Last week Raptor Maps had the pleasure of hosting solar industry leaders at RaptorCon, our second annual solar executive conference. The theme of the conference was “Sustaining Solar's Dominance in the Energy Transition.” 

The event was jam-packed with panels, presentations, and networking opportunities. We learned a great deal from all the industry leaders in attendance about how solar can continue to play a pivotal role in the transition to renewable energy. 

Interested in more details about what was discussed at RaptorCon? Drop us a line. 

Speaker, panelist, and announcement highlights at RaptorCon included: 

Steve Greenley, the Senior Vice President of Utility Operations Support at CenterPoint Energy, talked about how CenterPoint is transitioning its generation asset to reach net zero goals and the lessons learned along the way. 

Blake Sturcke, Co-CEO of Encore Renewable Energy, discussed why Encore shifted its business model from developer to IPP and how it thinks about impact and mission, including Encore's approach to company culture, leadership, and mental health. 

Yogin Kothari, SVP of Boundary Stone Partners, shared his perspective on what risks the 2024 election might hold for the Inflation Reduction Act and dove into the spectrum of possible outcomes for the IRA post-election.

Eddie Obropta, Co-founder and CTO of Raptor Maps, discussed the important role of robotics and AI in solar and how the sector is primed to adopt robotics. Two Raptor Maps robotics and AI-enabled solutions were highlighted specifically during the session: Autonomous drone technology, or drone-in-a-box, and Instant Inspections. 

DJI Dock, showcased at RaptorCon '24

Autonomous drones are a robotics solution that boosts margins for owners and operators of utility-scale solar assets, with use cases that include construction, aerial thermography, reactive monitoring, and security. Obropta also announced Raptor Maps’ launch of Instant Inspections, a new product that leverages AI to deliver inspections to C&I owners and operators within 30-60 minutes. 

Four panelists discussed innovations in solar operations: Marquis Matthews, VP of Operations at Energy Support Services, Jimena Martinez, Solar Operations Engineer at Lightsource bp, Mike Loeser, President - Solar at CES, and Nick Pegnato, Manager, Performance Engineering at BayWa r.e. The panelists shared insights on technological innovations in both hardware and software, as well as how to move beyond the status quo in the solar industry and push the field forward. 

Dylan Sontag, VP of Asset Operations & Performance Engineering at Silicon Ranch, spoke about designing an organizational structure and processes to support proactive ownership. He highlighted the feedback loops and information sharing between various internal and external teams that enable their approach. 

Mike McArthur, a Field Service Manager at First Solar, talked about how First Solar and Raptor Maps partnered to develop a new thin-film cracking detection solution and what data has been collected since the solution was launched in spring 2023. 

Rob Schapiro, Senior Director of Partner Strategy at Microsoft Energy & Resources, shared how tech companies like Microsoft partner with energy companies to accelerate digital transformations. 

Will Creel, Co-founder of OnePlanet Solar Recycling, talked about how recycling a solar panel works from start to finish, and what owners should consider when building a recycling strategy. 

Laura Kraus Lovenshimer, Principal Consultant at Shining Rock Analytics, covered key components of building and operating performance resilience, including not-often-considered factors. 

Reach out to us to learn more about RaptorCon and other Raptor Maps events and webinars. 

RaptorCon '24 Photography accreditation: Conrad Parker Photography