The Role of Cities in our Transition to Clean Energy

10:30AM – 11:00AM
Las Vegas Convention Center North Exhibit Hall Booth #171
Panel Members: James Schroll, Project Manager, The Solar Foundation; Josh Huneycutt, U.S. Department of Energy

SolSmart is a SunShot-funded effort to recognize communities that have taken steps to reduce barriers inhibiting the growth of robust local solar markets. The Solar Foundation and its team of national solar experts provides no-cost technical assistance to communities pursuing designation. Join us for an overview of SolSmart, what the program might mean for your business prospects, and how your company can get involved.

Shared Solar: Best Practices & Opportunities

1:00PM – 2:00PM
Las Vegas Convention Center, 2nd Level, Room N247
Moderator: Odette Mucha, U.S. Department of Energy
Panel Members: Adam Capage, Vice President, Community Solar, 3Degrees; Craig Connelly, Senior Director of Strategy and Innovation, The Solar Foundation; Eric Steinhofer, Vice President of Business Development, Clean Energy Collective

As the demand for customer choice and community solar continues to grow, utilities and legislatures are taking notice while new community solar models and legislative structures are creating complexities in the market. In an effort to identify a way forward, this session will provide an in-depth survey into industry reactions, adaptations, and modifications to program requirements, as well as identify best practices that utilities, developers, and legislators have leveraged to create successful new programs.

Grid Modernization

10:30AM – 12:00PM
Las Vegas Convention Center, 2nd Level, Room N251
Moderator: Kevin W. Lynn, Director, Grid Modernization, U.S. Department of Energy
Panel Members: Nadav Enbar, Principal Project Manager, EPRI; Mark Esguerra, Principal, Distribution Planning, Pacific Gas & Electric Company; Matthew B. Green, Director - Business Strategy & Development, PPL Electric Utilities; Christopher Raup, Director, Utility of the Future, ‎Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.; Brandon Smithwood, Manager, California State Affairs, Solar Energy Industries Association

Forward-looking approaches will help the grid and utilities grapple with increasing penetration and sustained growth of distributed energy resources. This panel will discuss innovative solutions to this challenge and examine the role of regulatory changes as the grid continues to evolve.

Solar Strong: Attracting and Hiring Great Employees from the U.S. Military

1:00PM – 2:00PM
Las Vegas Convention Center, 2nd Level, Room N246
Moderator: Andrea Luecke, President and Executive Director, The Solar Foundation
Panel Members: Stephanie Kline, ManTech International with the U.S. Department of Energy; Tenley Dalstrom, Solar Ready Vets Program Director, The Solar Foundation; Roxie Brown, Solar Training Network Program Director, The Solar Foundation

Are you seeking talented, focused, and disciplined hires? Over the next five years, the solar industry is expected to add more than 30,000 new full-time positions while more than one million U.S. troops are leaving active duty, many of whom will be ideal employees with the skills needed to transition into the solar industry. Learn how to take advantage of this unique workforce from government and industry leaders who will share best practices in identifying, attracting, and hiring veterans at your company.

Utility Planning for a SunShot Future: Best Practices for Incorporating Distributed Solar into Utility Planning

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Las Vegas Convention Center, 2nd Level Education and Meeting Rooms, Room N255
Host: Andrew D. Mills, Research Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, with advising from a diverse group of leading national, regional, and state organizations, have identified best practices and innovative tools for incorporating solar energy into electric infrastructure planning. Learn how they conducted a comparative analysis and evaluation of recent resource plans, to provide lessons learned from other states. They will provide a sample of plans, which includes over 20 recent integrated resource plans and 15 regional transmission planning studies across the U.S.

Spotlight on SunShot Initiative Programs

10:30AM – 2:00PM
Westgate Hotel Exhibit Hall - Innovation Theater

• 10:30AM: Kyle Fricker, SunShot Technology to Market
  This overview of the SunShot Technology to Market portfolio features some of the companies SunShot has funded and how they continue to transform the solar industry.
• 11:00AM: Dan Stricker, How to Manage your SunShot Award
  In this session, SunShot will expose myths about managing federals awards, highlight some best practices, and offer tips for a highly productive and rewarding experience with SunShot.
• 11:30AM: Odette Mucha, Solar in Your Community Challenge
  The SunShot Initiative has a number of programs and activities to accelerate solar deployment for low- and moderate-income communities, nonprofits, and other public-serving organizations, including a proposed prize competition, a national partnership, and many others.
• 12:00PM: Stephanie Kline, SunShot Collaborations and Impacts on Department of Defense Goals
  This session highlights the ongoing collaboration between the SunShot Initiative and the U.S. Department of Defense through a number of programs to dramatically impact defense initiatives and goals, such as resiliency, climate change, and energy assurance.
• 12:30PM: Christian Philipsen, Best Strategies for Applying to SunShot FOAs
  Applying to SunShot funding opportunities can be intimidating to many. In this session, SunShot staff will deconstruct the application process and offer insights about required steps, documents, evaluation criteria, timing, selection, award negotiation, and announcements.
• 1:00PM: Dan Boff, Why Join the Orange Button Initiative
  The Orange Button Initiative is an industry-driven program designed to drive down transaction costs and enable a solar data economy. Come learn how the Energy Department and industry partners are working to build the next generation of solar energy data.
• 1:30PM: Ammar Qusaibaty, Solar Data Ambassadors
  This session is an overview of a new initiative by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to establish and manage a network of data ambassadors in 10 innovation hubs and cities around the nation.