Every year, the industry says the same thing.
“C&I solar is about to take off!”
And yet, it never quite scales the way we expect.
Could this year finally be the year?
In this live panel from Intersolar, Nico Johnson sits down with Joe Ross (CPS America), Rob Smith (ABC Supply), Tim Montague (Clean Power Consulting), and Jim Wood (SEG Solar) to unpack what’s really happening in the commercial and industrial market.
The opportunity is real—but it’s uneven, complex, and highly dependent on where you operate.
Battery storage is starting to shift the conversation. Falling costs, rising electricity prices, and new incentives are making projects pencil in ways they didn’t before. But storage alone isn’t the answer.
This discussion explores the full picture—from workforce challenges and customer education to capital competition and regional market dynamics.
Expect to learn:
🔹 Why C&I solar is growing, but still not scaling across all markets
🔹 How storage is improving project economics—and where it actually works
🔹 What’s holding projects back, from education gaps to competing capital priorities
🔹 Why transitioning from residential to commercial is harder than it looks
The ingredients for growth are finally coming together.
The question is whether this is the moment C&I solar truly breaks through.
Press play and decide for yourself.
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