Intersolar and Vitality Storage North America (IESNA) wraps up its present for 2026 right now after per week of uncharacteristically wet days in San Diego and a quieter conference corridor than in years previous.
Credit score: Billy Ludt/SPW
As with all conference of this type, the individuals from exhibiting corporations all the time communicate optimistically — expressing confidence of their merchandise and the way they’re positioned to anticipate oncoming trade hurdles. Nevertheless, the obstacles this 12 months are wrapped in uncertainty.
Lower than 5 months from now could be the cutoff for protected harboring photo voltaic initiatives for the remaining funding tax credit. Producers try to maintain merchandise in inventory to make sure these initiatives that may finally be constructed one, two or three years from now, will nonetheless obtain that credit score.
Pop-up shows, in-booth screens and banners hanging from the San Diego Conference Heart’s ceiling held the phrase “home content material,” however foreign entity of concern (FEOC) {qualifications} nonetheless linger and seemingly change every single day.
As seen on the present flooring
IESNA is a difficult present for exhibitors, as a result of it falls 5 months after the nationwide RE+ conference in Las Vegas, and simply two weeks following RE+ Northeast. Most corporations stated they’ve new merchandise on the best way, however they’ll arrive in later quarters — seemingly debuting throughout the U.S. trade’s largest commerce present.
From what Photo voltaic Energy World noticed on the present flooring, IESNA had a number of new applied sciences and a bigger give attention to refining present services.
Meter collars and accent applied sciences at ConnectDER’s sales space. Billy Ludt/SPW
A whole lot of collaboration is happening among the many energy electronics sectors. Standalone inverter producers are pairing their tech with power storage. One instance is SMA America, who’s inserting its brilliant yellow string inverter Sunny Island with Lithion’s GridBox battery power storage system (BESS). The AC-coupled inverter and stackable, modular BESS combo are geared for the C&I market, with the potential to drop into factors alongside transmission traces the place the ability is required.
ConnectDER, the meter collar producer, is partnering with battery producers for higher load administration providers for properties. Its meter collars are made for managing electrical automobile and photo voltaic masses and may “island” properties with battery backup power. A ConnectDER spokesperson stated battery producers have been championing meter collar know-how.
Following the pattern of “balcony solar” getting into america, APsystems had its EZ 1 Plug-In microinverter, which is constructed for these new moveable photo voltaic initiatives. The product has been in the marketplace for round a 12 months, however the know-how is gaining traction as extra states are authorizing plug-in photo voltaic initiatives.
In mounting and racking, there’s been a bigger shift towards the industrial photo voltaic market after the residential funding tax credit score expired on the finish of 2025. SunModo hasn’t provided a carport in 5 years however debuted SunSpan, a brand new carport design, on the present, in addition to SunPier, a post-driven floor mount rack with beams which can be streamlined for manufacturing in comparison with its smaller scale floor mount.
Pegasus acquired European flat roof racking producer AEROCOMPACT in January, rising the corporate’s presence in industrial photo voltaic, and had its merchandise within the sales space at IESNA. Unirac is iterating on its present 10° flat roof solar racking and with a 5° mannequin centered on increased venture density known as GRIDFLEX 5.
APsystems’ EZ1 Plug-In Microinverter. Billy Ludt/SPW
Tracker corporations didn’t have a lot of a presence on the present, however large-scale building nonetheless had its supporters. Barcelona, Spain-based software program firm Amelia branched out from drone imaging and developed Hincator, a tool that automates and detects the depth of pushed piles on ground-mounted photo voltaic initiatives. The corporate stated Hincator is on a pile for about 15 seconds earlier than shifting to the following and has seen instances the place installers place 700 piles in a day.
With maybe the perfect firm identify on the present, Velociwrapper introduced two of its cable wrapping machines, which use no gasoline or electronics, and as an alternative tie cable runs by guiding wire bundles by a rotating channel pulled alongside by a tractor, skid steer or truck trailer.
Photo voltaic panels have been the most important query about FEOC compliance. Each photo voltaic panel firm SPW spoke to throughout IESNA stated they had been assured that their modules would qualify for home content material. Many had talked about plans to start out up manufacturing in america or develop present amenities — even these simply getting into the market.
IESNA was noticeably much less crowded this 12 months, however exhibitors stated this gave them the possibility to have longer, increased high quality conversations with attendees than at different exhibits. The most important impression from this newest commerce present is that U.S. photo voltaic market is taking a defensive place as new deadlines strategy.
Credit score: Billy Ludt/SPW
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