Before the opening of the year’s biggest solar industry tradeshow, nearly 400 solar installers, developers, contractors and other industry professionals celebrated the best of the best at the Top 500 Solar Contractors Gala. The annual event recognizes solar contractors listed on the Solar Power World Top 500 Solar Contractors list for their involvement in the solar industry.
Held this year at the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel, the gala included networking, dinner and awards. Of the 400 in attendance, over 280 represented 116 contractor companies on the annual list. The evening started with remarks from Mike Smith, vice president of finance and operations for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
The evening also included a presentation from The Solar Foundation and the Brian D. Robertson Solar Schools Memorial Fund (BDR Fund), which this year presented its annual BDR Fund Award to Alternative Energy Southeast for its philanthropic work bringing solar power to a Nigerian orphanage (read all about the project here).
Solar Power World editors Kathie Zipp, Steven Bushong and Kelly Pickerel presented contractors at the top of various categories in the Top 500 issue with awards on stage. Awards included:
- Top Utility-Scale Contractor, Developer and Overall: Mortenson Construction
- Top Commercial-Scale Contractor: Cantsink
- Top Residential-Scale Contractor and Rooftop Contractor: SolarCity
- Top Construction Firm: ArrayCon
- Top Electrical Subcontractor: Baker Electric
The evening concluded with a solar-supportive speech from Las Vegas Fire and Rescue captain Richard Birt who talked of his disappointment with the current state of the Nevada solar market. He gathered more than 500 signatures from firefighters across the Las Vegas area on a petition letter he then took to a governor-appointed energy task force, all in support of previous solar rates. A solar owner himself, Birt called everyone in the room “heroes” for their work building a better world for our future children and grandchildren. He may run into burning buildings, he said, but solar professionals are really the ones saving lives from the future effects of global warming and the use of fossil fuels.
Yaskawa Solectria Solar sponsored the evening’s events and Baja Carports and Boviet Solar sponsored the two networking and cocktail receptions.
The 2016 Top 500 Solar Contractors Gala was supported by generous solar manufacturers and solar providers:
