ENERGIA - Magazine for Equipment, Technologies and Engineeringyear X, issue 7, 2018

What can we expect from this year's Intersolar AWARD

Interview with Markus Elsässer, CEO of Solar Promotion GmbH

What can we expect from this year's Intersolar AWARD

Intersolar Europe is the world's leading exhibition for the solar industry and its partners. What changes will we see in 2015?
The main advantage of the program offered by Intersolar Europe, as the most important industry platform, is that it covers all topics affecting the solar industry and its partners. In 2014, we expanded our existing range of services in photovoltaics, PV production technologies, energy storage systems and solar thermal technologies to include the closely related topic of renewable heat generation. The subjects of on-site consumption, grid integration, energy management and power to heat will also play an important role this year. Furthermore, Intersolar Europe will once again be accompanied by ees Europe, the international industry platform for battery and energy storage systems. Exhibition space will be five times larger than last year and almost fill an entire hall. With over 300 exhibitors in this area, Intersolar Europe, together with ees Europe, has become the largest European platform for the combination of photovoltaics and energy storage.

Which topics will take center stage at this year's Intersolar Europe Conference?
The Intersolar Europe Conference accompanies and consolidates the topics of the exhibition. This year, around 1,100 attendees and 200 speakers will present and discuss current market developments, technological trends and best-practice applications. New financing and profit models in the solar industry will play a particularly important role this year. Other conference topics range from PV power plants and combinations of solar and diesel to create hybrid systems through smart home solutions and designing smart grids to developing urban infrastructure to form smart cities. This year for the first time, the ees Europe Conference will be held in parallel to the Intersolar Europe Conference. From June 9–10, 2015, eight sessions will focus on the entire value-added chain of energy storage technology, from storage solutions for renewable energy and energy management to mobility solutions and an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). This year, the Pellets Industry Forum will take place in parallel to Intersolar Europe for the first time. Together with the exhibition segment, Intersolar Europe and the Pellets Industry Forum offer visitors comprehensive information on the important topic of renewable heating.

What can we expect from this year's Intersolar AWARD?
We believe that especially innovative developments deserve to be recognized – which is exactly what will happen towards the end of the first exhibition day at the Innovation Exchange. This year marks the eighth anniversary of the Intersolar AWARD. In 2015, the solar industry innovation prize will be awarded in the categories of Photovoltaics and Solar Projects in Europe. At this year's ees Europe, the international exhibition for batteries, energy storage systems and innovative production taking place in parallel to Intersolar Europe, the ees AWARD will honor the innovative strength of ees exhibitors for the second time. The award ceremony takes place on June 10 from 4:30pm–6:00pm after the nominated companies have held short presentations on their solutions.