52nd Annual National Solar Conference August 8-11, 2023 | University of Colorado Boulder See the Press Release
That’s a wrap!
We had the best time during our 52nd National Solar Conference. Thank you to all who visited Boulder, CO, or attended SOLAR 2023 virtually.
With over 30 sessions, participants learned about cutting-edge solar innovations and technologies, participated in installer training workshops, and attended tours of state-of-the-art solar and energy storage projects in the local Boulder area.
We are excited to announce that we’ll be hosting next year’s conference,SOLAR 2024, in Washington, DC, on May 20-23! Join us and submit your abstract to speak at the conference at ases.org/conference/solar2024
T6A – Equity and Access Track: Ensuring Equity and Inclusion in Both Rooftop and Shared Solar
Will McNamara, Sandia National Laboratories Rate Design for Distributed Solar
ASES SOLAR 2023 Annual Membership Meeting
Carly Rixham, Sarah Townes, Kat Friedrich, Ella Nielsen, ASES Staff ASES Annual Meeting
The full SOLAR 2023: Transforming the Energy Landscape for All speaker lineup is live on our online conference platform! You can check out all the speakers who will be presenting at the conference on the Whova Speaker Webpage.
For conference attendees: We encourage you to download the Whova app on your smartphone or log in via the Whova web app before August 8, 2023, so you can submit questions and comments during the individual sessions.
Colorado also offers many public transportation options, and thanks to the Zero Fare for Better Air initiative, all Colorado Regional Transportation District (RTD) bus services are free for July and August. Check out the bus schedule at app.rtd-denver.com.
The Euclid Parking Garage (1725 Euclid Ave, Boulder, CO 80309): Open Monday – Saturday (7 am-7 pm), the rate is $2 per hour up to three hours; after three hours, the rate is $4 per hour.
There is limited free parking on 15th St & Euclid Ave and 16th & Euclid Ave. Please check the signs to make sure you’re in a free spot.
ASES Executive Director, Carly Rixham Welcomes All to Boulder for SOLAR 2023
Message from the Conference Chair
I am honored and excited to be returning as the Conference Chair. At the SOLAR 2021: Empowering a Sustainable Future conference in Boulder, we began focusing on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in ASES as an organization and in the conference call for participation, making room for and inviting presentations, discussions, and speakers on historical social justice aspects of the energy sector and empowering a more inclusive energy future. This focus continued in 2022 in Albuquerque and will also continue at the SOLAR 2023: Transforming the Energy Landscape for All conference in Boulder, helping to let the light shine in on energy justice and inclusion.
Like attendees of this conference, the American Solar Energy Society is dedicated to helping America toward the goal of 100 percent renewable energy by decreasing the use of fossil fuels and increasing the use of renewable energy sources in order to have a positive impact on the larger issues of climate change and energy justice. The growing awareness and acceptance of the connections between human energy production and climate change have brought a corresponding emotional response many people call “climate anxiety” among veterans in the field, and in particular among younger people.
Climate anxiety or eco-anxiety, like any anxiety disorder, can have a paralyzing effect on sufferers, wherein they might believe nothing can be done or not enough is being done to solve the climate crisis. Each new extreme event —such as the December 2021 Marshall Fire here in Boulder County that saw 100-mph winds drive a small grass fire through semi-rural and suburban neighborhoods, destroying over 1000 homes and buildings in only a few hours— brings more anxiety and fear. Around the world, changes in climate are affecting weather, producing more frequent and extreme droughts, flood events, hurricanes, heat and cold waves, and more. All of this, and a general belief that governments and elected officials are not doing enough to combat climate change, intensify climate anxiety.
The journal Nature published the results of a 2021 survey of 10,000 young people ages 16–25 in 10 countries around the world. The study found that about 2/3 of the young people surveyed reported that climate change makes them feel sad, afraid, and anxious; and over 1/2 reported that climate change makes them feel angry, powerless, and guilty. Nearly 1/2 said climate change was affecting their daily lives. Fewer than 1/3 felt optimistic. Nearly 2/3 of the young people felt governments were not acting quickly or forcefully enough.
I would argue that these same feelings are felt by many people around the world older than 16–25 years old. Weather and climate are complex, but scientists generally agree that the burning of fossil fuels is a major contributor. Young people want to see change in policy, action, and implementation of solutions to the climate crisis they feel.
The American Solar Energy Society and participants and attendees of SOLAR 2023: Transforming the Energy Landscape for All are actively trying to support the transformation of energy production and consumption.
ASES has committed to getting 100+ young people involved in the conference through scholarships to the conference and internships and volunteer opportunities to present, attend, or work at the conference and become a part of the transformation.
I hope to see many young people and you in Boulder in August 2023!
Dale Miller, Chair of SOLAR 2023: Transforming the Energy Landscape for All Associate Teaching Professor, Environmental Studies Dept., University of Colorado Boulder
WHY ATTEND SOLAR 2023?
ABOUT SOLAR 2023 The National Solar Conference is America’s leading conference on the emerging trends, technology, and opportunities shaping the new energy economy.
The American Solar Energy Society’s cutting-edge conference series introduces attendees to the leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs moving the industry forward. With the solar energy and energy efficiency sectors changing at an unprecedented pace, this conference helps participants understand the changes and uncover the billion-dollar opportunities.
ASES supports the global initiative that a world equitably transformed to 100% renewable energy is an urgent necessity. Through the ASES National Solar Conference, SOLAR 2023: Transforming the Energy Landscape for All, we will elevate public, institutional, and governmental awareness of the critical role solar energy is playing in the global energy landscape. We must ensure that access to and the benefits from clean energy will be enjoyed by all communities, especially those that have been denied those benefits in the past.
SOLAR 2023: Transforming the Energy Landscape for All will promote the ASES overall goal to “accelerate equitable solar adoption and universal sustainable living by educating and building community.” The conference will focus on research models, examples, and tools for negotiating the challenges to advancing renewables by following justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) principles.
WHO ATTENDS?
Over the last 51 years, over 15,000 professionals from public, private, and industrial sector organizations have attended the ASES National Solar Conferences. Attendees include:
Educators
Contractors
Developers
Architects
Engineers
Installers
Consultants
Homeowners
Policy Makers
Researchers
Manufacturers
Solar Enthusiasts
Students
TOP TEN REASONS TO VISIT BOULDER IN THE SUMMER 1 – Flatirons Visit the Flatirons – hike, rock climb, or picnic at the iconic sandstone formations part of Boulder’s foothills.
See The Insider’s Guide to the Flatirons
5 – Outdoor Adventures There is endless fun to be had outdoors in Boulder for beginners, experts, and everyone in between!
See Boulder Recreation and Outdoor Activities
6 – Coffee Crawl With over 46 coffee shops in Boulder, your adventures here are sure to be properly fueled.
See Coffee Shops in Boulder
7 – Tours & Experiences Experience an entirely new side of Boulder by accompanying local guides on tours by bike, air, foot, or on water. Health & Wellness Tours, Science Tours, Farm Tours, Art & History Tours, and Personalized & Custom Tours are among the many opportunities available to you.
See Book Guided Experiences, Tours & Activities in Boulder, CO
8 – Boulder Farmers Market Local vendors offer produce, plants, crafts, and eats every Saturday, April through November.
See Boulder Markets & Events
The ASES Conference Cancellation and Refund Policy will be as follows to assure consistency and is applicable to the annual ASES National Solar Conference.
Conference registration canceled by emailing conference@ases.org before June 1, 2023 is refundable but subject to a $50 administrative fee.
Conference registration canceled by emailing conference@ases.org before July 15, 2023 is 50% refundable and subject to a $50 administrative fee.
Registrants canceling on or after July 16, 2023 will not receive a refund. The refund and cancellation policy will not be waived. Registration fees may be transferred to another individual; the invoice for the new registration will be revised to reflect the new registrant’s membership status.
In the event ASES must cancel the conference due to unforeseen circumstances, ASES will refund the cost of registration.
Health and Safety Agreement – Participation in the conference requires that you take a COVID test no more than 48 hours prior to your arrival with the understanding that a positive result will cancel your registration. If the test result is positive, registrants must notify the ASES staff in writing within 24 hours and registration fees will be returned. Also, by attending, you assume all risk related to exposure to COVID and other communicable diseases. ASES will not be held liable for illness. You agree to take all the necessary precautions while at the event including appropriate social distancing and following CDC guidelines regarding masks. You also agree that if you feel ill or have been recently exposed to COVID, you will not attend the conference. If you should become ill at the event, ASES will provide an antigen test on-site.
