Solar Power International 2016 brought together nearly 18,000 visitors, and with those visitors came innovations, ideas and projections for the future of solar. With 600 vendors and more than 40 scheduled events, it was almost as difficult to keep up with the goings-on at SPI as it is to keep tabs on the rapid growth of the solar industry.

In case you missed anything, below is a wrap-up of the show’s key takeaways.

Falling Cost of Solar Energy

The continuing decline of solar energy prices was a major point of discussion at SPI 2016. With this fall comes an acceleration of industry growth, as more consumers are able to access solar energy. While this leads to a boost in the industry’s economy, the collapse of PV module prices is forcing solar manufacturers to find innovative ways to reduce costs and stay competitive.

Related read: 5 Proven Strategies to Reduce the Sky-High Cost of Solar Mounting Systems 

Speed of Acceleration in Solar

Adoption

It’s no surprise that the fast-tracked growth of the solar industry was a major takeaway from this year’s conference. Solar is growing 43 percent year-over-year, and added more than two gigawatts of capacity in Q2 2016 alone. According to the Solar Energies Industry Association, the industry is projected to double this year.

New Growth Strategies

During a panel discussion with David Crane, former CEO of NRG Solar, he was quick to point out that consumer acceptance of solar industry should be a top priority. Crane urged businesses to “get into the head of the consumer,” and reach a point where consumers ask for solar energy.

Compromise Between DERs

In a time when states are rethinking the laws and regulations pertaining to energy, solar companies are keeping close tabs on plans for net metering, community solar, residential fixed charges and similar regulations. Southern California Edison released a solution at SPI to harness the potential of distributed energy resources (DERs) to consumer markets. This will expand consumer choices, help consumers maximize their investments, and, in turn, allow solar to gain traction.

Free Solar Profile Guide

If you weren’t able to attend SPI this year, that doesn’t mean you should miss out on our free solar profile guide. As the industry continues to rapidly evolve, you need time and money to keep up. This will save you both.

Download the guide to access designs and section modulus requirements for:

• 2" C-Section*
• 5" C-Section*
• 3" C-Section*
• 5" C-Section*
• Z-Section*
• I-Beam and W-Section

We hope to see you next year at Solar Power International! 

*Profiles that utilize roll tooling already in-house at Hynes, reducing lead times and lowering total cost of production.