Intersolar Europe 201, the largest photovoltaic expo in the world, is just around the corner. As celebrating 20th anniversary of Intersolar, we had an interview with Markus Elsässer, a representative of  Solar Promotion GmbH, an organizer.

Intersolar Europe

Please introduce about the Intersolar Europe 

Intersolar Europe is the world’s largest exhibition for the solar industry and is one of the events organized by Intersolar. This year we are expecting a total of 80,000 visitors and 2,200 exhibitors to attend, with the event covering 165,000 sqm of exhibition space. In 2011, Intersolar Europe celebrates its 20th anniversary, marking a period over which the exhibition has established itself as the most important industry platform for manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and service providers alike. We are also organizing the Intersolar Europe Conference, to run in tandem with Intersolar Europe. As is also the case with our other exhibitions and conferences, both events take place annually. In addition to Intersolar Europe in Munich, Intersolar is also organizing Intersolar North America in San Francisco, Intersolar India in Mumbai and, for the first time this year, Intersolar China in Beijing.

What are main keywords for Intersolar Europe 2011?

Intersolar Europe focuses on the fields of photovoltaics, PV production technology and solar thermal technology. Naturally, in the exhibition itself and in the Intersolar Europe Conference, we also address other areas of interest, champion the latest technologies and trends in the industry and spotlight international markets. For example, this year the conference will pay special attention to such topics as grid integration and innovative storage technologies, PV power stations, solar heating, process heat and solar thermal power stations. But the exhibition itself will also highlight some exciting areas of interest.

Please tell me the differences or new characteristics of Intersolar Europe 2011, comparing with the former year.

At Intersolar Europe we are paying special attention to issues affecting the future of the industry, for example in our new ‘PV Energy World’ Special Exhibition. This will illustrate how much the contribution of solar power can grow in Germany in the coming years and will set out the measures, technological innovations and underlying policies needed for this.

Moreover, we have also bolstered the accompanying program, for example by expanding our Job & Career Forum at the exhibition. At the same time, our international profile is being raised even further this year – not only with regard to visitors and exhibitors but also through the Intersolar Award. The Intersolar Award honors companies, products and services in the fields of ‘Photovoltaics’, ‘Solar Thermal Technology’ and the category ‘PV Production Technology’.

This year, as well as inviting applications from exhibitors at Intersolar Europe in Munich and Intersolar North America in San Francisco, exhibitors at Intersolar India in Mumbai were also invited to submit entries. As a result, in 2011, the number of eligible companies grew to over 3,000 and we look forward to a very exciting award presentation ceremony. Another new feature is our continued expansion of PV production technology as an exhibition topic, which enables us to welcome numerous leading companies in this field to the exhibition. You can see that we have no shortage of new and exciting topics.

Please tell me about your own strategy for Intersolar Europe 2011, comparing with other expos of PV held in other countries.

For us, the most important factor in our success is our clear identity as a specialist exhibition featuring the whole value added chain of the industry. This puts us in the best possible position to reach out to manufacturers and suppliers as well as wholesalers, project developers, system integrators, planners and fitters. Nowhere else in the world is there an exhibition delivering such a wide coverage, with so much space and so many exhibitors as Intersolar Europe.

Moreover, with our events in North America, India and China, we offer our exhibitors first-class opportunities to make an impression in the world’s key markets. Our numerous Intersolar representations further support the international nature of Intersolar and act throughout the world as contact points.

The German solar industry

Please tell me about solar industry in Germany, including technology and market

Here in Germany, we not only have more solar power installations than any other country in the world, we also lead the way in many other areas such as in the manufacture of photovoltaic production machinery. Naturally, this is due in no small measure to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). Also, the world’s market leader in inverter production comes from Germany and, in the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg, we have at our disposal Europe’s largest solar technology research institute.

As you would expect, the rate of international competition continues to grow and the attractive German market is coming under considerable pressure, particularly from Asian cell and module manufacturers. Germany has a broad-based, high-quality infrastructure, however, which maintains the country’s profile as a very good solar power location and above all promotes its importance as an innovator.

How are government’s policy and support toward solar industry?

Thanks to the EEG, Germany adopted a pioneering role quite early on in the promotion of solar technology and inspired the industry tremendously. Of course, the cuts in feed in tariffs have been hotly debated and it is important for companies in this field to have the necessary degree of planning security for their future growth. However, as we see it, the current provisions create good opportunities for solar power to provide as much as 10% of the power consumed in Germany by 2020. Also, most companies support the current regulations. Moreover, Germany now has the Renewable Heat Act as well as the EEG. Because of our international alignment, however, we are no longer primarily dependent on subsidy conditions in Germany. Instead, we focus mainly on the positive trends in subsidy programs around the globe.

The worldwide solar industry

It’s expected for demand and investment to solar energy to rise due to Japanese earthquake, tsunami, and radiation accident happened on this March. What do you think about this?

The catastrophe in Japan has stepped up awareness among many people across the globe of the issues surrounding how the future energy needs of the world’s continually rising population can be satisfied, and of the role renewable energy can play in this. How the situation in Japan will impact specifically on the industry still remains to be seen. Regardless of this, however, we see a growing awareness around the world for the subject, which is increasingly being translated into subsidy programs such as the National Solar Mission in India. I believe that the industry can look forward to major growth in the coming years.

Solar industry is in its crucial turning point in the world. What’s specifically important for growth of solar industry?

Firstly, cutting costs is important in many areas. This applies to both photovoltaics and solar thermal technologies, for example in large-scale installations and systems for solar cooling. Industry and research are forging ahead at full steam and achieving major successes with this challenge. I am sure that we will see a lot of improvements in this respect in the coming years. Just think how the efficiency of solar modules and systems technology has advanced in the last ten years.

Another key issue is how we will integrate the growing proportion of solar power into the power grids of the future. Germany’s solar power contribution is expected to rise from its current level of 3% to over 10% by 2020. To accommodate such an output in our power grid, the grid itself will have to become more intelligent and more flexible in the future. The PV Energy World Special Exhibition will address this very question, i.e. what can be achieved in the future?

Every country is developing solar power industry as a new developing industry. Please tell me about solar power industry of Europe, Asia, and North America.

We expect today’s positive trends to continue in the future, both in Europe, i.e. Italy, France and Turkey perhaps, and in the USA and the markets of Asia. This is why we are represented on the spot – with exhibitions and conferences in India, China and North America. Naturally, many companies are shifting their production to locations where the costs are lower, Asia for example. Other locations, however, are establishing themselves as pioneers in research and innovation. The larger the industry becomes worldwide, the more it will diversify. Every year we see from the submissions for the Intersolar Award that all over the world there are highly innovative companies in every field and that the markets are developing positively in many respects.

Lastly, is there anything you want to say to people working in solar power industry, including exhibitors, buyers, and visitors to Intersolar Europe 2011?

On the 20th anniversary of Intersolar Europe in 2011, we are expecting more exhibitors and more visitors from more countries than ever before. So we would be delighted if as many of your readers as possible would visit us at Intersolar Europe and become part of an international network that encompasses all areas of the solar industry and is growing by the year.

Original post by David Bae