Tickets are now on sale for the Solar Roots Party, scheduled for October 30 through November 1, 2026, at Ponderosa Hall in the Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley, California — a region widely regarded as one of the birthplaces of the modern solar industry. Nevada County and the surrounding Sierra Nevada foothills were home to many of the earliest residential solar companies, installers, and component designers who helped transition photovoltaics from a niche technology into a commercial industry.

The three-day event will feature the world premiere of the feature-length documentary Solar Roots – The Pioneers of PV at the Del Oro Theater. More than a decade in production, the film documents the early back-to-land communities of Northern California who adapted photovoltaic technology — originally developed for space applications — to power their remote off-grid homes, ultimately helping seed what is now one of the world's fastest-growing electricity sources. Since those early off-grid experiments, utility-scale and distributed solar capacity has expanded to hundreds of gigawatts worldwide, with module costs having fallen by roughly 90 percent over the past decade alone, making solar one of the cheapest sources of new electricity generation in many markets.

Executive producer Jeff Spies and director Jason Vetterli conducted over 50 interviews with many of the movement's founders, innovators, and early adopters, preserving first-hand accounts that might otherwise have been lost.

"This film has truly been a labor of love," Spies said. "Our goal was to preserve the stories of the industry pioneers. Sadly, we've lost many along the way, making the documenting of their experiences even more meaningful. Their creativity, determination and willingness to challenge conventional thinking changed the world. I hope this film will inspire generations to come with those same values."

The filmmakers deliberately avoided a polished Hollywood style, opting instead for an authentic documentary approach that mirrors the character of the communities where the residential solar industry originated.

"We wanted the film to feel as genuine as the people telling their stories," Vetterli said. "This allowed us to capture the quirky humor, ingenuity and authenticity that defined the early solar movement. Most of the interviews were filmed in the same backwoods where the home PV industry took root, allowing viewers to experience the settings alongside the pioneers."

Following its premiere at the Solar Roots Party, the documentary will be released as a free, non-commercial educational resource and historical archive, accessible to global audiences. The decision to release without commercial restrictions reflects the collaborative, open-source ethos that characterized the early solar movement, when practitioners frequently shared designs and innovations informally.

The Solar Roots Party brings together residential solar pioneers, current industry leaders, and emerging clean energy innovators to commemorate the sector's history and foster its continued development.

Sponsorship support makes the event possible. SMA serves as Gold Sponsor and BoxPower as Silver Sponsor. Additional sponsors include FranklinWH, IronRidge, REC, Greentech Renewables, NABCEP — the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, the leading certification body for renewable energy professionals — Tamarack Solar, PV Cables, and Planet Plan Sets.

An earlier Solar Power World report provides additional background on the documentary project.

For further details, the official trailer and Solar Roots event website are available online. General information is also accessible via the Solar Roots homepage.