First Solar Thermal Industry Forum in the run-up to Intersolar
Intersolar is strengthening its solar thermal competence: from this year on, Intersolar will be hosting its own annual solar thermal conference at the Munich International Congress Center. On June 11, 2008, one day before the start of the trade show, industry experts are invited to inform themselves about international markets and technological trends at the Solar Thermal Industry Forum.
2007 was not the most successful year for the European solar thermal industry. Despite two-digit growth in France, Italy and Spain, the overall European market shrank by 10%. The main reason was a decrease of more than 30% in Germany, the country where almost half of all European solar collectors are installed. The decision from Brussels, in January, the European Commission published its proposal for a renewable energies directive, which has the objective of increasing the share of renewables in the thermal market from 8.5% to 20% by 2020 is once again fuelling the hope that the European collector market will pick up pace this year.
Meeting of the European Solar Thermal Industry
The conference will start with an overview of the developments in the most important markets last year. Presentations will cover European as well as global markets. Experts will also report on the latest technological developments shaping the industry. The subsequent parallel sessions will focus on different aspects of the technology. Key representatives of research institutes and industry will present innovative collector and heat storage concepts and report on the developments in the area of large installations and production technology. Solar thermal power stations will also be among the topics covered.
“It is our aim to establish an event which will serve as a source of up-to-date information, innovative ideas for the entire solar industry, and foster personal contacts," says co-organizer Harald Drück of the Institut für Thermodynamik und Wärmetechnik (institute of thermodynamics and heating technology, ITW) at Stuttgart University. “If the participants of the Solar Thermal Industry Forum feel that the information obtained at the forum can help them advance solar thermal technology one step further, we will have reached our objective." Visitors to Intersolar interested in the technology of solar thermal installations should not miss this conference.
