INDUSTRYNETWORKING
nertsolar Europe will be held in Munich from June 8th and around 2000 companies will spend three days showcasing their products and processes whilst networking at the largest exhibition for the solar industry. The industry goal is the constant reduction of cost whilst improving performance and such events allow industry wide access to the latest technological advances to ensure rapid uptake of the beset available opportunities.
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As a result of the technical changes occurring at such a fast rate, the cost of solar power is falling and new concepts are being developed for generating electricity in the future. In an exhibition space covering 165,000 square meters, a total of 2,200 companies from around the world will present their products and services in the areas of photovoltaics, PV production technology and solar thermal technology.
Faced with the environmental challenges that go hand in hand with supplying energy to an increasing global population, numerous incentive programs across the globe have emerged for developing renewable energy, most recently in India and China for example. At the same time, the German feed-in tariff is falling and other European players are revising their support mechanisms. Due to these growing external challenges, researchers across the industry are working against the clock to achieve grid parity, the point at which electricity from photovoltaic installations can be sold at a competitive price.
Efficient gains
The rise in solar module efficiency is particularly encouraging with regards to improving the performance of solar installations. As recently as February, researchers at Freiburg’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE posted a new record for the efficiency of large-area, easy-to-manufacture silicon solar cells, reaching 19.3% with such cells soon on the market. Researchers are pursuing different avenues to increase solar cell efficiency. Selecting optimal silicon material and developing new innovative production methods and technologies both play their role in boosting efficiency. Such methods include improving emitters, for example, which collect the electric charge carriers. This was also the approach adopted by researchers at Fraunhofer ISE, who developed an aluminium-doped emitter for their record breaking module. Nanotechnology and pioneering laser processing techniques, which are used for example in optimizing the rear surface structure of the solar cell, are also paving the way for innovative and highly efficient systems.
Manufacturing advances
The last 20 years have witnessed some irrefutable technological advances in photovoltaics. In 1989, the world record for the efficiency of multicrystalline silicon solar cells stood at 14.5%. In 2004, this rose to 17.7% and the 20% mark is already in sight for 2011. Developments in this field are first and foremost thanks to improved production methods. For example, improved silicon crystallization processes in modern plants can alone raise
module efficiency by at least 0.4%.
This year, Intersolar Europe is therefore once again dedicating an entire hall to innovations in production technology for photovoltaic cells and modules. In cooperation with the SEMI PV Group, the global industry association of equipment and material manufacturers specializing in photovoltaics, Intersolar Europe will host 200 national and international exhibitors in hall A5 where they will showcase products and services in the PV production technology field across 11,000 square meters of exhibition space.
Plan your interest
This is only a taste of some of the recent developments in the industry and with an industry this diverse the opportunities are just as varied.. In addition to developments in the field of crystalline silicon solar cells, consumers today are confronted with an array of alternative systems, particularly thin-film technologies based on CIS/CIGS, cadmium telluride and the new copper zinc tin sulfide (CZTS). Exhibitors will present their developments in the fields of photovoltaics and PV production technology at Intersolar Europe, giving an overview of the global developments in the industry. The exhibition’s accompanying program will also shine a light on the industry innovations and give visitors the chance to delve deeper into the diverse exhibition themes.
Applying possibilities
Intersolar Europe also shines a spotlight on innovative applications and system solutions, such as those involved in using unconventional surfaces for photovoltaic installations. Alternative surfaces for photovoltaic installations, such as carport roofing, are currently taking centre stage in the industry. Solar carports are an alternative to conventional surfaces because no additional ground sealing is required and they offer huge potential. The largest installation of this type is located in Italy and is already boasting an output of six megawatts. Furthermore, the costs are only slightly higher than those for free-standing installations. The industry is currently developing multiple new ideas so that, in the future, the power generated from the carports may be used directly or indirectly for parked electric vehicles.
The future of photovoltaics will also feature, for example, in Intersolar Europe’s Special Exhibition “PV ENERGY WORLD” in hall B5, booth B5.130, where the German energy mix of the future will be explained. The four thematic areas of “Smart Grid”, “Smart Building and E-Mobility”, “Smart PV Cities” and “Smart PV Technology and Economy” will illustrate how to increase the share of solar energy in German energy consumption in the future.
© 2011 Angel Business Communications. Permission required.
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www.solar-pv-management.com Issue V 2011
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