Latest News Intersolar

Record number of visitors at Intersolar Europe

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:38:00 +0200

The world´s largest exhibition for the solar industry, Intersolar Europe, clearly exceeded the expectations of the organizers. Around 72,000 visitors from around 150 nations visited Intersolar Europe at the New Munich Trade Fair Center. 1,880 exhibitors presented their products and services on 134,000 m² of exhibition area covering twelve halls and the connected outdoor area.

The world's largest exhibition for the solar industry, Intersolar Europe, ended with new record numbers on Friday. Markus Elsässer, Managing Director of Solar Promotion GmbH, Pforzheim, one of the two organizers of Intersolar Europe, is more than satisfied: “The overwhelming success of Intersolar Europe 2010 can be summed up with one word: a world champion! The number of visitors exceeded our wildest expectations. According to the preliminary results we were able to welcome around 72,000 visitors – an increase of around 23 percent of the previous year. Intersolar Europe thus sends a strong signal from Munich to the solar industry around the world.”

It is not just the number of visitors that has risen - the number of exhibitors at Intersolar Europe has also gone up considerably: This year, 1,880 companies presented their innovations in Munich – 33% more than last year. The growth was also expressed in an expansion of the exhibition area: the exhibiting companies occupied 29% more exhibition space than in 2009: 134,000 m².

Klaus W. Seilnacht, Managing Director of Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH, the other organizer of the exhibition, is also more than satisfied with the success of Intersolar Europe this year: "Not only did we have more exhibitors, visitors and press than in the previous years; the exhibition has also become even more international. 53% of the exhibitors came from outside Germany. Visitors from 150 different countries traveled to Munich for the exhibition. This has clearly proven the position of Intersolar Europe as the international meeting point of the industry and consolidated the exhibition's function as the leading show of the solar industry.”

Intersolar AWARD provides platform for innovation

For the third time running, the Intersolar AWARD rewarded innovative, groundbreaking products and services at Intersolar Europe. The organizers of Intersolar Europe, in cooperation with the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) from Berlin jointly presented the Intersolar AWARD. This year, prizes were awarded in the fields of “Photovoltaics” and “Solar Thermal Technology” and for the first time in the category “PV Production Technology”. “The products acknowledged by the international Intersolar AWARD show the innovative power of the industry,” says Carsten Körnig, CEO of BSW-Solar.

Having been presented with the Intersolar AWARD on Wednesday, the winners were able to benefit from a high degree of visitor and media interest throughout the show. The Intersolar AWARD for “Photovoltaics” went to ABB Schweiz AG, Gehrlicher Solar AG and SMA Solar Technology AG this year.

The winners in the "Solar thermal" category were FSAVE Solartechnik GmbH, InvenSor Gmbh as well as the joint submission from the Institute for Building Construction and Design at Stuttgart University, Ritter Energie- und Umwelttechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Hydro Building Systems GmbH and Frener & Reifer Metallbau GmbH.

The following companies received the Intersolar AWARD in the new category “PV Production Technology”: Festo AG & Co. KG, GEMO-TEC Ltd. and Gebr. Schmid GmbH + Co.

Intersolar Europe honors the most innovative solar companies of 2010

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:26:00 +0200

For the third year running, Intersolar Europe, the world’s largest exhibition for solar technology, has paid tribute to new, pioneering products and services. This year, prizes were awarded in the fields of “Photovoltaics” and “Solar Thermal Technology” and for the first time in the category “PV Production Technology”. The Intersolar AWARD international technology prize was today presented to nine outstandingly innovative companies as part of an official ceremony at the Innovation Exchange.

Intersolar Europe is the world's largest exhibition for the solar industry and the most influential forum for innovative technologies and services in the fields of photovoltaics and solar thermal technology. It therefore serves as a gauge of innovative power within the solar industry. In awarding the prize, organizers Solar Promotion GmbH and Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM), in cooperation with the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), wish to create an incentive for companies to play an active role in shaping the future of sustainable energy supply.

New “PV Production Technology” award category and greater participant numbers
New for this year was the addition of the “PV Production Technology” award category. And also for the first time this year, exhibitors of Intersolar North America were eligible to participate in addition to exhibitors at Intersolar Europe in Munich. As a result, participant numbers have increased to a total of 2,300 and reflect the internationalization and growing level of interconnection within the industry.

The winners of the Intersolar AWARD were selected by three independent jurys comprised of experts from research, science, industry and the trade media. Three winners were chosen in each category. Products and solutions were eligible for submission which were to be exhibited for the first time at either Intersolar Europe or Intersolar North America in 2010, or which represent a significant refinement of a product compared to previous exhibition appearances. Submissions must have undergone trials or already be in industrial use.

Winners in the “Photovoltaics” category
The photovoltaics jury presented three companies with the Intersolar AWARD. In his speech, Dr.-Ing. Michael Powalla from the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Wuerttemberg lauded the three prize winners.

Zurich based company ABB Schweiz AG specializes in reducing common losses in the production of solar power. It has developed an intelligent product for photovoltaic applications, the “S800” high performance process system. The system ensures that unaffected strings continue to function normally and deliver yield in the event of a partial failure in the photovoltaic installation. Thanks to its low energy consumption levels, the strings can be controlled without great losses, and a remote switching unit (RSU) provides additional security (e.g. in the event of fire). The product’s longevity and its lack of harmful components ensure that greater benefits for the environment are achieved.

Owing to the cost reduction potential offered by larger scale products, solar modules are becoming ever bigger and therefore proportionately heavier, which makes manual installation virtually impossible. Gehrlicher Solar AG based in Neustadt and Dornach, Germany, has developed an innovative transportation and mounting system for large-scale photovoltaic modules. In this complete system, the entire process from manufacture to installation is linked together. The system guarantees the smooth transportation of up to 18 large modules, and a unique rail system (backrail solution) facilitates installation. The concept minimizes assembly time, and therefore costs as well.

SMA Solar Technology AG of Niestetal, Germany, has been singled out for a central inverter which meets all modern demands and combines the latest technical components in one practical unit. Its “Sunny Central 800CP” is the world’s first weatherproof single device with a nominal power output of 800 kVA. The high power output is enabled by an intelligent power management and ventilation concept. Furthermore, the system features an integrated monitoring unit (string monitoring) with self-learning error management. Installation is greatly simplified and transport costs reduced thanks to the inverter’s compact design.

Winners in the “Solar Thermal Technology” category
Dr. Volker Wittwer, advisor at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, paid tribute to winners in the “Solar Thermal Technology” category in a speech.

Storage technologies are the key to exploiting solar heat, particularly if a large proportion of heating requirements are to be covered using solar thermal technology. Through its “FLEXSAVE” heat buffer storage tank, FSAVE Solartechnik GmbH, based in Kassel, Germany, offers the opportunity to cover the heating needs of existing buildings using solar thermal technology. The modular, cubic design means that it can be installed and accommodated in existing residential buildings with the greatest of ease and facilitates a better use of space. Thanks to its 2,200 liter storage volume, the unpressurized storage tank is suitable both for buffering solar heat and for use with solid fuel boilers. The use of new materials keeps manufacturing costs to a minimum.

Across the world, the demand for cooling is on the rise, pushing global power consumption sky high. Solar powered cooling systems (adsorption refrigerators) represent an energy-saving alternative to power-hungry compressor technology. For this reason, an Intersolar AWARD was also presented to Berlin company InvenSor GmbH. Compared to conventional thermal refrigerators, the “InvenSor Adsorption Refrigerator (LTC)” can be operated with markedly lower temperatures. InvenSor uses zeolites in place of more commonly used silica gel to increase efficiency. In conjunction with broad flat plate collectors, power consumption can be reduced by over 70%. Pure water serves as an environmentally friendly refrigerant, and its use means that the environmental impact is low. Low power consumption and relatively low noise emissions also characterize the compact device.

A positive example for linking-up expertise was demonstrated by the joint submission from the Institute for Building Construction and Design of the University of Stuttgart (structural design), Ritter Energie- und Umwelttechnik GmbH & Co. KG (collector development), Hydro Building Systems GmbH (WICONA) (facade development) and Frener & Reifer Metallbau GmbH (facade construction), which details their new approach to facade integration for vacuum tubes. Joint development work between these collaborators resulted in the award-winning “CPC Office/System WICONA” facade collector, which meets future requirements for sustainable modern office buildings with glass facades. Architectural aspects such as transparency of the modules, room lighting, heat protection and solar protection are combined with the high efficiency of the collector in this product. Solar heat is made available for heating and cooling purposes at temperatures of up to 100°C.

Winners in the “PV Production Technology” category
The winners were praised for their ideas in a speech by Dr. Ingo Schwirtlich, Vice President of Technology at SCHOTT Solar GmbH.

Festo AG & Co. KG of Esslingen, Germany, received an award for its extremely fast handling system, the “High Speed H-Portal”. The combination of a flat construction and low moving mass provides dynamics in the smallest possible space, thereby saving both energy and resources. At the heart of the device is a module (lifting and rotating module) which works particularly efficiently. This interaction manages to increase the efficacy of production.

Swiss company GEMO-TEC Ltd. has been presented with the Intersolar AWARD for its innovative module production concept, “NICE Process”. The process represents an alternative to module encapsulation, operates with an airtight and moisture proof sealing technology and is entirely solder-free, making it environmentally friendly. By reducing production steps, it also enables clear reductions in manufacturing costs to be made.

Gebr. Schmid GmbH + Co., based in Freudenstadt, Germany, has also been singled out for its innovative, contact-free “LTP 1500/Laser Transfer Printing” metallization process, the performance characteristics of which are comparable to standard screen printing procedures. The modular system concept enables easy integration into existing production lines and the technology used dispenses with solvent-based pastes and removes one of the drying stages.

Intersolar Europe gets underway

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:18:00 +0200

Intersolar Europe gets underway today at the New Munich Trade Fair Center. With over 1,800 exhibitors in twelve halls and an outdoor area, which together make 134,000 square meters of exhibition space, Intersolar Europe has once again cleared the boundaries set by last year’s event: The organizers are pleased to report a 33% increase in exhibitor numbers and 29% growth in total exhibition area compared to 2009. Over 60,000 international visitors are expected to travel to Munich. International participation in the event has markedly increased, thanks not least to the global presence of the different Intersolar exhibitions. An extensive fringe program and the Intersolar Europe Conference are running in parallel to Intersolar Europe at the International Congress Center ICM of the Munich Trade Fair Center.

Starting today, all eyes in the international solar industry will be turned toward the New Munich Trade Fair Center: The world's largest exhibition for the solar industry today opens its doors until June 11. As a specialist exhibition, Intersolar Europe has focused on the fields of photovoltaics and solar thermal technology. Products and services from the entire value chain of each of these disciplines will be exhibited in the twelve halls and outdoor exhibition area. This year marks the nineteenth anniversary of Intersolar. “Internationally, solar technology is one of the most pioneering industries of the future. Its significance for the global energy industry is constantly growing. We are delighted to support the development of the industry through Intersolar Europe, and to make a continuous contribution to furthering this development,” affirms Klaus W. Seilnacht, CEO of Freiburg Wirtschaft & Touristik GmbH, Freiburg, which organizes Intersolar Europe together with Solar Promotion GmbH, Pforzheim.

33% more exhibitors, 29% growth in exhibition area
The international solar industry can look back on a successful year. Overall, the worldwide markets for photovoltaics and solar thermal technology have grown continually. And even the German market is seeing positive development, despite uncertain conditions. Accordingly, Intersolar Europe is better positioned than ever before. A 29% growth in exhibition area means that exhibitors and visitors now have 134,000 square meters at their disposal. Over 1,800 international exhibitors (which corresponds to an increase of around 33% compared with 2009) will present their innovations and technologies at the exhibition. International involvement among exhibitors is also looking very positive, with 53% travelling from outside Germany. The growth in exhibition space is accompanied by a growth in visitor numbers. Over 60,000 visitors from 145 countries are expected to attend the event in Munich in 2010

Intersolar across the world
“We are extremely pleased about the positive growth and the increase in international participation. Thanks to Intersolar’s international footholds with its sister exhibitions Intersolar North America in San Francisco, Intersolar India in Mumbai and Intersolar China in Shanghai, Intersolar Europe’s presence on the international solar stage has also intensified. The figures are therefore clearly encouraging us to continue in the same direction,” states Markus Elsässer, CEO of Solar Promotion GmbH. With a total of over 2,600 exhibitors and more than 80,000 visitors on three continents, Intersolar is the world’s leading exhibition for the entire solar industry.

A varied conference and fringe program
This year, for the first time Intersolar in Munich will open under its new name, “Intersolar Europe”, but the exhibits highlighted by the exhibition will still represent the latest developments and technologies that the solar industry has to offer. On June 9 at 3:30 p.m. the most innovative companies in the fields of “Photovoltaics” and “Solar Thermal Technology”, and in the new category of “PV Production Technology”, will be presented with the Intersolar AWARD at the Innovation Exchange in Hall C3, Booth C3.150.

This year, for the first time, the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) will present a special exhibition dedicated to products, systems technology and services for the electrification of remote regions (“off-grid”) in Hall A3, Booth A3.640. Over 14 member companies from BSW-Solar will present the full range of services offered by the German solar industry in the field of “off-grid” technology.

Intersolar Europe will again this year devote the “SOLARHAUS 50+” special exhibition to the use of solar energy in residential applications. The various options for supplying 50% of heating requirements in buildings using solar energy will be displayed by the exhibition in Hall C2, Booth C2.310. Daily presentations will accompany the special exhibition.

For two days during the exhibition run-up and then for the duration of the event, the international solar technology industry will meet from June 7 to 11 at the Intersolar Europe Conference located in the International Congress Center Munich (ICM) of the New Munich Trade Fair Center. The conference will focus on the fields of “photovoltaics”, “solar thermal technology” and “solar thermal power plants”.

Innovation Exchange

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:30:00 +0200

Exhibitors at the exhibition and winners of the Intersolar AWARD will introduce their innovations in short presentations. Specialists from the respective companies will be available afterwards to provide further information and conduct more in-depth discussions. The sponsor of this year's innovation Exchange is SolarEdge Technologies.

Here you will find more information and the program of the Innovation Exchange.

PV Production and Technology Arena

Fri, 04 Jun 2010 09:28:00 +0200

The PV Production and Technology Arena features seminar-style presentations from exhibitors sharing the latest product and technology information for photovoltaic manufacturing and equipment. The arena is located in hall B3, booth B3.168; the visit is included in the entrance ticket.

Here you will find more information and the program of the Technology Arena

Career planning at Intersolar Europe

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:59:00 +0200

The need for workers in the solar industry is continually growing. In 2009, 80,000 people were employed in the industry in Germany alone. In collaboration with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Intersolar Europe, the world's largest exhibition for the solar industry, is supporting this development in bringing together employees and employers at the exhibition’s Job + Career Forum.

The solar industry is fast becoming an important labor market across the world. 80,000 people were employed by the solar industry in Germany alone during 2009. According to the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), the number of employees will almost double to 150,000 by 2020.

Job & career planning at Intersolar Europe

In collaboration with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Intersolar Europe is again supporting this positive development in 2010. It will bring together employers and job seekers at the Job + Career Forum in a dedicated exhibition area located in Hall C2, Booth C2.550. In addition to numerous job advertisements, the Forum also offers personalized consultations with experienced career advisors. These experts will provide information regarding current trends and career prospects in the solar industry. The Job + Career Forum offers human resources representatives and job applicants the opportunity to make personal contacts and gain information of prospective positions at first hand. The companies involved will be represented both through participation in the Job + Career Forum and by their staff and products at Intersolar Europe. The Job + Career Forum is sponsored by KOSTAL Industrie Elektrik GmbH and SMA Solar Technology AG.

Even before the exhibition has begun, over 240 positions advertized on the websites of Intersolar Europe (Job + Career Forum) and the F.A.Z. appointments section (www.fazjob.net) await successful applicants. Interested visitors can also gain information of further positions during the exhibition via displays on the job notice boards. Furthermore, computer terminals will be available to exhibition visitors where they can view job offers online and print out information of vacancies.

For three days, from June 9-11, 2010, Intersolar Europe, the world's largest exhibition for the solar industry, will become the hub of the solar industry. Intersolar Europe showcases the solar industry in its entire breadth and depth and is split into the industry-specific fields of "photovoltaics" and "solar thermal technology". This year over 1,800 exhibitors will present their products and innovations on an exhibition area spanning 130,000 square meters, with more than 60,000 international visitors expected to attend the event at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre.

Fair Catalogue

Fri, 28 May 2010 09:17:00 +0200

The trade fair catalogue 2010 contains all the floor plans and information about the exhibitors and their products and services. The printed version of the trade fair catalogue is available free of charge at the entrance gates of Intersolar Europe.

You will find the pdf-version here.

Information on exhibitors and products also continues to be available in our online database under Exhibitors + Products.

BSW-Solar: Demand for solar energy still booming in 2010

Fri, 28 May 2010 09:03:00 +0200

According to predictions from the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), sales of solar installations in Germany will experience clear double-digit percentage growth rates this year. This was announced by the Association in the run-up to the leading international exhibition Intersolar Europe, which will take place from June 9 – 11 at the grounds of the Munich New Trade Fair Centre. The world’s largest exhibition for the solar industry will be accompanied by the Intersolar Europe Conference, which will take place from June 7 – 11 at the International Congress Centre Munich (ICM).

The demand for solar installations in Germany rose sharply last year, with a newly installed photovoltaic capacity of 3.8 gigawatts (GW) registered at the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur). Photovoltaic installations with a total peak power capacity of around ten gigawatts are currently connected to the German grid. This is sufficient to cover the annual energy needs of five million citizens.

The significant market growth expected again this year has been triggered by the extraordinary amendment to the Renewable Energies Act (EEG) recently passed by the German Bundestag. The amendment provides for a substantial reduction in solar subsidization from July 1, 2010, and again from the beginning of next year. "Many consumers and investors are currently trying to take advantage of the old subsidies. This is why we anticipate an impact from pre-emptive purchasing and record demand in 2010", says Carsten Körnig, CEO of BSW-Solar.

Entrepreneurs and those interested in solar energy can discover the technologies and processes currently available within the industry at the grounds of the New Munich Trade Fair Centre: From June 9 – 11 at Intersolar Europe and from June 7 – 11 at the accompanying Intersolar Europe Conference, where all the latest from the national and international solar industries will be presented. The events will center on the fields of photovoltaics and solar thermal technology, as well as on solar thermal power plants as they are to be used in the "Desertec" desert energy project. The event "PV Market Trends Europe, U.S. and India" will concentrate on the development of the German market and future international markets in Europe, as well as in India and the USA, and will take place within the Intersolar Europe Conference on Monday, June 7, 2010 from 12:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Background:
With a total installed capacity of over 9.8 gigawatts (end of 2009), Germany remains the largest solar energy market worldwide. In 2009, the German solar power industry and its suppliers generated sales of over 10 billion euros. A total of 60,000 jobs now depend directly upon the photovoltaics industry.

Nominees for the Intersolar AWARD 2010

Fri, 14 May 2010 08:46:00 +0200

In June, Intersolar Europe, the world's largest exhibition for solar technology, will award prizes for groundbreaking products and services in the categories "Photovoltaics" and "Solar Thermal Technology". This year's additional new category is "PV Production Technology". The ten best entries for the Intersolar AWARD 2010 for each area have now been nominated.

New category "PV Production Technology" and more participants

The prize will be awarded in the categories "Photovoltaics" and "Solar Thermal Technology". The category "PV Production Technology" will also be recognized for the first time in 2010, with the support of the SEMI PV Group. Along with exhibitors at Intersolar Europe in Munich, exhibitors at Intersolar North America in San Francisco have been entitled to enter for the first time this year. This increased the number of potential participants to 2,300 companies. The top ten submissions from each category have now been nominated. Three independent juries consisting of experts from photovoltaics, solar thermal technology and PV production technology will select the winners from the group of nominees.

Evaluation Criteria

Participation was open only to products, solutions and services being exhibited for the first time at Intersolar Europe or Intersolar North America in 2010, or to those showing significant development compared to previous exhibits. Submissions must have undergone industrial trials or already be in industrial use.

Nominees in the area of "Photovoltaics"

Nominees for the Intersolar AWARD 2010 in the area of "Photovoltacis" are:

ABB Schweiz AG (Switzerland), Canadian Solar Inc. (USA), Gehrlicher Solar AG (Germany), Innotech Solar IST (Germany), Inspired Solar Technology (USA), Inventux Technologies AG (Germany), REC Group (Norway), SMA Solar Technology AG (Germany), Tigo Energy Inc. (USA), Wagner & Co Solartechnik GmbH (Germany).

Nominees in the area of "Solar Thermal Technology"

The following companies from the field of "Solar Thermal Technology" have been nominated:

Corporación SRB Energy S.L. (Spain), FSAVE Solartechnik GmbH (Germany), Gebr. Tuxhorn GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), Hahn Solar Pty. Ltd. (Australia), Invensor GmbH (Germany), PAW GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), RESOL - Elektronische Regelungen GmbH (Germany), Ritter Energie- und Umwelttechnik GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), Wagner & Co Solartechnik GmbH (Germany) as well as the joint application from the Institute for Building Construction and Design at Stuttgart University, Ritter Energie- und Umwelttechnik GmbH & Co. KG, Hydro Building Systems GmbH and Frener & Reifer Metallbau GmbH.

Nominees in the category "PV Production Technology"

The following companies were nominated for the Intersolar AWARD in the new new category "PV Production Technology":

Abound Solar Inc. (USA), Edwards (USA), Festo AG & Co. KG (Germany), GEMO-TEC Ltd. (Germany), HÜTTINGER Elektronik GmbH + Co. KG (Germany), Inventux Technologies AG (Germany), Linde Gas (Germany), Zimmermann & Schilp Handhabungstechnik GmbH (Germany). The company Gebr. Schmid GmbH + Co. (Germany) was nominated for the Intersolar AWARD with two applications.

The winners of the Intersolar AWARD 2010 will be announced on June 9, 2010 at 3.30 pm during an award ceremony at the Innovation Exchange in Hall C3.

Intersolar TV

Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 +0200

The daily exhibition programs will give insights into Intersolar's special focus subjects and the dedicated areas of Intersolar Europe 2010, including reports, background information and statements.

The first broadcast of Intersolar TV can be found here.