Welcome Drinks
Join us for an informal networking reception to kick off the event. Collect your badge, connect with fellow attendees over drinks, and set the tone for the days ahead in a relaxed atmosphere.
Welcome Address
The Future of PV Manufacturing in the U.S.: Policy, Investment, and Market Growth Opportunities
This session will open the conference by introducing the rapidly evolving U.S. PV manufacturing landscape. It will explore key market trends, the future of tax credits, and the growing demand for domestically manufactured products fuelled by policy incentives and sustainability goals. Attendees will gain valuable insights from leading manufacturers and policy experts as they examine how government policies and strategic investments are driving industry growth and innovation. The session will also address the increasing overall demand for electricity and its implications for the PV market, laying the groundwork for in-depth discussions on the future of energy in the U.S.
Speakers
Moustafa Ramadan
Alex Zhu
Energy Security and Industrial Strategy: Why Solar Manufacturing Matters Now
Moderator
Philip Shen
Domestic solar PV manufacturing is critical for energy independence, supply chain resilience, and geopolitical stability in an era of global uncertainty. This session explores why sustained policy support is essential to maintain long-term competitiveness and secure reliable access to clean energy technology that strengthens national energy security and industrial capacity. Participants will discuss effective messaging strategies that keep solar manufacturing at the forefront of policy discussions.
Speakers
Mike Carr
Tom Beline
Nathan Picarsic
Coffee Break
Building a Resilient PV Manufacturing Ecosystem: Poly to Module Integration in the U.S. Supply Chain
This session will focus on the critical need for integration across the U.S. PV manufacturing supply chain, from polysilicon production to module assembly. Participants will identify key gaps and opportunities at every stage of production, addressing strategies to strengthen domestic capabilities while tackling challenges such as supply bottlenecks, import reliance, and the need for advanced manufacturing technologies. Industry leaders and policy experts will discuss how targeted investments, policy support, and collaboration can drive the development of a robust and self-sufficient supply chain that enhances national energy security and competitiveness.
Speakers
Jade Jones
Ankit Singhal
What does a bankable U.S. PV supply chain look like?
As new manufacturing capacity comes online across the U.S. solar supply chain, the challenge is no longer simply building factories; it is earning the confidence of customers and investors. In this session we will hear directly from module buyers and financial stakeholders on the criteria they use to assess manufacturing partners, evaluate risk, and identify long-term winners. The discussion will examine technology differentiation, supply chain transparency, domestic content, bankability, and commercial readiness, providing a market-led perspective on what it takes to succeed in U.S. PV manufacturing.
Speakers
Feizhen Lu
Jon Previtali
Networking Lunch
Securing the PV Supply Chain: Addressing Material Availability and Opportunities at Each Stage
This session will focus on strategies to strengthen the photovoltaic supply chain by addressing challenges in material availability and logistics. The session will identify strategic investment opportunities in domestic production capacity, supply chain infrastructure, and critical material processing that can enhance resilience and reduce import dependence. Participants will examine how diversified sourcing, advanced logistics planning, and targeted capital deployment are creating new market opportunities while ensuring supply chain stability.
Speakers
Frank Faller
Jenya Meydbray
James Kim
Connecting the Value Chain: How Supply Chain Partnerships Drive Manufacturing Growth
Moderator
Martin Pochtaruk
Solar manufacturing success depends on strong partnerships across the value chain. Bringing together experts from polysilicon, specialty materials, cell production and module manufacturing, this discussion will examine market dynamics, technology roadmaps, localisation efforts and the strategic collaboration required to support the next phase of industry growth.
Speakers
Jesse Simons
Matt Card
Coffee Break
Ensuring Quality and Consistency: Building Confidence Across the Solar Value Chain
As PV manufacturing continues to scale, maintaining consistent quality has become essential to building confidence across the solar value chain. This session brings together experts in factory auditing, PV manufacturing and production equipment to explore the best practices that underpin high-quality, reliable products, from robust manufacturing processes and quality assurance to process optimisation and independent verification. Speakers will examine how manufacturers can improve consistency, reduce risk and strengthen the confidence of developers, investors and asset owners in the products entering the market.
Speakers
Don Cowan
Archon Lai
Marvin Yang
Networking Drinks Hosted by Heliene
Join us for a networking event as Day 1 wraps up. Unwind after the conference sessions, reflect on the day’s insights, and connect with fellow attendees over drinks in a relaxed setting. More details to follow.
How Space Solar is Driving the Next Generation of PV Innovation
Space-based solar power is moving from scientific ambition towards commercial reality, with governments, research organisations and industry investing in technologies capable of generating clean energy beyond Earth’s atmosphere. While deployment remains a long-term goal, the demands of space applications are accelerating innovation in high-efficiency cells, lightweight materials and advanced manufacturing techniques that could ultimately benefit terrestrial PV production.
Speakers
Timothy Siegler
Harsh Galia
The Next Generation of Cell Technologies: Which Architectures Will Define the 2030s?
The rapid evolution of cell technologies is reshaping investment decisions across the manufacturing sector. As TOPCon reaches maturity, manufacturers are evaluating the commercial readiness of heterojunction, back-contact and tandem technologies while balancing performance gains against manufacturing complexity and capital investment. This session examines where each technology sits on the commercialisation curve, who owns the IP and what manufacturers should be preparing for over the coming decade.
Speakers
Radovan Kopecek
Kamel Ounadjela
Brett Hallam
Dr. N M Ravindra
Coffee Break
Differentiation in U.S. PV Manufacturing: From Advanced Cell Technologies to Perovskite Commercialisation
Moderator
Chris Case
This session will examine advancements in photovoltaic cell technology and their role in strengthening U.S.-based manufacturing and energy independence. Experts will discuss innovations in cell design, materials, and production techniques that drive efficiency improvements while identifying critical gaps and opportunities across the domestic supply chain. The session will evaluate which cell technologies and process innovations, including TOPCon, HJT, and emerging tandem/perovskite architectures, can deliver sustained cost advantages and margin resilience in a scale-dominated global market. The session will address technology bankability, intellectual property defensibility, and strategic upgrade pathways that position U.S. manufacturers for long-term competitiveness.
Speakers
Thomas Koerner
Innovation Forum: Technologies Shaping the Future of Photovoltaics
Innovation across the PV industry continues to accelerate, from advances in cell architectures and manufacturing processes to new materials, digital technologies and emerging applications. This session brings together innovators from across the PV value chain to showcase the technologies with the potential to improve performance, reduce costs and unlock new markets.
Networking Lunch
Building the Next Generation of PV Factories: Lessons Learned from the Manufacturing Front Line
As the global manufacturing landscape evolves, success increasingly depends on making the right technology, equipment and process decisions from the outset. This afternoon is dedicated to sharing practical manufacturing expertise, lessons learned and real-world experiences from across the industry.
What does a state-of-the-art cell manufacturing line look like today? How should manufacturers evaluate technology choices, line configuration and automation strategies when planning new capacity? This session explores the critical decisions involved in designing efficient, scalable and future-ready production facilities, drawing on experience from research institutes, manufacturing consultants and cell producers.
Speakers
Markus Beck
Jochen Rentsch
Teresa Barnes
Terry Jester
The Manufacturing Exchange: Audience Led Discussion
Technical delegates often have questions they are reluctant to ask publicly. Throughout the conference, attendees will be invited to submit anonymous manufacturing questions via a dedicated Slido platform. Questions will be displayed live in the networking area, with delegates able to vote for the issues they most want addressed. The highest-priority topics will form the basis of this unique closing session.
This discussion is designed to provide honest, practical advice from some of the industry’s leading manufacturing experts, creating an open forum for addressing real-world challenges that rarely feature in traditional conference presentations.
Speakers
Teresa Barnes
Jochen Rentsch
Markus Beck
Closing Market Outlook: What’s next for Global PV Manufacturing
Bringing together the key themes from the conference, this closing presentation will examine the latest manufacturing trends, capacity outlook, technology developments and investment activity shaping the global PV industry based on data from PV Tech Market Research.
Speakers