RE+ 2023 brought together utility pros from across the globe to help connect the entire clean energy community in person in Las Vegas. The utility-focused agenda was directed towards helping solar professionals find the information and insights needed to stay ahead of industry trends and learn best practices. The Blu Banyan team thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to meet with customers, partners and peers from all types of utilities including cooperative, investor-owned, residential and commercial solar installers, public power utilities and more.
At the recently concluded RE+ show in the US, the response was massive. That is understandable, considering the fact that the US is well on its way to having a blockbuster year in 2023 and beyond…Renewable energy leaders came together for multiple days of programming and networking opportunities. Many of the conversations revolved around the fact that the solar and storage industry has achieved unprecedented momentum resulting from the Inflation Reduction Act, with more than $20 billion invested in domestic manufacturing. However, many companies are struggling to run their business efficiently.
In order for solar and storage to comprise 30% of U.S. electricity generation by 2030, the industry must proactively address the economic, political, and environmental challenges that lie ahead. In addition, solar installers need to be able to optimize their business for growth connecting all departments and team communications with internal and external customers. RE+ was a place for many to talk about exactly how they are looking to do this. Here are the key highlights and top takeaways from RE+ that solar companies are focused on to help do so:
- A new all-in-one business approach to “Own the Home” for solar installers to move into Electrical, Home Security, Roofing and more.
- One Solar Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system or business management solution that provides a single unified platform and single source of data to eliminate departmental silos.
- Tracking all company operations in real time with clear insights into cash management, project profitability, asset & inventory management, CRM, team collaborations and more.
- Expanding the solar workforce for more workers with enhanced training and retention initiatives.
- Key focus on optimized resource utilization and reduction of risks and costs.
Solar companies are focused on purposeful, proactive growth strategies. If we reach our 2030 goals, more than 20 million homes will have solar energy. Millions of Americans will be considering solar for the first time over the next few years, making this a crucial time to invest in consumer education resources and national standards that will ensure the safe and reliable installation of all solar and energy storage systems. Blu Banyan is here to provide the solutions solar installers need to run their business more efficiently and deploy more solar, faster.
The U.S. solar industry expects to add a record 32 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity in 2023, a 52% increase from 2022, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight Q3 2023 report released by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie. A surge of new domestic manufacturing investments is also expected to improve supply conditions over the next few years to help increase the growth potential.
With more and more eyes on the solar and storage industry than ever before, collaborative, forward-looking business applications will be crucial to both maintaining the industry’s momentum today and in the future. Blu Banyan is proud to have built the first cloud-based business management software – SolarSuccess, for residential, commercial, community, and utility-scale solar installers. Want to learn more about how we can help you with your solar business? Get in touch with an expert today!