The power of community
The power of community
51st Annual National Solar Conference
June 21-24, 2022 | Albuquerque, NM | University of New Mexico
REGISTRATION WILL BE ONLINE IN EARLY FEBRUARY – STAY TUNED!
Nominate a Solar Star for the
ASES Annual Awards at SOLAR 2022
Each year at the National Solar Conference, we present awards in various categories to outstanding research, technology, policy, education, industry, student, and volunteer leaders. The nominations are solicited from the ASES community and membership.
We are living in a world where the impact of climate change is felt in our everyday life with ever increasing extreme weather events. What used to be 100 year weather events will soon become annual occurrences unless we can aggressively address the climate crisis. The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) believes that with the right policies, education and other activities, we can reach a 100% renewable energy society and avert adverse climate induced weather events.
ASES welcomes you to SOLAR 2022, the 51st annual National Solar Conference. ASES is meeting climate challenge issues through various activities including organizing the SOLAR 2022 conference to bring in key stakeholders to the conversation in order to explore interests of shared values, identifying issues in the energy transition towards 100% renewables and finding solutions to make a positive difference in communities around the world. This year’s conference theme is “Energy Transition with Economic Justice” and the event will be co-organized with the 50th anniversary of the New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA). NMSEA is a local chapter of ASES, a nonprofit association, dedicated to advancing solar and related arts, sciences, and technologies with special attention to the ecological, social and economic fabric of New Mexico.
New Mexico is blessed with abundant solar and wind resources and the potential to provide the least expensive renewable-generated electricity in the nation. The state has solar roots that go back thousands of years to the original indigenous Anasazi inhabitants of the Land of Enchantment and Chaco Canyon, and the first solar pioneers both in passive solar adobe homes and photovoltaics at Sandia National Labs. New Mexico has become a global leader in solar manufacturing of racking and utility scale solar systems. Albuquerque-based Solar Technologies also provides more than half of all solar cells that travel into outer space.
To elevate public, institutional, and governmental awareness of the important role the energy transition is playing in the U.S., a large number of bills dealing with an energy transition were passed during the most recent legislative sessions. The challenge everyone faces is how well the energy transition will happen with inclusive engagement with those who were often left out during the crucial planning stages.
To understand and update concerned community members, we plan to provide participants with various group meetings to network and share critical thoughts with careful measurement and documentation of the outcome of these group meetings. Some of the additions would be: 1) Community open house, a show and tell event for local community, school students/teachers, law-makers, businesses; 2) Stakeholder Roundtable/Debate, best Solar minds in technology, law-makers, business, & community, 3) involvement of large number of students through technical paper and design competitions, and 4) peer reviewed conference proceedings.
We are optimistic that participants will have a fulfilling time networking and sharing ideas during the four days of the conference. SOLAR 2022 will allow positive steps towards empowering each other in our common aspiration of serving all stakeholders judiciously according to their needs.
On behalf of ASES and NMSEA, I thank you all for joining us at the 2022 National Solar Conference.
Ashok Kumar Ghosh, Ph.D., PE
Fulbright Specialist, World Learning, US State Department
President, New Mexico Solar Energy Association,
& Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, New Mexico Tech
For questions contact conference@ases.org.
Follow ASES on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter for more updates! And join the discussion on the ASES Online Community.