20th Birthday For Intersolar

The 20th Intersolar in Munich was a packed affair with the whole city taken over by solar activities and promotion. 2,280 companies from 47 countries are showcasing their products and services in the areas of "Photovoltaics", "PV Production Technology" and "Solar Thermal Technology". This year, the exhibition space covers 168,000 square meters, spanning 15 halls and an outdoor exhibition area. Over 75,000 international visitors in total are expected at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre during the three exhibition days as Intersolar Europe celebrates another marked increase in numbers. In 2011, the exhibition now looks back on a success story already spanning 20 years. In parallel to the exhibition, the Intersolar Europe Conference is also being held at the International Congress Centre Munich (ICM) of the New Munich Trade Fair Centre, running two days prior to the exhibition and throughout its duration.

The number of exhibition halls has jumped to fifteen this year, three more than last year.  Including the outdoor exhibition area, Intersolar Europe now boasts an exhibition space measuring 168,000 square meters. From June 8−10 this year, 2,280 exhibitors from all corners of the globe are showcasing their products and services here from the fields of "Photovoltaics", "PV Production Technology" and "Solar Thermal Technology". This marks a 21% leap in exhibitor numbers in comparison with 2010. Around 2,000 exhibitors are presenting their latest developments in the areas of photovoltaics and PV production technology. Approximately 600 exhibitors are involved in the area of solar thermal technology and 300 of these are exhibiting both solar thermal and photovoltaic technology.

“Intersolar Europe's continued growth highlights the public recognition of solar technology as a renewable alternative to other energy sources. The industry is growing - not just in Germany, but the world over. We are pleased to be able to actively support this positive growth with our event. We provide all the industry's representatives from around the globe with a joint platform, and have been doing so for 20 years. We believe that Intersolar Europe will continue to make an important contribution to promoting a renewable energy supply into the future,” says Markus Elsässer, CEO of Solar Promotion GmbH, Pforzheim. Solar Promotion GmbH is one of the organizers of Intersolar Europe, together with the Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM).

Fifty-seven percent of exhibitors visiting Intersolar Europe in Munich this year are from abroad; the level of international participation has thus once again increased compared to last year and there are exhibitors from 47 countries. With 977 exhibitors, Germany is top of the scoreboard as the most represented country. China and Italy follow with 524 and 106 exhibitors respectively. Spain and Taiwan complete the top 5 most represented countries at Intersolar Europe, the former with 73 exhibitors and the latter with 67. “Intersolar Europe is the meeting point for anyone wanting to gain an overview of the entire solar industry and to forge contacts outside their own country. This is once again emphasized by the immense proportion of international participation," says Klaus W. Seilnacht, CEO of FWTM. “Global collaboration is an important factor in developing the industry. This has led us, for example, to also widen the circle of eligible participants for the Intersolar Award this year,” Seilnacht continues. For the first time, exhibitors from Intersolar India in Mumbai were invited to put their applications forward alongside those from Intersolar Europe in Munich and Intersolar North America in San Francisco. Thanks to this move, the number of eligible participants increased to over 3,000 companies. The Intersolar AWARD is thus the solar industry's most international prize, and not only covers the entire technological spectrum, but also represents both the diversity and character of the individual markets it encompasses.

In the last decade, the international photovoltaics (PV) market has grown more than any other technology market in the field of renewable energy. The total worldwide installed PV capacity hit 40 gigawatts (GW) at the end of 2010, with 16.6 GW of this added over the last year according to latest figures from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA). Growth over the last year in the German and Italian PV markets has largely contributed to this enormous leap, with 7.4 GW and 2.3 GW being added respectively in the two markets. EU countries saw a total of 13 GW newly installed capacity, while this figure for the rest of the world hit almost 4 GW. The biggest non-European markets were within touching distance of the gigawatt range in 2010, with Japan at 990 megawatts (MW) and the USA at 900 MW.

In what is still the world's largest PV market - Germany - further cuts to the feed-in tariff are emerging on the horizon midway through the year. Italy's feed-in tariffs are also set to fall by between 22% and 30% at the end of the year, with cuts depending on the size and type of installation. Nevertheless, according to EPIA, installed PV capacity across the globe may increase to between 130 GW and 200 GW by 2015; the industry therefore still has a bright future ahead. Photovoltaics is well on its way to becoming fully competitive over the years to come, particularly in the European Union.

Solar thermal markets are currently evolving very differently across the globe. Some European countries - such as Germany, Italy, Spain and Austria - have seen demand fall over the past two years. In Germany, for example, newly installed capacity fell by around 22% during this period. According to the “ISOL Navigator”, the German solar industry has responded by adopting a cautiously optimistic outlook on future developments. The “ISOL Navigator” is a study conducted by the agency solrico from Bielefeld, Germany, which shines a light on the various opportunities for growth and barriers in the international solar thermal industry. Companies in other European markets also share Germany's cautiously optimistic outlook. While some European countries are experiencing low demand, key non-European countries are however enjoying considerable upward trends, as is the case in China, Brazil and India. The surge in demand in these markets is largely thanks to favourable political conditions.