ANAHEIM, Calif. 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. The 2009 conference drew more than 24,000 industry professionals, an increase from 17,500 in the previous year. Attendees originated from 99 countries and a broad cross-section of solar and related industries, including electric utilities, construction and investment banking. The annual Public Night event, open free to the general public, attracted an additional 2,700 people from the Southern California region.

Washington, DC - To help utilities rise to the challenge of adopting solar power at a large scale, the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has unveiled the industry's most comprehensive single source of information about solar electric power.  Executive Director Julia Hamm introduced the new web portal and database today at the Solar Power International Conference in Anaheim, Calif.

Washington, D.C. - Today the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) announced that they have formed a new jointly owned legal entity, Solar Energy Trade Shows LLC that will produce a portfolio of high-impact solar energy events designed to support the ongoing expansion of the U.S. solar energy industry. Solar Energy Trade Shows LLC will build upon SEPA and SEIA's track record producing some of the world's most successful solar industry events, and will continue to invest event proceeds toward the continued growth of the U.S. solar industry.

Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) is pleased to announce the Monthly Webinar schedule for the second half of 2009. These live monthly events provide key industry insight and are one of the outreach tools which make SEPA the go-to resource for business-critical networking and unbiased, comprehensive analysis of the issues and opportunities associated with making solar practical.

Solar Power International 2009, the largest business-to-business solar trade event in North America, will welcome 900+ companies from every part of the solar value chain to a sold-out exhibit floor at the Anaheim Convention Center. The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), co-presenters of Solar Power International since 2004, reported that the 2009 event will be more than double the size of the 2008 event, in terms of exhibiting companies and the net square footage of the trade show. More than 900 companies will exhibit, reserving a record 203,900 net sq. ft. of floor space. In 2008, Solar Power International had a total of 422 companies occupying 88,000 net sq. ft. of floor space.

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) commends the announcement today that Southern California Edison and First Solar have agreed to build two large-scale solar power projects in southern California. The agreement marks a key milestone in achieving SEPA's prediction that electric utilities will quickly become the largest and most important customer for the solar industry. According to Southern California Edison (SCE) and First Solar, the two installations will have a generation capacity of 550 megawatts of photovoltaic solar electricity, enough to provide power to approximately 170,000 homes.

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) commends the leadership of Duke Energy for finding common ground with the North Carolina Utilities Commission and reaching an agreement to move forward on the proposed $50 million utility-owned distributed photovoltaic (PV) program, the first of its kind in the southeastern United States. Under the terms of the agreement, Duke Energy will commission up to 10 megawatts of roof- and ground-mounted PV systems located on utility property, businesses, and homes, leasing customer roof space with the PV systems sending all of the electricity back into the electric grid. The customer's electric bill will remain unchanged but they will receive economic compensation from the lease.

Online Tool Released to Facilitate Utility Exchange of Solar Experiences and Lessons Learned

As utilities work to meet electricity demand, especially during peak summer days, examining the relationship between demand and solar photovoltaic (PV) output can be of significant value to the utility industry. Over the years, energy researchers have developed different statistical methods for calculating this relationship. However, there is no consensus across the utility or solar industries on a statistical method for calculating the capacity value of PV or its practical use in electricity markets and utility planning. The new report, Photovoltaic Capacity Valuation Methods, released today by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) in consultation with project partners, and funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy?s Solar America Initiative, examines the variety of capacity calculation methods in use, and lays the foundation for building consensus within the solar industry, electric utility, and research communities.