PV1. A Grid-Free Yesterday and Tomorrow: A brief history of the American farm and wind electric plant era (1916-1947) prior to the Rural Electrification Act (REA), and the benefits that era had on the future of our solar system. Craig Toepfer, Managing Director, Hybrid Electric Home. Friday 5:30 p.m. in the Black Flag Tent llll

PV2. Advanced Solar Electric: Learn about solar electric with a review of the latest issues in solar electric equipment design and installation with plenty of time for questions by participants regarding their concerns. Christopher LaForge, IREC Certified Master Trainer, Great Northern Solar. Sunday 10:30 a.m. in the Blue Flag Tent lll

PV3. Aesthetics of Renewable Energy: Solar can be beautiful. Incorporating aesthetics in renewable energy projects provide beauty and function while increasing public awareness and acceptance. This discussion will review world examples. John Hippensteel, PE, President, Lake Michigan Wind and Sun, Ltd. Friday 4:30 p.m. in the Black Flag Tent l

PV4. Being a Smart Solar Electric System Consumer: Know what you’re getting for your money, and learn about important features of a high quality system. Learn key characteristics of modules and inverters that drive system performance and cost. Jim Funk, Owner/Founder, Energize, LLC. Friday 2:30 p.m. in the Black Flag Tent l

PV5. Community Solar in WI—Finance Large and Small Projects: Kurt has helped create over a dozen community solar projects in WI from 3 kW to 375 kW. Join Kurt for in-depth examples and discussion. Kurt Reinhold, Owner, Solar Connections, LLC, President, Legacy Solar Wisconsin Cooperative. Sunday 12:00 p.m. in the Red Flag Tent ll

PV6. Conservatives and Renewable Energy: The increase in political conversations about renewable energy and sustainability has led to sharp polarization surrounding our industries. This workshop will explore the compatibility of renewable energy and sustainability with

conservative viewpoints, and ways to find common ground to depoliticize the issue. Larry Ward, Midwest Director, Conservative Energy Network; Senator Patrick Testin, WI Senate District 24; and Jim Boullion, Director of Government Relations, RENEW Wisconsin. Friday 10:45 a.m. in the Blue Flag Tent l

PV7. DIY Portable Solar Battery (Demo): Ben will show you step-by-step how to build a portable solar power supply in a 50-caliber ammo box. This is a great DIY project for learning about batteries, DC electricity, and solar charging. This project is perfect for camping and emergencies. Plus, Ben will share useful “accessory items.” Ben Nelson, Blogger, Do-It-Yourselfer, NABCEP Associate, 300MPG.org. Sunday 10:30 a.m. in the Forest Stage l

PV8. DIY Solar Garage—1 Year Later: See what we learned with one full year of data from our 6 kW DIY grid-tie solar electric system. We will include production numbers, our Return on Investment, troubleshooting, and blackouts! Ben Nelson, Blogger, Do-It-Yourselfer, NABCEP Associate, 300MPG.org. Friday 4:30 p.m. in the Blue Flag Tent l

PV9. Driving My Tesla Model S P85 on Sunshine: In this workshop we will look at the total watts I consume driving a Tesla “S” under a wide range of driving conditions, and discuss the size of a solar electric system required to drive on 100% sunshine. James Kerbel, NABCEP Certified Installer, Photovoltaic Systems LLC. Saturday 11:00 a.m. in the White Flag Tent l

PV10. Energy Management, Renewable Energy and the Smart Grid: View demonstrations of smart power metering, building automation, electric car charging, and other features of Smart Grid Technology. Learn how these systems can help save energy for your home or business. Jenny Brinker, CEM, Instructor, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. Friday 4:30 p.m. and Saturday 3:30 p.m. at the NWTC Grid Trailer llll

PV11. Energy Storage and Renewable Energy (3 hour): This three-hour workshop requires a $30 ticket that can be purchased at www.TheEnergyFair.

org/tickets or on-site (space limited). Are you interested in going off the grid? Find out when energy storage systems are appropriate, profitable, and work on and off the grid. System designs and planning will be covered in depth. Christopher LaForge, IREC Certified Master Trainer, Great Northern Solar. Friday 2:30 p.m. in the Yellow Flag Tent ll

PV12. Financing PV Systems for Tax Exempt Organizations: No tax appetite? No problem. There are financing solutions that make these situations not only practical, but financially beneficial to your organization. Doug Stingle, PV Sales, North Wind Renewable Energy Cooperative. Friday 9:30 a.m. in the Black Flag Tent l

PV13. Future-Proofing PV for Your Home: How do I invest in a solar electric (PV) system with technological advances still on the horizon? How do I install a PV system now and make it future-proof? We will look at a phased install approach. Rob Peck, Sales, North Wind Renewable Energy Cooperative. Friday 3:30 p.m. in the Black Flag Tent l

PV14. Guide to Developing Proposals for the PACE Wisconsin Program: Learn to grow your business with PACE Wisconsin! PACE Wisconsin is an innovative program that provides commercial property owners low-cost financing to complete substantial energy improvement projects. This means new business opportunities for you, the contractor! Contractors and engineers that specialize in energy efficiency upgrades, water conservation projects, or renewable energy systems can leverage the PACE Wisconsin program to gain new sales opportunities. Join us to learn how you can get started and stay for a social following the presentation. Jason Stringer, Senior Manager of Clean Energy Finance, Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC). Friday 4:30 p.m. in the Education Room

PV15. How Utilities are Learning to Embrace Solar: After years of resistance, WI utilities are finally warming up to solar energy. We’ll examine the convergence of factors today that make large-

PV PHOTOVOLTAICS (SOLAR ELECTRIC)

NEW: Solar for Homeowners Workshop Track! Friday, June 15 • Intro to Photovoltaic Systems at 12:00 p.m. (PV17)• Being a Smart Solar Electric System Consumer at 2:30 p.m. (PV4)• Future-Proofing PV for Your Home at 3:30 p.m. (PV13)• Aesthetics of Renewable Energy at 4:30 p.m. (PV3)

Saturday, June 16• Solar Electric (PV) for Your Home at 12:00 p.m. (PV27)• Intermediate PV at 2:30 p.m. (PV16)• Residential Solar and Storage Options at 4:30 p.m. (PV25)

Sunday, June 17• No More Electric Utility Meter—REALLY? at 9:30 a.m. (PV19)• Advanced Solar Electric at 10:30 a.m. (PV2)• Community Solar in Wisconsin—Finance Large and Small Projects at 12:00 p.m. (PV5)

NEW: Solar for Business Workshop Track! Friday, June 15 • Financing PV Systems for Tax Exempt Organizations at 9:30 a.m. (PV12)• Conservatives and Renewable Energy at 10:30 a.m. (PV6)• The Economics of Renewable Energy—A Success Story at 12:00 p.m. (PV32)• How Utilities Are Learning to Embrace Solar at 2:30 p.m. (PV15)• Solar for Good—Solar Support for Nonprofits at 3:30 p.m. (PV29)• Solar Is Good Business at 3:30 p.m. (PV30)• Guide to Developing Proposals for the PACE Wisconsin Program

at 4:30 p.m. (PV14)• Solar Is Good Business Social at 5:30 p.m. (PV31)

Solar Professionals: Don’t miss the NEW Solar + Storage Workshop Track and other Solar Professional workshops for Continuing Education Credits. See pages 54-56 for more information.

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scale solar farms appealing to utilities. Michael Vickerman, Program and Policy Director, RENEW Wisconsin. Friday 2:30 p.m. in the Blue Flag Tent l

PV16. Intermediate Solar Electric (PV): You will learn how PV systems work. Identify and discuss four types, components, applications, and limitations of each system type. Define the solar window, energy efficiency recommendations, and estimate system loads. Kris Schmid, Owner/Founder, Legacy Solar, LLC. Saturday 2:30 p.m. in the Black Flag Tent l

PV17. Intro to Photovoltaic Systems: Discover an introduction to solar electric technology and how to use it based on system types, mounting options, shading, costs/benefits, and next steps to implement a system. Jim Funk, Owner/Founder, Energize, LLC. Friday 12:00 p.m. in the Black Flag Tent l

PV18. Living Off-Grid, Really!?: Aur ‘Da Energy Mon’ has lived off grid for 19 years, and wants YOU to get energized with renewable energy. Learn real, fun, interesting, and low-cost ways to start living the off-grid mentality now. Start simply; start now! Aur Beck, Chief Technician, Advanced Energy Solutions Group, Inc., LivingOffGridReally.com. Sunday 2:00 p.m. in the Red Flag Tent ll

PV19. No More Electric Utility Meter—REALLY?: Hear a case study from a customer who was taken off the electric grid: no meter, no charges for energy, and no monthly fees. See how things are going after one year of operation with a Lithium-Ion battery. Jim Funk, Owner/Founder, Energize, LLC. Sunday 9:30 a.m. in the Blue Flag Tent l

PV20. Off-Grid Solar Power System Design Tool: This workshop presents an innovative, off-grid solar power system design tool which allows the homeowner, installer, contractor, or builder to design a solar power system to meet specified power needs under real-world operating conditions. The baseline tool will be debuted at The Energy Fair and is available online for free. Eric Ruckstadter, Registered (WI) Professional Engineer, Datapanners, LLC. Saturday 5:30 p.m. in the Black Flag Tent l

PV21. PV for Domestic Hot Water and Back-up Power with DIY Controller: Learn how much back-up power you could generate if it were ‘free’ because the system’s primary purpose is domestic hot water. Pete demonstrates solar electric for domestic hot water (DHW) using a DIY maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller. Pete Gruendeman, Designed and built the MPPT Type PV for DHW Controller. Sunday 12:00 p.m. in the Blue Flag Tent ll

PV22. PV for Domestic Hot Water and Back-up Power with DIY Controller (2 Hour Demo): Following the workshop presentation, learn how much back-up power you could generate if it were ‘free’ because the system’s primary purpose is domestic hot water in this hands-on demonstration. Pete demonstrates solar electric for domestic hot water (DHW) using a DIY maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller. Pete Gruendeman, Designed and built the MPPT Type PV for DHW Controller. Sunday 2:00 p.m. in the Blue Flag Tent ll

PV23. Realistic Calculation of Solar Payback: Solar business training guru and NABCEP Secretary Jeff Spies will step through the process of calculating solar payback with focus on the evolving changes in incentives, net metering, and utility solar taxes. Financial review includes historical electric rate analysis and future rate projections. Jeff will also address new utility solar taxes that threaten to derail the U.S. solar market, and what homeowners and business owners can do to defend their rights to distributed generation with solar power. Jeff Spies, President, Planet Plan Sets. Sunday 3:00 p.m. in the Red Flag Tent l

PV24. Reconstruction and Characteristics of a 24-Volt Lithium-ion Battery Based on Leaf Cells: Used Nissan Leaf battery cells were reconnected to form a 24 Volt Lithium-ion battery, using a third party BMS. Charge and discharge characteristics are graphed to compare to a standard lead-acid battery. Darryl Thayer, Installer, Educator, DT Renewables and Stewart Roberts, Battery and Advanced Technologies Specialist, The Foreign Service Hybrid and EV Repair. Friday 5:30 p.m. in the Yellow Flag Tent ll

PV25. Residential Solar and Storage Options: Solar and storage are the next generation of residential solar electric innovations. Learn the questions you need to ask yourself when looking at a storage component for your solar electric system. Rob Peck, Sales, North Wind Renewable Energy Cooperative. Saturday 4:30 p.m. in the Black Flag Tent l

PV26. Smart Grid and Micro Grid Basics: John will provide an introduction to our evolving electrical distribution network, specifically describing Smart Grids and Micro Grids. John Hippensteel, PE, Instructor, NWTC. Friday 9:30 a.m. at the NWTC Grid Trailer l

PV27. Solar Electric (PV) for Your Home: An interactive discussion on how solar electric systems work, how a solar array is sited, interconnecting with the utility, environmental/financial benefits, and other details on how to solar power your home! Jordan Kaiser, Sales, North Wind Renewable Energy Cooperative. Saturday 12:00 p.m. in the Black Flag Tent ll

PV28. Solar for Commercial and Industrial Properties: The commercial and industrial sectors are setting the pace for national solar installations. Low installation costs— along with state incentives and federal tax credits—have propelled many C&I projects to yield a 5-7 year cost recovery. But the sun is setting on federal tax credits. See how solar can improve your bottom line, and enhance your marketing and local business image. We will also discuss new, creative financing options like PACE. Rob Peck, Sales, North Wind Renewable Energy Cooperative. Saturday 3:30 p.m. in the Black Flag Tent ll

PV29. Solar for Good—Solar Support for Nonprofits: Learn how RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good program can help your nonprofit organization or house of worship install a solar array with grant funding, technical assistance, and publicity. Tyler

Huebner, Executive Director, RENEW Wisconsin. Friday 3:30 p.m. in the Blue Flag Tent ll

PV30. Solar Is Good Business: Have you been considering a solar electric installation for your business? This presentation will outline the feasibility, cost factors, and financial considerations involved in a solar investment. We will also discuss low-cost financing options available for WI businesses to modernize facilities and reduce energy bills. Nick Hylla, Executive Director, Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA). Friday 3:30 p.m. in the Education Room

PV31. Solar Is Good Business Social: Stick around after the PACE Wisconsin presentation to meet business owners, solar contractors, and lenders that are developing solar projects in WI. Refreshments provided. Friday 5:30 p.m. in the Education Room

PV32. The Economics of Renewable Energy—A Success Story: Renewable energy prices have seen a tremendous decline in the last decade. Utility-scale solar and wind have fallen by a respective 80 percent and 66 percent in that time. These declines show no sign of slowing down, and put renewable resources at a competitive level with old-line fossil fuels. This workshop will detail the price decline, and where this leaves renewable resources in relation to existing infrastructure. Zachary Hill, Senior Resource Development Manager, Alliant Energy; Amy Heart, Director of Public Policy, Sunrun; and Gary Radloff, WI Energy Institute, Radloff Group. Friday 12:00 p.m. in the Blue Flag Tent l

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