,000 visitors at the co-located events, it will be the most-attended solar-plus-storage event in the U.S.

For more information on ees North America please visit www.ees-northamerica.com