As the first day of the Intersolar tradeshow drew to a close, the prizes were awarded in the fields of ‘Photovoltaics’ and ‘Solar Thermal Technology’ and for the first time in the category ‘PV Production Technology’. The Intersolar AWARD international technology prize was presented to nine innovative companies as part of the official ceremony at the Innovation Exchange.
Awarding the prize were organizers Solar Promotion and Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe & Co. (FWTM), in cooperation with the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar).
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For the first time this year, exhibitors of Intersolar North America were also eligible to participate in addition to exhibitors at Intersolar Europe in Munich. Participant numbers therefore increased to a total of 2,300. The winners were selected by three independent juries comprised of experts from research, science, industry and the trade media. Three winners were chosen in each category.
The photovoltaics award was presented by Dr.-Ing. Michael Powalla from the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Wuerttemberg. Winners in this category included Zurich based company ABB Schweiz with its ‘S800’ high performance process system product for photovoltaic applications, Gehrlicher Solar with its innovative transportation and mounting system for large-scale photovoltaic modules and SMA Solar Technology with its Sunny Central 800CP central inverter.
Winners in the solar thermal technology category included FSAVE Solartechnik with the ‘Flexsave’ heat buffer storage tank, InvenSor with its ‘InvenSor Adsorption Refrigerator’ (LTC) and the joint submission from the Institute for Building Construction and Design of the University of Stuttgart, Ritter Energie- und Umwelttechnik & Co., Hydro Building Systems (WICONA) and Frener & Reifer Metallbau. Joint development work between these collaborators resulted in the CPC Office/System ‘WICONA facade collector’. Dr. Volker Wittwer, advisor at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, paid tribute to winners in the solar thermal technology category in a speech.
In the PV production technology category Festo of Esslingen, Germany, received an award for its fast handling system, the ‘High Speed H-Portal’, GEMO-TEC won an award for its innovative module production concept, ‘NICE Process’ and Gebr. Schmid for its innovative, contact-free ‘LTP 1500/Laser Transfer Printing’ metallization process.
