Intersolar Europe Unveils Short List for Solar Industry Innovation Prize

Munich, May 12, 2011. On June 8, the world's largest exhibition for the solar industry will honor the industry's innovative strength by presenting the Intersolar AWARD for pioneering products and services in the categories "Photovoltaics", "Solar Thermal Technology" and "PV Production Technology". For the first time, exhibitors from Intersolar India were invited to take part in the competition alongside those from Intersolar Europe and Intersolar North America. The top ten submissions from each category have now been nominated for the Intersolar AWARD. This year's Intersolar AWARD will be presented on June 8 at 3:30pm during an official award ceremony at the Innovation Exchange in hall B2, booth B2.550.

The international solar industry is constantly working to perfect its products and is continuously expanding into new areas thanks to innovative solutions. From June 8-10, Intersolar Europe will provide a platform to present pioneering technologies and innovations to an interested audience from all corners of the globe at the world's largest exhibition for the solar industry. The Intersolar AWARD pays tribute to the innovative strength of the industry and aims to drive it forward. It will once again be presented on behalf of the organizers of Intersolar Europe, Solar Promotion GmbH, Pforzheim, and Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM), in cooperation with the German Solar Industry Association e.V. (BSW-Solar). The trophies will be presented on June 8, 2011 at 3:30pm during an official award ceremony at the Innovation Exchange in hall B2, booth B2.550. The prize will be awarded to the three most innovative companies in each of the categories "Photovoltaics", "Solar Thermal Technology" and, in cooperation with SEMI PV GROUP, "PV Production Technology".

Intersolar AWARD 2011 extends global reach
Mirroring the solar industry's globally expanding network, Intersolar Europe has this year widened the circle of eligible participants. For the first time, exhibitors from Intersolar India in Mumbai were invited to put their applications forward along with exhibitors from Intersolar Europe in Munich and Intersolar North America in San Francisco. Thanks to this development, the number of eligible participants has now 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.

Evaluation criteria
Submissions were welcomed for products and solutions to be exhibited for the first time in 2011 at Intersolar Europe or at Intersolar North America, or which were exhibited at Intersolar India 2010. Significant refinements of products and solutions previously presented at the exhibition were also permitted. Submissions must have been trialed or must already be in industrial use.

Solar technology trends in 2011
The wide-ranging and innovative submissions for the Intersolar AWARD demonstrate clearly how the solar industry is currently developing worldwide. This year, increasing the quality and efficiency of cells, modules and inverters ranks among the top topics in the photovoltaics field. New materials, such as those used in encapsulating solar cells, boost the efficiency of solar cells, and consequently that of solar installations. Until now, traditional systems were usually too heavy to install on large commercial rooftops, making it difficult to benefit from these spaces. To tap the potential of commercial rooftops, substructures are being developed to allow photovoltaic modules to be installed while exerting the lowest possible additional weight. In addition to improving individual components, the industry is working on solutions to combine grid-connected solar installations with the home power network and power storage solutions. This would enable consumers to use more of the solar power generated by their own installation instead of feeding it into the grid. Monitoring large-scale plants using innovative monitoring systems minimizes the risk of output losses, because plant operation faults can be detected and contained with greater speed. New fire protection solutions that ensure the photovoltaic installation is safely disconnected are also among the photovoltaic trends for 2011.

This year's solar thermal trends include increased system integration. The new approaches within this trend aim to further perfect the synergy between different energy-efficient, ecological heat generating devices, such as solar thermal systems, pellet heating systems, heat pumps and condensing gas boilers. In the past, solar thermal technology was primarily used in single-family or two-family homes. Today the system technology can also be put into use in large-scale plants, such as those used for domestic water heating to supply clean hot water on demand. Thanks to new collector systems, the solar thermal industry is delving into new fields of application, in addition to domestic water heating and back-up heating. For example, solar cooling, process heat generation, combined heat and power, and power generation on small and medium scales are all on the increase.

Nominees in the "Photovoltaics" category
The nominees for the Intersolar AWARD in the "Photovoltaics" category are: AUTARCON GmbH (Germany), BELECTRIC Drive GmbH (Germany), BP Solar (Germany), E3/DC GmbH (Germany), Esmolo AG (Switzerland), Feron GmbH (Germany), Inventux Technologies AG (Germany), Q-Cells SE (Germany), Steca Elektronik GmbH (Germany) and Tigo Energy, Inc. (USA).

Nominees in the "Solar Thermal Technology" category
The following companies have been nominated for the Intersolar AWARD in the "Solar Thermal Technology" category: Absolicon Solar Concentrator AB (Sweden), Dr. Vetter Gesellschaft für Med. Datentechnik, Bio- und Umwelttechnik mbH (Germany), HelioFocus Ltd (Israel), isomorph Deutschland GmbH (Germany), Ritter XL Solar GmbH/Paradigma Deutschland GmbH (Germany), Savo-Solar Oy (Finland), SEW Eurodrive GmbH & Co.KG (Germany), Soltigua (Italy), Taconova GmbH (Germany) and ThermWerk GmbH & Co. KG (Germany).

Nominees in the "PV Production Technology" category
The following companies have been nominated in the "PV Production Technology" category: DECKER Anlagenbau GmbH (Germany), DUNMORE Europe GmbH (Germany), Festo AG & Co. KG (Germany), Gebr. Schmid GmbH + Co. (Germany), Komax Solar Inc. (USA), Manz Automation AG (Germany), NanoFocus AG (Germany), Saint-Gobain Solar (USA), Somont GmbH (Germany) and Suniva Inc. (USA).

Intersolar Europe 2011 will take place from June 8-10 at the New Munich Trade Fair Center.

For more information about the Intersolar Europe Conference, please go to www.intersolar.de.

Supporters of Intersolar Europe
Intersolar Europe is supported by the leading solar industry associations: the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), as an exclusive partner of Intersolar Europe, the German Solar Energy Society (DGS), the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF), the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) and the SEMI PV Group. With the support of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA).

About Intersolar
With over 3,000 exhibitors and more than 100,000 visitors spanning three continents, Intersolar is the world's leading exhibition series for the solar industry. Intersolar Europe takes place annually at the New Munich Trade Fair Center. Today, it is the world's largest exhibition for the solar industry, and looks back on a history spanning almost twenty years. In 2010, 1,884 international exhibitors and more than 72,000 trade visitors were welcomed to Intersolar Europe. Intersolar Europe focuses on the areas of photovoltaics, PV production technology and solar thermal technology. Since its founding, it has become established as the most important industry platform for manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and service providers. The accompanying Intersolar Europe Conference consolidates the topics of the exhibition. In 2010, more than 150 speakers and around 2,000 attendees discussed current industry topics and shed light on the background behind technological, market and political developments.

In addition to Intersolar Europe, Intersolar North America in San Francisco was launched in 2008. This was followed by Intersolar India in 2009, which has been held in Mumbai since 2010. From 2011, Intersolar China in Peking will be added to the Intersolar portfolio. Intersolar Europe is organized by Solar Promotion GmbH, Pforzheim and Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG. The exhibitions in North America and India are organized by the international subsidiaries Solar Promotion International GmbH, Pforzheim, and Freiburg Management und Marketing International GmbH (FMMI).Intersolar China is organized by Solar Promotion International GmbH and FMMI in cooperation with MMI Asia.