The world“s largest solar technology trade show, Intersolar 2009, took place from 27 to 29 May 2009 and was attended by 1,417 exhibitors and 60,000 visitors from all over the world. The Fair occupied…
The world“s largest solar technology trade show, Intersolar 2009, took place from 27 to 29 May 2009 and was attended by 1,417 exhibitors and 60,000 visitors from all over the world. The Fair occupied 104,000 sq.m. of exhibition space, nine exhibition halls and an outdoor exhibition area at the New Munich Trade Fair Center. The spotlight at this year“s show was, once again, on the fields of photovoltaics, solar thermal technology and solar architecture. In addition, Intersolar 2009, together with the globally active PV Group, also expanded its offerings for exhibitors working in photovoltaic production. For the first time at Intersolar 2009, companies from this sector were able to present their products and services in a specifically designated exhibition space – Hall A3. Intersolar showed clear growth since the 2008 edition with a 31% increase in exhibitor numbers and an exhibition area expansion of over 35%, with exhibitors from 40 countries and visitors from over 140 countries, and just over 50% of exhibitors from outside Germany. However, the participation of German companies has also reached new heights. Whereas last year around 570 German companies were represented at the show, in 2009 German exhibitor numbers reached 700. Intersolar is an important gauge for the industry and its success an important international sign of things to come. Markets across the world are undergoing radical changes. Many countries in Europe and further afield have introduced new incentive programs for solar thermal technology and photovoltaics, often orienting themselves around German experiences in the process. The US presents just one example of a growing market which increasingly receives positive evaluations thanks to new stimuli from the government. Promising new markets are also emerging in Greece and Italy, to name but two examples. But a lot has also happened in Germany, for example in the market for photovoltaic systems. Whilst feed-in tariffs for solar power fell by around 9 per cent last year, prices for photovoltaic systems dropped by around 15 per cent during the same period. There has never been a better time to invest in a solar installation, particularly for private users, and this is likely to have a positive influence on the market in the medium-term. The field of solar thermal technology is also developing well at present. In the first quarter of 2009, the German industry grew significantly compared to the previous year. Georg Salvamoser, President of the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), is also cautiously optimistic about the future: Despite the financial crisis, 2009 could also become a growth year for the German solar market. The mood amongst many companies is brightening. Sales of solar heating systems were around ten per cent higher in the first four months of this year than they were last year. The large quantity of new products and services displayed at Intersolar 2009 will make a significant contribution to growth in the industry. We have seen countless new and highly innovative products and systems in the run up to the show – both in submissions for the Intersolar Award and for presentations at the innovation exchange. It is difficult to distinguish clear trends from this. Exciting new developments will be seen this year in all sectors and in many countries across the globe. As an international leading trade fair the Intersolar is a platform for many exhibitors to present their innovations in public, says Markus Elssser, CEO of Solar Promotion GmbH, one of the two organizers of Intersolar 2009. In order to make innovations and successes more visible, both at the show and on an international level, the Intersolar Award was presented for the second time in 2009. The organizers of Intersolar, Solar Promotion GmbH and Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM), launched the Intersolar AWARD in cooperation with BSW-Solar in order to acknowledge particularly innovative technologies. This year, the Award was presented to three companies from the field of solar thermal technology and three from the field of photovoltaics. Intersolar is the world`s most important platform for the solar industry. This is something we are proud of. We would like to give the winners with the Intersolar AWARD the opportunity to profit from our position as an international leading trade fair, said Klaus W. Seilnacht, CEO FWTM, one of the other organizer of Intersolar. In addition to the awards ceremony, innovations in the fields of solar thermal technology and photovoltaics were also presented on all three days of the show by exhibitors at the Innovation Exchange.