2024 Large Scale Solar Agenda
If you would like to present a case study or be part of a panel session at our Large Scale Solar USA Summit, then please get in touch with our conference producer, Jadon Guthrie and the team to discuss relevant speaking opportunities that might be available.
09:00 -
09:05
Presentation
Moderator
09:05 -
09:35
Keynote Address
- How is SETO supporting large scale solar developers to secure local and regional buy-in for development?
- Role of government in combating interconnection challenges to enable the administration's ambitious utility scale solar deployment goals
- Ongoing work to facilitate and disseminate the collection of operational data to serve U.S. solar developers, asset managers and asset owners
- SETO's perspective on workforce and industrial development needed to deliver the energy transition
Speaker
09:35 -
10:20
Room One
Keynote Panel
As utility-scale solar projects across the US continue to evolve in size and complexity, so does the opportunities and challenges associated with financing, developing, and operating 200MW+ solar projects. As these projects continue to scale, losses caused by bottlenecks, down-time and underperformance become magnified. So has the scale of teams needed to site, deploy and manage these sites.
What strategies are the largest US solar developers deploying to facilitate a further acceleration of large-scale solar expansion in the US?
Moderator
Speakers
10:20 -
11:00
Fireside Chat
2023 was the year US solar developers and capital providers across the United States gained access IRA tax credits and adders into project financing strategies. For 2024, focus has now shifted to what is needed for long-term IRA compliance. While IPPs and asset owners are thinking of long-term compliance, developers and EPCs that have commenced construction are gearing up for PWA and domestic content compliance and reporting today.
- What long-term IRA considerations are needed across procurement, development, asset management and O&M decision-making spaces?
- What strategies are developers and asset owners deploying to comply with domestic content, prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements to secure adders long-term?
- Learn from real-world examples on how to implement IRA tax incentive compliance strategies to minimize risk and maximize value
Moderator
Speakers
11:30 -
12:30
Room One
Panel Discussion
- What does tax credit transferability and Basil III’s impact on transferability mean for the future funding opportunities of large scale solar?
- At the time of writing, interest rates and inflation has stabilized. What does this mean for solar project finance?
- How are capital providers approaching their risk management strategies for investments?
- Considering there is an abundance of PV projects seeking PPAs, how are others securing PPAs?
- How are increasing insurance premiums impacting the bankability of new utility-scale solar projects?
Moderator
Speakers
12:30 -
13:00
Room One
Presentation
Speaker
Asset Management and Optimization
Developing and Deploying Large Scale Solar
14:30 -
15:45
Room One
Panel Discussion
- What considerations are needed to optimally navigate critical stages of the solar lifecycle (0 – 6 months; 5 – 10 years; 15 – 20 years)?
- How are others building up their capability to forecast performance?
- What predictive maintenance, AI forecasting and automatic fault detection capabilities can asset managers acquire to minimize downtime?
- How are asset managers choosing to selectively repowering specific components of a solar project to extend its asset life?
- What unique repowering strategies have been deployed that supercharged capacity at relatively minimal costs?
- Inverters are a common focus for repowering. What are their implication for widespread underperformance on plants and how are managers responding?
- How are asset managers approaching their long-term spare parts management?
Moderator
Speakers
14:30 -
15:00
Room Two
Presentation
Coming out of a hot and expensive 2023 summer, nodal dynamics have become more volatile across ERCOT, with some assets experiencing rather extreme nodal conditions. With increased scrutiny on projects, developers, investors and lenders alike are looking to properly assess nodal value and risks. What are the key considerations when assessing the value of different nodes and some common misconceptions of nodal performance?
Speaker
15:00 -
15:45
Room Two
Panel Discussion
- How do permitting requirements differ from one state to another? What are the commonalities, and where do the major differences lie?
- What strategies are leading developers deploying to speed up solar development?
- What are common features of a permit application or permittee that often results in success others should replicate?
- As the industry evolves, how might permitting processes change in the coming years? What should developers be prepared for?
Moderator
Speakers
Asset Management and Optimization
Developing and Deploying Large Scale Solar
16:15 -
16:45
Room One
Presentation
Dow has been a leader in the PV Industry for over 25 years and possess unparalleled technical and market expertise surrounding material selection for more efficient, durable, and long lasting modules. We are excited to share our insights, knowledge, and expertise as a domestic materials supplier as we answer the following questions:
- Why is it important to understand the materials going into your projects and investments?
- What are common failures amongst module materials?
- Why is the BOM important?
- How does module material selection impact project outcomes?
- How can material selection mitigate module degradation and failure risks?
Speaker
16:15 -
16:45
Room Two
Presentation
Speaker
17:00 -
17:30
Room One
Fireside Chat
As utility-scale solar plants expand in both magnitude and maturity, there's a looming risk of inadvertently creating a waste management crisis. What considerations are needed for decommissioning, recycling, and waste management? How does this impact the economics of projects?
Moderator
Speakers
16:45 -
17:30
Room Two
Panel Discussion
As large-scale solar installations continue to expand across the US, especially further into populated rural areas, community non-acceptance will continue to grow as a bottleneck to deployment.
- What are the common concerns the community raise in opposition to solar development?
- How are developers increasing the economic and social uplift that solar can provide for communities?
- How are developers working in coordination with farming communities?
Moderator
Speakers
17:30 -
19:00
Networking
As the day's discussions draw to a close, unwind and indulge in an evening of relaxed networking at the Large Scale Solar USA's Reception, graciously sponsored by Trina Solar.
Whether you're looking to deepen existing relationships or spark new collaborations, Trina Solar and the Solar Media Team invite you to mingle with peers, experts, and thought leaders in an informal and convivial environment in the heart of Dallas, Texas.
Solar Bottlenecks - Supply Chain, Siting and Grid
Large Scale Operation, Maintenance & Co-location
09:00 -
09:50
Room One
Presentation
With the US projected to be deploy a terawatt of solar capacity by 2035, the next key bottleneck ahead is the shortfall in EPC availability. This session brings into focus the solutions developers, investors and EPCs are bringing to the table. How is the sector planning ahead to facilitate a historic deployment of American Solar?
Moderator
Speakers
09:00 -
10:00
Room Two
Panel Discussion
Step into the evolving realm of policy, regulation and power market regulation. As the energy landscape undergoes rapid transformation, understanding the direction of policy and regulatory shifts is crucial for stakeholders at all levels. This session brings together a distinguished panel of representatives from both federal and state levels, as well as regional power market regulators, offering a holistic perspective on the future trajectory of energy policy and regulation.
Come prepared with your questions and engage directly with the very individuals shaping the future of energy policy and regulation in the US.
Come prepared with your questions and engage directly with the very individuals shaping the future of energy policy and regulation in the US.
Moderator
Speakers
Partner & Former Chief of Staff at New Jersey Board of Public Utilities,
McCarter & English LLP
09:50 -
10:10
Room One
Presentation
- In a world of long queue times and increasing study costs, focusing on the projects that have a chance ensures the best outcome for all stakeholders
- Utilizing the correct set of interconnected tools helps ensure fatal flaws are detected early in the process
- This will be a demonstration of how an end-to-end SaaS solution can help speed up and optimize the solar development process using a real example
Speaker
10:10 -
11:00
Room One
Panel Discussion
How is a growing solar manufacturing base in the US changing the construction and procurement landscape?
What value-add opportunities does a growing domestic manufacturing sector present?
As non-Chinese modules increase in market share, how will they be assessed, insured and tested?
How are developers leveraging domestic manufacturing to secure long-term equipment supply?
How are project sponsors meeting domestic content requirements?
Moderator
Speakers
10:10 -
11:00
Room Two
Panel Discussion
- What role should agrivoltaics facilitate in the broader expansion of utility scale solar across the United States?
- How are leading developer navigating the different complexities of developing agrivoltaics compared to greenfield utility scale solar?
- What are the best practices for integrating solar farms with agricultural land to promote biodiversity while optimizing asset performance?
- How are developers leveraging agrivoltaic projects to maximize the social impact potential of solar projects?
- What are the key sustainable management practices that can be implemented in solar farms to support and improve local ecosystems?
Moderator
Speakers
11:30 -
12:00
Room One
Keynote Address
Deploying utility-scale projects on retired coal plants provides an opportunity for solar developers to side-step interconnection queues, leverage adders available through the Inflation Reduction Act and most importantly, democratize the benefits of solar to communities.
Whether it’s creating economic opportunity for displaced coalminers in Appalachia and other energy communities in the Nation's tribes and pueblos or bringing the benefits of community solar to low and moderate income ratepayers, Edelen Renewables has done it all.
This keynote case studies provides insights into the only "coal-to-solar" project in the United States and features solar projects the award-winning documentary “The Human Element" and explores what is needed to deploy solar on retired coal plants at scale.
Whether it’s creating economic opportunity for displaced coalminers in Appalachia and other energy communities in the Nation's tribes and pueblos or bringing the benefits of community solar to low and moderate income ratepayers, Edelen Renewables has done it all.
This keynote case studies provides insights into the only "coal-to-solar" project in the United States and features solar projects the award-winning documentary “The Human Element" and explores what is needed to deploy solar on retired coal plants at scale.
Speaker
12:00 -
13:00
Networking
This is your chance to connect with existing and new stakeholders. Three breakout networking spaces open allowing you to connect with other decision-makers aligned with your specific needs. Whether you’re looking for capital, projects, expertise, or a service – you’re sure to find it at Large Scale Solar USA.
Break-Out Networking Areas:
Break-Out Networking Areas:
- Developers and Capital Providers Networking Roundtables: This networking room is ideal for those with pipeline projects seeking capital, for those with deployable debt financing and investment capital-pots looking for projects to fund and those looking to sell and purchase projects or whole portfolios on the secondary market.
- Asset Managers and Asset Optimizers Networking Roundtables: This networking room is ideal for those managing a portfolio of projects seeking third-party support with optimizing and maintaining assets.
- Project Sponsors & Service Providers Networking Roundtables: This networking room is ideal for those with overall ownership of solar projects to connect with a range of services. This includes (but not limited to) services relating to legal, technical/financial advice, environmental and transmission studies, technology & equipment, and waste management.
13:00 -
14:30
Networking
Please contact our Abigail Vials (Head of Sales - Solar & Green Hydrogen) to enquire about sponsorship opportunities: avials@solarmedia.co.uk
14:30 -
15:10
Room One
Panel Discussion
- Has access to ITC tax credits for standalone storage projects weakened the business case for co-located solar and storage projects?
- Is there a conflict between the optimal siting of BESS assets and large utility-scale solar? If so, how are others navigating this conflict?
- How are leading developers capturing the most attractive returns for solar and co-located BESS storage?
- What are the current and potential US markets for green hydrogen?
- What role is green hydrogen occupying in the long-term strategy for utility-scale solar project owners and developers?
Moderator
Speakers
15:10 -
15:40
Room One
Presentation
- How much capacity is waiting in interconnection queues in different power markets?
- What are the timelines you can expect for your pipeline projects?
- How high are interconnection costs to the bulk power grid and how do they vary by market?
- What are the effects of recent interconnection process reforms?
Speaker
Policy Researcher and Project Lead, Interconnection Costs,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)
15:40 -
16:25
Room One
Panel Discussion
- What is the timeline for regional power markets implementing FERC’s interconnection reform?
- How does the implementation of cluster study process impact utility-scale solar projects in the pipeline?
- How are leading developers factoring interconnection reforms into their decision-making space?
- What challenges and opportunities are presented by areas with weak grid connections?
- How are developers factoring market saturation and power market dynamics into their siting strategies?
- What strategies are developers deploying to more effectively navigate interconnection delays?
Moderator
Speakers
16:25 -
16:30
Presentation
Moderator
If you would like to present a case study or be part of a panel session at our Large Scale Solar USA Summit, then please get in touch with our conference producer, Jadon Guthrie and the team to discuss relevant speaking opportunities that might be available.