Munich, April 29, 2014 – This year for the seventh time, the world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry is holding the Intersolar AWARD ceremony, which pays tribute to innovative industry solutions in the categories of Photovoltaics and Solar Projects in Europe. It is accompanied this year for the first time by the electrical energy storage (ees) AWARD ceremony. Exhibitors at ees and all global Intersolar exhibitions were invited to put forward their pioneering products and services for the competition. The finalists in each category have now been selected. The award is presented in an official ceremony at Intersolar Europe’s Innovation Exchange in hall A3, booth A3.550 at 4:30pm on June 4, 2014.
Intersolar Europe has been presenting the Intersolar AWARD since 2008, and this year is no exception. Out of nearly 100 submissions, an expert panel has selected the 2014 finalists in the categories of Photovoltaics (PV) and Solar Projects in Europe as well as the finalists of the new electrical energy storage (ees) AWARD, which is being hosted by Intersolar this year for the first time. The ees AWARD pays tribute to outstanding products and solutions in the field of energy storage. In cooperation with the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), the organizers of Intersolar Europe, Solar Promotion GmbH, Pforzheim, and Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM) present the prizes to honor the industry’s innovative strength and drive it forward.
New technologies and exemplary projects
Solar modules and inverters are becoming more and more efficient. This year’s Intersolar AWARD submissions once again included numerous refinements that improve the performance of solar installations. For years now, there has also been a trend towards using better substructures and cable conduit systems to simplify the process of mounting installations of all sizes.
This year’s entries focus either on improving existing technologies or integrating PV installations into other systems and technologies. This leads to the development of new solutions that combine existing large-scale PV plants with other devices to create independent stand-alone systems. What’s more, PV installations can also be used to help stabilize power grids. Numerous entries in the Solar Projects in Europe category highlight how solar power can be beneficial for a wide range of different applications. Nowadays, solar installations are even used in water desalination plants or to supply electricity and heat to water parks.
Energy storage systems drive forward the industry
This year for the first time, the electrical energy storage (ees) AWARD honors innovative products and solutions in the area of energy storage. The sheer number of applications received for this category show just how important this topic is for the future of the solar industry. In particular, modern regulating units, controllers and energy management systems are key to using solar installations to maximize on-site consumption. The future is pointing towards intelligent load management and self-learning control algorithms. When it comes to small and medium-sized battery applications, manufacturers have now turned their attention towards lithium-ion cell technology. However, larger storage units are also being developed for use in power grids, where they can cap peak loads, support the grid and ensure an uninterruptible power supply (UPS). The first long-term storage systems with power to gas solutions are also making their way onto the market.
Evaluation criteria
The Intersolar AWARD 2014 was open to all exhibitors of global Intersolar events and the electrical energy storage (ees) 2014. To become shortlisted, applicants had to demonstrate that their product or project offers a groundbreaking and unique solution. The jury also bases its decision on how the project can benefit society and the environment, as well as the resulting economic benefits and level of technical innovation. An independent jury of experts from science, industry, research and the trade media selects up to three finalists in each category.
