Over the past three days, some 66,000 visitors from 160 countries flocked to Intersolar Europe at Messe München. A total of 1,909 exhibitors from 49 different nations presented their technologies and services in the fields of photovoltaics, PV production technologies and solar thermal technologies in 15 exhibition halls and an outdoor area, which together span 170,000 square meters of exhibition space. This year, 54% of exhibitors at Intersolar Europe were from abroad. With 871 exhibitors present, Germany was the best represented country, followed by China with 388, Italy with 78, Spain with 48, and Taiwan and Austria with 46 companies each. In the case of visitors, 40% made the journey to Munich from outside Germany.
Electricity storage and grid integration at Intersolar Europe
The key topics of electricity storage and grid integration met with a particularly good response this year. In the field of electricity storage alone, more than 140 international exhibitors this year presented the latest products and solutions ranging from small battery storage systems through combinations of different storage systems with fuel cells to large storage solutions for industry and commerce.
The PV ENERGY WORLD special exhibit, which focused on the topics of electricity storage and grid integration, showcased the entire spectrum of available technology. In addition to the exhibition, expert presentations and panel discussions at the special exhibit forum were very well attended and prompted many discussions on the future of each technology.
Huge crowds at PV and E-Mobility special exhibit
This year the new special exhibit PV and E-Mobility attracted particular attention. Thousands of visitors crowded round the combinations of PV carports, charging stations and state-of-the-art electric vehicles displayed by Intersolar Europe in the outdoor exhibition area at Messe München. Together with a total of 11 partners, the exhibition demonstrated the latest technological standards and allowed visitors to experience the e-mobility of the future. Test drives in a range of vehicles from e-bikes to roadsters rounded off the program.
The entire solar thermal spectrum
This year’s Intersolar Europe also presented the latest developments in all areas of the solar thermal technology industry: from solar process heat for industrial manufacturing processes through innovative heating concepts to large-scale solar thermal plants. The new topic of Heating with Solar Power, as opposed to using solar thermal technologies, was also the subject of much debate at the exhibition, and was highlighted as part of the conference and accompanying programs.
The German Solar Industry Association (BSW Solar), the exclusive partner of Intersolar Europe, provided information on the development of solar thermal markets. The association presented its new Solar Thermal Roadmap study at the exhibition and painted a positive picture: According to the study's findings, the German solar thermal market has the capability to grow sevenfold by 2030, while the number of jobs in this sector could double by as early as 2020.
International experts meet at Intersolar Europe Conference
The Intersolar Europe Conference took place in parallel to Intersolar Europe from June 11–14, 2012, in the ICM – Internationales Congress Center München. This year some 400 speakers and 2,000 attendees participated in the meeting of international experts from across the industry.
