Intersolar and Energy Storage North America (IESNA) wraps up its 2026 show today after a week of unseasonably rainy days in San Diego and a quieter convention hall than in recent years.
Credit: Billy Ludt/SPW
As with any convention of this kind, the people from the exhibiting companies always speak optimistically – expressing their confidence in their products and in the way they are positioned to anticipate upcoming industry hurdles. However, this year’s obstacles are surrounded by uncertainty.
In less than five months, the limit for safely housing solar projects for the remaining investment tax credits will be reached. Manufacturers are trying to keep products in stock to ensure that these projects, which will eventually be built in one, two or three years, will still receive that credit.
Pop-up displays, booth screens, and banners hanging from the ceiling of the San Diego Convention Center featured the term “domestic content,” but the Foreign Entity of Health (FEOC) qualifications remain lingering and seem to change every day.
As seen on the show floor
IESNA is a tricky show for exhibitors because it falls five months after the national RE+ convention in Las Vegas, and just two weeks after RE+ Northeast. Most companies said new products are on the way, but they will arrive in a later quarter — likely debuting at the U.S. industry’s largest trade show.
From what World of solar energy on the show floor, IESNA had a few new technologies and a greater focus on refining existing products and services.
Meter collars and accessory technologies at the ConnectDER booth. Billy Ludt/SPW
There is a lot of collaboration between the power electronics sectors. Manufacturers of stand-alone inverters combine their technology with energy storage. An example is SMA America, which is installing its bright yellow string inverter Sunny island with Lithion GridBox battery energy storage system (BESS). The AC-coupled inverter and the stackable, modular BESS combination are tailored to the C&I market, with the potential to reach points along transmission lines where power is needed.
CONNECTORthe manufacturer of meter collars, partners with battery manufacturers to provide better residential load management services. Built to manage electric vehicle and solar loads, the meter collars can ‘island’ homes with battery backup energy. A spokesperson for ConnectDER said battery manufacturers are in favor of meter collar technology.
Following the trend of ‘balcony solar’ entering the United States, AP systems had its EZ 1 Plug-In microinverter, which is built for these new portable solar projects. The product has been on the market for about a year, but the technology is gaining popularity as more states allow plug-in solar projects.
In terms of mounting and racking, there has been a larger shift towards the commercial solar market after the residential investment tax credit expired at the end of 2025. SunModo hasn’t offered a carport in five years, but it made its debut Sunspana new carport design, on show, as well as SunPier, a post-driven ground mount rack with beams streamlined for production compared to the smaller scale ground mount.
Pegasus acquired European flat roof rack manufacturer AEROCOMPACT in January, growing the company’s presence in commercial solar energy and showcasing its products on its stand at IESNA. Unirac repeats its existing 10° Solar panels on flat roof and with a 5° model aimed at higher project density called GRIDFLEX 5.
APsystems’ EZ1 plug-in microinverter. Billy Ludt/SPW
Tracker companies didn’t have much of a presence at the show, but large-scale construction still had a following. Barcelona, a Spain-based software company Amelia branched out from drone imaging and developed Hincator, a device that automates and detects the depth of driven piles on ground-mounted solar projects. The company says Hincator sits on a pile for about 15 seconds before moving on to the next and has seen cases of installers placing 700 piles per day.
With perhaps the best company name on the stock exchange, Velociwinder brought along two of its cable wrapping machines, which use no fuel or electronics but instead connect cables by passing bundles of wires through a rotating channel pulled by a tractor, skid steer or truck trailer.
Solar panels are the biggest question regarding FEOC compliance. Every solar panel company SPW they spoke to at IESNA said they were confident their modules would qualify for domestic content. Many had mentioned plans to start production in the United States or expand existing facilities – even if they were just coming to market.
IESNA was noticeably less busy this year, but exhibitors said this gave them the opportunity to have longer, higher quality conversations with attendees than at other shows. The biggest impression from this latest fair is that the American solar energy market is taking a defensive position as new deadlines approach.
Credit: Billy Ludt/SPW
