Solarplaza Summit | Asset Management North America

Following the latest legislative shifts, this expert panel brings together tax specialists, developers, independent power producers, and investors to discuss how evolving tax credit rules and regulatory changes are shaping their daily operations. Gain firsthand insights into the practical challenges and strategic adjustments being made across the renewable energy sector—from project development, financing, and FEOC compliance to asset management—offering a comprehensive view of how industry leaders are adapting to this new landscape. Attendees will share their top advice for navigating this evolving energy landscape.

As solar and storage assets expand into more arid and wildfire-prone regions, the risk of fire—both from external events and internal system failures—is becoming a critical concern for asset owners and operators. This session explores the dual threat of physical fire damage and performance degradation due to smoke and ash accumulation.

From thermal runaway events in BESS to soiling-related underperformance in PV systems, experts will share practical insights into detection, prevention, and mitigation strategies. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how fire risk impacts O&M planning, energy yield, insurance coverage, and long-term asset value, and how to adapt their risk management frameworks accordingly.

Despite major strides in PV technology and analytics, underperformance in solar assets remains a persistent challenge in 2026. This session dives deep into the top technical and operational culprits — from complex soiling patterns and shading to module degradation and grid integration challenges. Backed by fresh field data and real-world case studies, experts will highlight the ten most actionable insights O&M teams can implement immediately.

Attendees will walk away with a powerful checklist designed to sharpen diagnostics, boost uptime, and extend asset life — ensuring long-term performance optimization across diverse portfolios.
 

Community solar is rapidly emerging as a powerful driver for expanding access to clean energy. This session explores innovative models that enhance participation, financing, and community engagement. Experts will share insights into overcoming challenges such as financing hurdles, regulatory complexities, variable energy demand, and storage integration.

Through real-world case studies, attendees will learn how successful community solar programs are being implemented and scaled to benefit diverse communities.

This session will cut through the hype to explore the real-world impact of AI, machine learning, and data mining on solar O&M. With concrete examples and use cases, we’ll dive into how advanced analytics are already minimizing site anomalies, maximizing energy yields, and driving operational efficiency across solar portfolios. We’ll also explore how AI and data-driven insights are helping asset managers prioritize O&M decisions more effectively than ever before.

Looking ahead, we’ll consider the role of automation, robotics, and emerging digital tools in shaping the future of O&M. How smart can we get—and how far are we willing to go?

Often overlooked, electrical components like inverters, transformers, cabling, and wiring are among the leading causes of underperformance in solar installations. This session dives into the most common failure points—ranging from inverter faults to poor cabling practices—and their impact on energy yields and operational uptime. Experts will share real-world insights into diagnosing these hidden issues, along with proven strategies to boost system reliability and long-term performance.

Attendees will walk away with actionable best practices to strengthen the electrical backbone of their solar assets.

This panel will dive into the evolving operational and maintenance challenges faced by Commercial & Industrial (C&I) solar projects in 2026. Topics include optimizing installation costs while maintaining quality assurance and safety standards, ensuring robust system construction, and managing complex hybrid portfolios with multiple ownership models. Panelists will discuss best practices for integrating emerging technologies such as EV charging infrastructure and BESS. The session will also address how to effectively handle larger-scale system failures and explore the pros and cons of insourcing versus outsourcing O&M services.

Attendees will gain actionable insights into adapting O&M strategies to meet the demands of a rapidly changing C&I solar landscape.
 

Effective vegetation management is key to optimizing solar plant performance while supporting local ecosystems. This panel will explore strategies to minimize shading and maximize energy yield through smart vegetation control, all while preserving native plant species and creating wildlife-friendly habitats.

Attendees will learn how to implement sustainable practices that not only boost operational efficiency but also reinforce environmental stewardship, ensuring a resilient and eco-conscious solar facility.

As the solar and energy storage industries scale, the demand for skilled technicians is outpacing supply—posing a growing challenge to quality, safety, and operational efficiency. This panel explores the urgent need for structured workforce development, from standardized training programs and certifications to partnerships with trade schools, unions, and industry associations.

Experts will discuss how to build a pipeline of qualified talent, establish national and regional standards, and ensure technicians are equipped to manage increasingly complex PV and BESS systems. The conversation will also highlight equity in workforce access and how training initiatives can open doors to underrepresented communities.

In a rapidly evolving global supply chain, ensuring the quality and reliability of solar components is critical to long-term asset performance. This panel will examine how rigorous Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) processes—applied during pre-production, manufacturing, and delivery—can significantly reduce operational risks and costly failures in the field. Industry experts will share real-world insights on navigating supplier variability, leveraging third-party inspections, and implementing traceability and testing protocols that meet evolving investor and regulatory expectations. Join this discussion to explore how forward-thinking QA/QC strategies are shaping more resilient and profitable solar projects.

As the U.S. increasingly powers the rapid growth in energy demand, particularly from datacenters, with solar energy, the challenge of managing end-of-life photovoltaic (PV) modules sustainably becomes increasingly urgent. This panel will explore the ecosystem of solar circularity with industry leaders from big clean energy buyers, to OEMs, to developers and more.  Topics will include the latest advancements in PV recycling technologies, evolving regulations, and innovative business models that transform decommissioned modules into valuable resources. Attendees will gain practical insights into how recycling plays a critical role in expanding solar’s social license to operate and further domesticate energy supply chains.

As artificial intelligence drives an unprecedented surge in global data center demand, the energy sector faces a dual challenge: powering the digital revolution while maintaining grid stability and sustainability. The explosive growth of hyperscale data centers, coupled with increasingly unpredictable load profiles, is reshaping electricity consumption patterns and pushing utilities and developers to innovate at scale.

In this session, experts from across the energy storage, data center, and utility sectors will explore how PV and BESS are becoming indispensable to support the AI-driven load boom.