Broward Go Solar Fest 2014 is quickly approaching, and we couldn’t be more excited.

Hosted at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center on June 6 and 7, 2014, this free annual event is one of the biggest solar conferences in South Eastern United States

 

What Is the Broward County Go Solar Fest?

Broward Go Solar Fest 2014 is part of a much larger initiative sponsored by the US Department of Energy.

A few years ago, the DoE honored Broward with the SunShot Initiative Rooftop Solar Challenge II Award, tasking the County’s 16 participating cities to help make going solar:

  • More affordable
  • More transparent
  • More streamlined

Central to this mission is an online permitting process that allows solar installers and homeowners to expedite much of the paperwork involved with connecting new solar PV systems to the local utility grid.

That online permitting process is still under development – with many starts and stops along the way.  But we have every reason to believe that Broward Go Solar Fest 2014 will be even more successful than last year’s conference.

For starters, total attendance is expected to double this year – from 1,000 participants (in 2013) to more than 2,000.

Broward Go Solar Fest 2014 Taps US Solar As Top Sponsor & Speaker

In addition, US Solar will play an even more active role this time around.  This is actually saying a lot since Broward County already honored us with a Climate Change Leader Award in 2012.  And we played the leading role in helping homeand business owners in the County reach $1/watt (a major milestone for the industry) for an installed solar energy system.

But rest assured – this year will be even better:

  • USSolar has been tapped as Broward Go Solar Fest 2014’s premier sponsor, alongside other notable solar stakeholders within the community – including SEIA, PNC, and GreenTechMedia.
  • US Solar President & Founder, Ray Johnson, will cover many of the challenges and opportunities that Florida’s solar industry continues to face.  You can see him in action at 10:30am and 1:30pm on Saturday, June 7.  And there’s an outside chance that he may also be on stage as a panelist during Friday’s festivities.

But were most excited by some of the demonstrations we’ve got planned for Go Solar Fest 2014.  If you still have questions about how solar energy works, or if you’ve never seen a real-live installation take place, you won’t want to miss the following:

  • In addition to hosting informative lectures during Broward Go Solar Fest 2014, US Solar will install and uninstall PV systems that create clean electricity on the spot. 

Call it a publicity stunt.  Call it megalomania.  But our mission is to show Southern Florida that solar works, it is easy, and it is powerful.

We’ll even have cold refreshments – refrigerated exclusively using clean solar technology.

What Is OUR Goal at Broward Go Solar Fest 2014?

Very broadly speaking, our goal at Broward Go Solar Fest 2014 is to educate the public and get them excited about solar energy.

But we also want to tackle some of the remaining challenges that previous Broward Go Solar Fests have yet to address, including:

Challenge 1: Bringing solar installation costs down. 

We’ve already accomplished this at a smaller scale through our exclusive line of pre-package solar PV systems.  But we want to encourage all solar distributors within Southern Florida to make the technology more accessible and user-friendly.

Challenge 2: Introduce higher training standards. 

The solar installation industry is largely unregulated.  And as a Department of Education-licensed PV training school, we feel that the current landscape is unacceptable.  There should be stricter standards, more rigorous certifications, and better workmanship across the board.

Challenge 3: Finalize the online permitting process. 

It’s a great idea.  Going solar should be streamlined and transparent.  Permits and paperwork shouldn’t get in the way.

But despite many months of development, Broward County is nowhere near where it could or should be.  If we can overcome this obstacle, Florida could actually once again become the undisputed “Sunshine State.”

Come Join Us at Broward Go Solar Fest 2014

Tackling all of these challenges won’t be easy.  But we (as a community) already have all the resources for success, including:

  • Tons of year-round sunshine
  • Many passionate solar stakeholders
  • High quality solar components
  • Unparalleled training opportunities

Florida’s transition to a sun-powered economy is inevitable.  But with your support, the transition will happen that much sooner.  So we hope to see you there at this free 2-day event.

To learn more about Broward Go Solar Fest 2014, contact us directly or click here.