Your definitive Intersolar 2025 recap and vibes check
How to sum up Intersolar and Energy Storage North America 2025 (IESNA). It was the best of vibes; it was the worst of vibes.
Let’s start by acknowledging the bad vibes. Hesitancy in the solar market is very real right now. Residential folks continue to feel the effects of high interest rates, tighter financing terms, and lack of consumer confidence. On top of that, the illegal freezing of committed Solar For All Funds left several installers in the lurch. The EPA has since unfrozen those grants, but all of the unnecessary chaos has put solar businesses on edge. Larger-scale solar project timelines actually haven’t moved much yet, but everyone continues to wait and see what changes will be made to the investment tax credit and IRA.
Some manufacturers establishing U.S. facilities complained about the cost percentage changes in the “First Updated Elective Safe Harbor” tables that changed “without warning.” Investments made to meet domestic content goals in energy storage projects were suddenly thrown out of whack, especially now that an ESS installation must meet the 40% domestic content criteria on its own, and not in an aggregate equation when coupled with solar.
So, yeah. IESNA kicked off 2025 with grumbling and gloom — but not doom! Once clarity arrives, deck chairs will be moved around, and the industry will keep moving as it does. With that spirit in mind, here were all the good vibes, standout products, and takeaways from IESNA 2025.
Good vibes: Dispatches From the Energy Transition live
IESNA did start with good vibes. Solar Builder co-hosted the first in-person Dispatches From the Energy Transition with Mayfield Renewables and Outfit. Yes, we successfully got the drinks flowing and then got everyone to quiet down and listen to a great fireside chat with Bryan Wagner, president and GM at Chint Power Systems Americas, and Casey Miller, CEO of Elexity, about making distributed solar + storage a net-positive investment — even under NEM 3.0 rules.
Good vibes: New Solar Games champion
For those seeking good vibes, the Solar Games at Intersolar is the place to be. Nothing like watching craftspeople in the zone, showcasing their skills. Congrats to first-time entrant, Indiana-based Huston Solar winning this year’s top prize. Shoutout to first runner up Sandbox Solar and second runner up Power Northwest.
Mega-shoutout to the ReVision Energy team for continuing to care about the Solar Games and tinkering with the concept. Solar Games is a chance at a cash prize, it’s a moment in the spotlight, and it’s a chance for installers to walk around a major tradeshow and conference to see new products, hear expert insights, and appreciate that “they’re not in a silo,” says Travis Genatossio, operations specialist at ReVision Energy. Being a solar installer can certainly feel that way, and being able to make this trip is a real shot in the arm, and a connection to the bigger purpose / connection of the solar industry.
Credit to the Intersolar team and sponsors such as Roof Tech for making sure to help pay the way for these install teams to compete in the event.
Good vibes: Solar Battle of the Bands
The real ah-ha moment of the week came during Solar Battle of the Bands. Always my favorite industry party and CALSSA fundraiser, this year’s Solar Battle of the Bands had a vital energy I swear you could actually feel.
The SBOB crowd showcases the diversity of the industry’s demographics (and musical tastes) as well as the industry’s unified spirit for a common cause that is bigger than our separate businesses. It showcases the immense talents of engineers and creatives in this space. It also showcases the general kindness and coolness of people in this industry. The live music + connections with smart people at SBOB provided a real jolt to rally and keep installing solar, however and wherever, with the people in that room.
“My favorite part of this party is that people really do come together like a family. Because we ARE a big solar family,” says Johan Alfsen, leader of the SBOB event, bassist/singer of Northerner, and currently the regional sales manager at SnapNrack. “It doesn’t matter what side you come from: competitor, installer, distributor, manufacturer, policy, we are all on this crazy ride called the solar coaster and no matter how scary it gets, we’re in it together as one. It was buzzing from the stage and buzzing from the crowd. My favorite comment last week was from my solar brother Brian Mehalic who said after the show: ‘Thanks man, I needed that.‘ We all did buddy.”
Here’s a crowd-sourced compilation of snippets from the show. Thanks to Peter Kelley, Tor Valenza, and Jeff Spies for the videos.
Bands in the video:
- Band 1: The Lagging Indicators
- Band 2: Cosmic IX
- Band 3: Northerner w/ special guests (Northerner has a new EP out now btw)
- Apologies to the first band of the night, Cafe Negro (Avila Solar Drafting). We could not wrangle any footage. Everyone too busy moshing to Blitzkrieg Bop, I guess.
Congrats to this year’s winners Cosmic IX, featuring …
- Jessica Thiessen and Suzanne Leta – Vocals
- Patrick Sterns – Drums
- Tyson Bittrich – Electric Fiddle
- Josh Keeling – Guitar
- Josh Mathis – Bass
Takeaway: Simplification continues in solar + storage
For those doing the real work, these product updates stood out most to me:
Enphase Energy continues to simplify. The upcoming IQ Combiner 6C is much more than a “combiner box,” but true to the name it does combine other components from the Enphase installation. It integrates the IQ Gateway and includes breaker spaces for PV, batteries, an EV charger, and additional home loads, while reducing installation time with integrated and pre-wires current transformers for PV and batteries.
Savant Systems continues to tie together many products and services for the all-electric home. At Intersolar I got a glimpse of Savant Smart Budget — a solution that connects Savant Power Modules (smart breakers) with their app to help homeowners add EV chargers, electric appliances, etc., while avoiding a costly service upgrade. Savant Power Modules can be added into an existing electrical panel, and the software regulates the power output of the electrical panel, so the demand never exceeds a home’s capacity. Savant Smart Budget will be available in Q2 2025.
Yotta Energy changed the form factor of its module-level storage product SolarLEAF and rebranded it as the Yotta Block, to match its new destiny as a battery / ballast block for rooftop solar systems. Read more about that here.
Takeaway: Fast, efficient tracker installs can still involve people
Automating large-scale solar installation is the future of the industry, but there are still process and product innovations that can make better use of a human workforce. Nevados commissioned an exhaustive installation report from Eclipse-M for their TRACE All Terrain Tracker. Eclipse-M reports a base installation time of 118 human-hours per MW. That number on its own is an achievement, but Eclipse-M also highlighted installation process tweaks that could get a TRACE installation under 100 human-hours per MW. One of those small-but-crucial tweaks involved a not-so-small investment of time and energy with Milwaukee Tools to dial in the exact torque wrench settings needed to install the Nevados tracker.
The more dramatic updates for Nevados are all software. Founder and CEO Yezin Taha says they have automated much of the site design. Any adjustments needed after being on site can be quickly accounted for in a new site plan in hours.
Takeaway: Lightweight solar panels that just might stick
Bila Solar debuted its lightweight solar panel at RE+ in 2023, but this is the first time I’ve stopped by their booth for an extensive chat. I’ve skipped them in the past because the lightweight solar panel play never seems to really take off, but I do think Bila Solar’s panel might actually (yes, I have to do it) stick. Reasons why:
- These are not thin-film modules. The panels weigh 17 pounds, or 0.6 lbs per sq ft, and include Mono PERC cells. Instead of glass, they are encased in a proprietary aerospace polymer. The goal isn’t maximum flexibility, the goal is viability — putting an industry staple in a new packaging to install it more places.
- How it sticks. The Bila Solar panel does not adhere directly to the roof surface. “We use a structural adhesive from Dow, that’s commonly used in building glazing applications to hang windows into skyscrapers,” says Blair Reynolds, senior product manager for Bila Solar. “We put a bead of that down on a flat roof. And then we put a small aluminum tube that goes down over that bead. Then we put another bead of adhesive on the tube and lay down the module.” No metal frame, and no need to be grounded.
- Backrail version (pictured above). The Bila Solar teams also offers a variant of the polymer PV product with a non-metallic backrail (fiberglass) that allows them to work with traditional clamp based mounting methods too.
“It is a product design to enable solar to go on roofs that it otherwise couldn’t,” Reynolds says, recalling the many, many times solar integrators plan to load up a roof with modules only to be told by structural engineers that the full design isn’t feasible due to load calculations. “With our product, you could go around the perimeter and fill up the roof space, and use it to supplement.”
Bila also has U.S. manufacturing, and a more diversified product portfolio. In addition to the backrail version, they can now also sell you a conventional solar panel that includes U.S. manufactured solar cells, sourced from ES Foundry.
Good vibes: New Product Showcase
At The Hub Stage, I hosted a panel of entrants in the Intersolar New Product Showcase.
David Dong, director, vertical growth, North America for nVent, explained the utility of their ERIFLEX FleXbus. This is an innovative solution for connecting large electrical installations, such as transformers, switchboards, and generators. See below:
This unique concept is an attractive alternative for connections up to 25 meters, and up to 50% quicker to install than busduct or wireway. The highly flexible nVent ERIFLEX FleXbus utilizes single conductors per phase, eliminating the need for multiple cables and cable trays, consuming significantly less space. With no bending radius requirement and adaptability to various layouts, nVent ERIFLEX FleXbus streamlines installation in tight areas and enables connections to be made above ground that would otherwise require trenching.
Emtel Energy USA CMO Stephanie Choi Brookes explained their true solid-state non-lithium energy storage solution.
Emtel specializes in electrostatic supercapacitor-based energy storage solutions that deliver high efficiency, long-duration performance, and enhanced safety. Their proprietary technology ensures stable energy retention and controlled release, making it an ideal alternative for a range of applications — from wall-mounted residential to containerized utility-scale ESS. No heating or cooling needed — operates efficiently from -22°F to 140°F. Over 95% efficiency for 10-20 Years with near-zero degradation.
Lastly, Cody Sellers, business development — enterprise solutions for GME Supply, explained their new Enterprise Solutions Platform. GME Supply is North America’s premier outfitter of fall protection, safety equipment, power tools, and workwear for men and women of industry. This new platform allows your solar business to have its own website so that your team can easily order workwear, fall protection, safety footwear and PPE and more; plus an administrative dashboard that puts your company in control.
Takeaway: There is a lot going on
I have more to report. How installers are pivoting to repowering. How one startup has a plan to completely reinvent solar PV designs. But it’s time to wrap up this post-show coverage. Stay tuned for more details on all of the above in the next issue of Solar Builder.
