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The International Greenbuild
Conference and Expo has now arrived in Phoenix, Arizona. After much
anticipation, the Exhibition Hall opened up at 5:30pm tonight at the
Phoenix Convention Center.
Over 20,000 attendees are expected along with 1,800 vendors, comprised of companies and organizations, to showcase their green building products and services.
A major draw, is the presence of former U.S. Vice President and environmental advocate, Al Gore, who is scheduled to present the keynote address at Chase Field on Wednesday, November 11 at approximately 6pm, followed by a Sheryl Crow concert. An overview of the conference was published previously, but the major update is the addition of the White House head of the Office of Energy and Climate Change and former EPA Director, Carol Browner, as the closing plenary speaker on Friday, November 13.
However, amidst the center stage highlights and representation from over 2000 combined companies and organizations giving presentations and exhibiting products, the Job Fair was officially announced to have only 25 companies, many of which are small businesses, even though numerous large corporations and government agencies are participating in the conference and expo. Thus, the country’s jobless economic recovery is also evidenced at the world’s largest annual green construction and operations conference. All Greenbuild events require tickets, which may be purchased at this United States Green Build Council (USGBC) site. This gathering comes approximately one week after a related trade show, focused strictly on solar power technology.
Solar Power International 2009, the largest business-to-business solar energy conference and expo in North America, broke attendance records for the sixth year in a row last week, which is a good sign for Greenbuild. According to Photovoltaics World, the 2009 conference drew more than 24,000 industry professionals, an increase from 17,500 in 2008. Attendees traveled from 99 countries and a wide array of solar and related industries were represented such as: electric utilities, construction and investment banking. The 2009 event was reportedly one of the most international, with 27 percent attending from outside the U.S., as the global industry recognizes the Obama Administration’s commitment to building a clean energy economy, which will subsequently generate increased market opportunities for foreign solar panel manufacturers. The exhibition floor was over 50 percent larger than the previous year, including 929 companies from all branches of the solar supply chain. Industry leaders collectively predicted growth in 2010 due to post-recession economic recovery, the decreasing cost of solar electric power generation, the increased support from the electric utility sector, and the emerging pro-solar public policy in Asia and the U.S.
The global photovoltaic (PV) market is forecasted to expand in the next few years, according to a RNCOS market research study. In 2008, the annual global installed PV capacity reached approximately 5.6 gigawatts (GW), raising the total installed capacity to about 15 GW by the end of 2008. What’s more, a new opinion poll shows that U.S. solar executives expect to see significant growth for their businesses in 2010 and 2011. The 2009 U.S. Solar Industry Monitor is an opinion poll conducted by Droege & Comp., an international management consultancy, and Gibbs & Soell, an independent global public relations firm.
Nearly 100 professionals from various parts of the solar supply chain participated in the poll. Several of the major highlights include:
1. The majority of participants forecasted growth for their U.S. businesses in 2010 (92.6 percent) and 2011 (95.1 percent). Many expected to obtain a growth rate of more than 25 percent in 2010 (37.3 percent) and 2011 (55.0 percent).
2. The main barriers to growth were noted as: the lack of financing (81.8 percent), insufficient support from utilities (62.9 percent), lack of customer knowledge (61.3 percent), and an insufficient level of incentives (59.1 percent).
3. Awareness and differentiation are important in the growing solar industry. To create demand in the coming year, 82.9 percent report that sales and marketing communications will be increased significantly.
Due to the slowing of research and development and manufacturing, as a result of a major oversupply of solar panels on the market and the bank credit crunch, competition has been ramped up, as companies compete mainly on a cost basis. As solar providers attempt to lower operational costs and differentiate themselves via marketing strategies, conferences such as Greenbuild offer major solar sales potential. The list of solar technology and service providers in the Greenbuild Exhibition Hall include: American Solar Electric, Cascade Engineering, Desert Solar, DOW Chemical, Fuji Electric, General Electric, Integrated Solar, Kyocera Solar, Honeywell, Renewable Choice Energy, Sanyo, Solar Innovations, and DuPont; several other businesses are listed at this reference site.
One particular company, DuPont, will be exhibiting its wide array of
solar innovations. Recently, DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions and Silicon
Energy announced the world's first glass on glass polycrystalline
silicon (c-Si) PV modules, using a new ionomer-based encapsulant
instead of the traditional ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer. This
material reportedly shields c-Si cells
from impact, flexing, and moisture, with the benefit of being 100×
stiffer, 5× stronger than the EVA alternative. Crystalline silicon
solar cells comprise approximately 85 percent of the total market and
in solar farms as well as residences; so there is a high potential of penetration for this product.
The Silicon Energy modules used two 60mil layers of the ionomer-based
encapsulant to surround the silicon wafers, with high-transmittance
tempered glass to complete the structure. DuPont has also stated that
the resulting combination has significantly increased flexural strength
over conventional modules, while there increased resistance to moisture
allows for the modules to incorporate an open-edged framing design that
lets snow, water, and dirt slide right off easily, enhancing module
performance and energy production. Moreover, the modules have frames
and wiring channels along the sides, designed to make installation more
straightforward and aesthetically-appealing; this attribute also
improves air circulation throughout the module, which increases
efficiency, especially in sunny desert climates such as southern
Arizona. The modules are fully certified and have been shipped
commercially over the last several months.
Greenbuild 2009 is offering a full slate of forums, lectures, and product demonstrations for businesses and professionals, which is a perfect networking opportunity in preparation for green energy market growth, as stimulus programs and the prospectus of emerging clean energy legislation lift the industry.
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