In just four weeks, its sibling in San Francisco will kick off, “the largest trade event in the United States serving the complete solar energy supply chain,” as the organizers put it. To give U.S. participants a taste of things to come, the CleanEnergy Project asked some of the Munich exhibitors for a brief feedback.

Lilian Geurtjens, Communication Manager at solar glass manufacturer Scheuten, summed up what everyone who had been to previous Intersolar exhibits was feeling: amazement at the sheer size (7 halls, 1,000 exhibitors) of the show: “We noticed that the Intersolar has truly matured. Three years ago, you could have fit all of us into a single hall!”

Allan Pilgaard-Jensen, Marketing Director for Danfoss from Denmark, a leading manufacturer of valves and fluid handling components for HVAC and industrial applications, shared her perceptions: “I am quite impressed with how big the fair has grown. We have just introduced a new inverter and the interest is huge.”

Heiko Piossek, Board Member of Düsseldorf-based Systaic AG, offered probably the most effective elevator pitch by summing up his company’s innovations in a few well-versed statements: “We are happy about the large crowds and the number of visitors coming to our booth. For the first time, Systaic has proven that there can be an aesthetic full-scale solution for the photovoltaic and solarthermal functions of a turn-key roof. Even the automotive solar roof which was just recommended by policy makers, which we mass produce together with Webasto as the only manufacturer worldwide, is an innovation of the Systaic company that was very well received by the audience. Both roofs make a substantial contribution to reducing CO2 emissions.”

The most festive mood could probably be found at the booh of Phoenix Solar in Sulzemoos - one of the companies who won the Intersolar AWard for its groundbreaking innovation, the Powerbridge. Andrea Zepf, Press Relations at Phoenix, explained: “The Powerbridge is a new technology that is based on bridge-building principles and that enables the installation of solar panels on halls and other large buildings. These roofs were often too fragile and too thin to carry the load of solar panels. With the Powerbridge, we can produce solar power even on a roof whose static was until now considered insufficient.”

It is the first time in 2008 that the Intersolar Awards were celebrated. Besides Phoenix Solar, winners included PAW GmbH & Co. KG from Hameln, Skytron Energy from Berlin and SMA Solar Technology AG from Niestetal.

Philippe Welter, publisher of the international photovoltaics magazine Photon, commented on the competitiveness of German solar power, taking on a more political tone: “We expect the prices for solar power to be on par with coventional power in just 3 to 4 years - without any subventions. The solar power industry is much more advanced than politicians perceive it to be.”

Gero Rueter, editor at German international radio Deutsche Welle, revealed that the broadcaster will soon offer a new 15-minute segment about consumer culture that will include conversations about renewable energy. The program will be available on-air only to listeners outside of Germany, however, Rueter assured that German listeners can download the podcast version from the Deutsche Welle website.

Meanwhile, the Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH, the Messe Munich and the Fraunhofer-Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE talked about the start of a series of congresses on solar energy in Freiburg. Theme of the premiere event in 2008 is Silicon Materials for Photovoltaics, a feedstock that is heading toward extreme shortages should the industry keep growing at its current pace, as Professor Eike Weber, head of the ISE, noted. He also talked about the role that renewables will need to fill as a substitute for oil: “Every day, a total of 3 million barrels of oil are missing from our global supply”, a comment that made the 300.000 extra barrels of oil that oil producer Saudi Arabia wants to sell each year look like an appetizer on the table of global energy consumers. This discussion may well be at the center of the Intersolar in California, where the recent oil price spikes have prompted a discussion on starting oil drilling on Los Angeles territory. We hope that the California solar industry will grow faster than these plans can be put into reality.

Source:
Clean Energy Projekt | Birte Pampel 2008