Heading into a new year, renewable energy and cleantech players have plenty to keep an eye on. There’s the growing market for transferable tax credits made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act (and more guidance on who, exactly, qualifies for those IRA credits), a bright future for solar in low- and middle-income communities thanks to forthcoming federal funding, and potentially a breakout year for the grid.

Whether you’re new to cleantech or a veteran of the industry, below are 11 conferences and networking events you won’t want to miss this year. For even more speaking, networking, and exhibiting opportunities across the United States, download the 2024 DG+ Cleantech Events Calendar.

Cleantech Forum North America

January 22-24
San Diego, CA

About the Cleantech Forum

The Cleantech Forum kicks off 2024 with the latest in cleantech innovation. Once a year, this three-day conference brings together investors, startups, corporate leaders, and non-profits for networking, deal-making, and a deep dive into industry trends and insights. Organized by management consulting firm Cleantech Group, the forum is capped at 500 attendees, making it an ideal place for early-stage startups and other innovators to cut through the noise and connect with potential investors. This year’s installment includes representatives from the Global Cleantech 100, the Cleantech Group’s list of innovative companies pushing renewable energy and cleantech forward, as well as speakers from Google, Summit Nanotech, SLB New Energy Ventures, and more.

CampusEnergy 2024

February 20-23
San Francisco, CA

About CampusEnergy 2024

If you get a thrill from talking combined heat and power, CampusEnergy is for you. Organized by the International District Energy Association, the conference features more than 100 sessions, panels, and workshops geared toward those working in district energy, CHP, and microgrids. This year’s agenda includes speakers from EPRI, Scale Microgrids, and several universities, among others. The conference will also feature technical tours of nearby district energy facilities: one featuring a project in San Francisco’s central business district and another showcasing district energy at Stanford University and Google’s Sunnyvale campus.

DistribuTECH

Feb. 26-29
Orlando, FL

About the DistribuTECH

DistribuTECH’s annual conference focuses on electrical transmission and distribution — not the sexiest subject, but a major decider in how much clean power actually makes it onto the grid and into people’s homes. Over three days, renewable energy, transmission, and distribution professionals gather to showcase and discuss the latest advancements in energy efficiency, demand response, distributed energy resources, and EV charging. This year’s conference includes a packed agenda of panels and presentations — with keynote speakers from current and former execs at OpenAI, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Salesforce, and Google — as well as an exhibition hall.

DistribuTECH also takes place alongside a separate but related event called GridTECH Connect, which describes itself as a forum connecting utilities, developers, regulators, and clean energy solutions providers to figure out how to build a “smarter, cleaner, and more flexible electricity grid.”

Solar + Wind Finance and Investment Summit

March 10-13
Phoenix, AZ

About the Solar + Wind Finance and Investment Summit

Billed as a major networking event for renewable energy and finance executives, Infocast’s Solar + Wind Finance and Investment Summit is the company’s top deal-making event of the year. Over three days, developers, investors, law firms, solutions providers, and others gather to discuss the latest trends and innovations in the solar, wind, and storage markets as well as what’s to come. This year’s conference will dive deep into how recent IRA guidance is impacting renewable markets and what an emerging tax transferability market means for financing possibilities. 

Infocast also hosts a series of regional events in the Midwest, California, Texas, New York, and the Southeast, as well as industry-specific conferences for energy storage, sustainable aviation fuel, transmission and interconnection, hydrogen and ammonia, and more.

SF Climate Week

April 21-27
San Francisco, CA

About SF Climate Week

SF Climate Week is the West Coast answer to New York’s event of the same name. Spread over several days around Earth Day, the gathering is less of a conference and more of a collection of panels, fireside chats, and networking events across San Francisco, drawing together the startup and climate tech communities to discuss climate action and innovation. After last year’s inaugural event, lead organizer Climatebase — a hiring platform that connects job seekers with climate tech startups, renewable energy companies, and environmental non-profits — is back for another round with heavy emphasis on learning and community-building in the climate tech space.

CleanPower 2024

May 6-9
Minneapolis, MN

About CleanPower 2024

Covering a range of renewable technologies, CleanPower is the main conference of the American Clean Power Association, an industry group representing 800+ companies across energy storage, wind, utility-scale solar, clean hydrogen and transmission. Its annual event features a full schedule of panel discussions, presentations, and networking events geared toward manufacturers, construction firms, owner-operators, utilities, financiers, and corporate buyers, as well as a trade show. More than 8,000 industry professionals attended last year’s event, with the bulk of those divided between onshore wind, utility-scale solar, and energy storage, and previous speakers include state and federal government officials alongside executives in renewable energy, communications, and finance.

ACORE Finance Forum

June 4-5
New York, NY

About the ACORE Finance Forum

One of three annual events hosted by the American Council on Renewable Energy, the ACORE Finance Forum brings together bankers, private equity firms, asset managers, developers, manufacturers, corporate buyers, and others to discuss the latest trends and innovations in renewable energy finance. Alongside its policy and grid forums, the council’s grid gathering seeks to answer big questions around risk mitigation in light of pending IRA guidance, inflation, and permitting challenges as well as possible strategies and opportunities to drive the renewable energy industry forward. Last year’s event drew more than 300 attendees and included speakers from BlackRock, Ernst & Young, EDP Renewables North America, the Department of Energy, and New York Green Bank, among others.

Community Solar Innovation Summit

June 13-14
Denver, CO

About the Community Solar Innovation Summit

The first-ever Community Solar Innovation Summit arrives at an opportune time. By March, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is expected to unleash billions in federal funding through its green bank and Solar for All programs, creating opportunity for more construction of shared solar across the United States, particularly in low- and middle-income communities. The summit’s educational program aims to explore the latest market and policy trends around community solar, diving into topics like interconnection, customer management, consumer protection, access and inclusion processes for low-to-moderate income customers, and more. Hosted by the Coalition for Community Solar Access, a national trade association representing more than 125 companies, businesses, and non-profits working to improve community solar access, the summit will also feature networking opportunities to connect with other like-minded professionals.

Green Transportation Summit

August 20-22
Tacoma, WA

About the Green Transportation Summit

EVs have become all the rage at auto shows across America, but green transportation is so much more than just consumer vehicles. The Green Transportation Summit manages to fit not only electrified trucks and buses into its program but information sessions, and workshops on decarbonizing shipping, cutting rail emissions, and building out EV charging infrastructure at a time when the country’s electrical grid is under strain. While this three-day summit and expo focuses on the Pacific Northwest, its speakers share real-world case studies and lessons that can be applied to transportation across the country.

RE+ 2024

September 9-12
Anaheim, CA

About RE+ 2024

For renewable energy professionals, this one comes as no surprise. RE+ is the biggest industry event of the year and an opportunity to connect with players throughout the renewable energy world, from solar to storage, wind, hydrogen, electrification, and more. Jointly organized by RE+ Events, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), this conference has a finger on the pulse of the renewable energy industry and includes a full schedule of panels, presentations, educational sessions, and networking opportunities as well as a massive exhibition hall where businesses from all corners of the country — and the world — come to showcase their latest innovations.

RE+ also hosts a series of regional events throughout the year in Hawaii, the Northeast, Northern California, the Southeast, Texas, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest.

Verge

October 29-31
San Jose, CA

About Verge

From energy and buildings to transportation, food, and heavy industry, the world needs to tamp down greenhouse gas emissions in every part of the economy. Organized by the same folks behind GreenBiz, Verge is dedicated to unpacking the ins and outs of decarbonization across our lives and exploring innovation in climate tech to help us reach our environmental goals. Each year, the conference draws big names in the business, government, and non-profit spaces, with past speakers hailing from Rivian, Greenpeace, Microsoft, and Fridays for Future. This year’s event will also take place alongside Bloom, a biodiversity conference exploring strategies to protect and regenerate nature.

‍Not sure which events work best for your business? Download the 2024 DG+ Cleantech Events Calendar to check out 60+ industry gatherings, or contact us to learn more about developing effective cleantech marketing and public relations strategies.