SPI 2019 Wrap-Up
With the weather shifting to cooler temperatures, leafs changing from summer colors into autumn, and nearly every beverage under the sun now offered in a pumpkin variety, we all know what time of year is upon us: It’s time for Inovateus Solar’s 2019 Solar Power International Wrap-up! Last week in Salt Lake City, Utah, a group of us from Inovateus had the distinct pleasure of meeting with customers, manufacturers, and a wide range of industry service providers all in the state’s capital. Salt Lake City’s unique landscape of majestic mountain vistas, scenic skyline, and seemingly high number of electric scooters per capita presented itself as the opportune location to host one of our industry’s most highly regarded trade shows.
In my role as the Inovateus Director of Procurement, I work directly with all solar product suppliers to ensure our solar installations are built at the highest possible quality projects for our customers. In my meetings with manufacturers and suppliers, the two recurring show themes were module scarcity and the various safe harbor programs manufacturers currently offer. Module scarcity is no news to most, yet it was quite eye opening to see the projected product roadmaps offered by various manufacturers going into 2020 and beyond. While many of the industry’s largest capacity players will remain dedicated and steadfast in producing high – output 300 class mono perc modules, others have gone nearly all-in on producing 300 class bifacial module types. As our team attended various showcase events within the towers of the Salt Palace Convention Center, industry buzz swirled over whether the current tariff exclusion applying to bifacials would be lifted in the near future or would prove to be a mainstay for module procurement.
The second theme I noticed during numerous meetings with module, racking and inverter manufacturers was the tactics they plan to enact as the initial ITC 4% step-down approaches. Nearly all equipment suppliers have or will instill their own programs to help their customer base secure the maximum value of the 30% ITC. From companies specializing in string and central inverters to suppliers offering fixed, ballast, and/or tracker racking types to module providers, each came prepared to SPI with significant insight and recommendations for customers looking to safe harbor products for their pipelines. For a solar policy update on the ITC, I encourage you to read a piece by our own Tim Powers. The article outlines how the step down of the ITC will affect the solar industry and Inovateus’ stance on the matter. Click here to read the ITC blog post.
Lastly, in what transpires as a prominent bonus theme, SPI 2019 made it clear our industry remains strong, resilient, and our future is bright. An article published earlier this year stated “the solar train had officially left the station”. In Spite of tariffs and the coming ITC step-down, the train tracks of opportunity for continued growth and market development for the industry remain strong. In fact, the U.S. solar market is among the fastest growing in the world. While the future may bring challenging opportunities or unique hurdles, it is without a doubt our industry’s tenacity, grit, vigor, and optimism will carry us through to a society brimming with solar energy. Full steam ahead to 2020!
