Intersolar AWARD - The 2011 Nominees

Intersolar Europe Unveils Short List for Solar Industry Innovation Prize

MUNICH, May 12, 2011 - On June 8, the world's largest exhibition for the solar industry will
honor the industry's innovative strength by presenting the Intersolar AWARD
for pioneering products and services in the categories "Photovoltaics",
"Solar Thermal Technology" and "PV Production Technology". For the first
time, exhibitors from Intersolar India were invited to take part in the
competition alongside those from Intersolar Europe and Intersolar North
America. The top ten submissions from each category have now been nominated
for the Intersolar AWARD. This year's Intersolar AWARD will be presented on
June 8 at 3:30pm during an official award ceremony at the Innovation Exchange
in hall B2, booth B2.550.

The international solar industry is constantly working to perfect its
products and is continuously expanding into new areas thanks to innovative
solutions. From June 8-10, Intersolar Europe will provide a platform to
present pioneering technologies and innovations to an interested audience
from all corners of the globe at the world's largest exhibition for the solar
industry. The Intersolar AWARD pays tribute to the innovative strength of the
industry and aims to drive it forward. It will once again be presented on
behalf of the organizers of Intersolar Europe, Solar Promotion GmbH,
Pforzheim, and Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM),
in cooperation with the German Solar Industry Association e.V. (BSW-Solar).
The trophies will be presented on June 8, 2011 at 3:30pm during an official
award ceremony at the Innovation Exchange in hall B2, booth B2.550. The prize
will be awarded to the three most innovative companies in each of the
categories "Photovoltaics", "Solar Thermal Technology" and, in cooperation
with SEMI PV GROUP, "PV Production Technology".

Intersolar AWARD 2011 extends global reach

Mirroring the solar industry's globally expanding network, Intersolar
Europe has this year widened the circle of eligible participants. For the
first time, exhibitors from Intersolar India in Mumbai were invited to put
their applications forward along with exhibitors from Intersolar Europe in
Munich and Intersolar North America in San Francisco. Thanks to this
development, the number of eligible participants has now increased to over
3,000 companies. The Intersolar AWARD is thus the solar industry's most
international prize, and not only covers the entire technological spectrum
but also represents both the diversity and character of the individual
markets it encompasses.

Evaluation criteria

Submissions were welcomed for products and solutions to be exhibited for
the first time in 2011 at Intersolar Europe or at Intersolar North America,
or which were exhibited at Intersolar India 2010. Significant refinements of
products and solutions previously presented at the exhibition were also
permitted. Submissions must have been trialed or must already be in
industrial use.

Solar technology trends in 2011

The wide-ranging and innovative submissions for the Intersolar AWARD
demonstrate clearly how the solar industry is currently developing worldwide.
This year, increasing the quality and efficiency of cells, modules and
inverters ranks among the top topics in the photovoltaics field. New
materials, such as those used in encapsulating solar cells, boost the
efficiency of solar cells, and consequently that of solar installations.
Until now, traditional systems were usually too heavy to install on large
commercial rooftops, making it difficult to benefit from these spaces. To tap
the potential of commercial rooftops, substructures are being developed to
allow photovoltaic modules to be installed while exerting the lowest possible
additional weight. In addition to improving individual components, the
industry is working on solutions to combine grid-connected solar
installations with the home power network and power storage solutions. This
would enable consumers to use more of the solar power generated by their own
installation instead of feeding it into the grid. Monitoring large-scale
plants using innovative monitoring systems minimizes the risk of output
losses, because plant operation faults can be detected and contained with
greater speed. New fire protection solutions that ensure the photovoltaic
installation is safely disconnected are also among the photovoltaic trends
for 2011.

This year's solar thermal trends include increased system integration.
The new approaches within this trend aim to further perfect the synergy
between different energy-efficient, ecological heat generating devices, such
as solar thermal systems, pellet heating systems, heat pumps and condensing
gas boilers. In the past, solar thermal technology was primarily used in
single-family or two-family homes. Today the system technology can also be
put into use in large-scale plants, such as those used for domestic water
heating to supply clean hot water on demand. Thanks to new collector systems,
the solar thermal industry is delving into new fields of application, in
addition to domestic water heating and back-up heating. For example, solar
cooling, process heat generation, combined heat and power, and power
generation on small and medium scales are all on the increase.

Nominees in the "Photovoltaics" category

The nominees for the Intersolar AWARD in the "Photovoltaics" category
are: AUTARCON GmbH (Germany), BELECTRIC Drive GmbH (Germany), BP Solar
(Germany), E3/DC GmbH (Germany), Esmolo AG (Switzerland), Feron GmbH
(Germany), Inventux Technologies AG (Germany), Q-Cells SE (Germany), Steca
Elektronik GmbH (Germany) and Tigo Energy, Inc. (USA).

Nominees in the "Solar Thermal Technology" category

The following companies have been nominated for the Intersolar AWARD in
the "Solar Thermal Technology" category: Absolicon Solar Concentrator AB
(Sweden), Dr. Vetter Gesellschaft fuer Med. Datentechnik, Bio- und
Umwelttechnik mbH (Germany), HelioFocus Ltd (Israel), isomorph Deutschland
GmbH (Germany), Ritter XL Solar GmbH/Paradigma Deutschland GmbH (Germany),
Savo-Solar Oy (Finland), SEW Eurodrive GmbH & Co.KG (Germany), Soltigua
(Italy), Taconova GmbH (Germany) and ThermWerk GmbH & Co. KG (Germany).

Nominees in the "PV Production Technology" category

The following companies have been nominated in the "PV Production
Technology" category: DECKER Anlagenbau GmbH (Germany), DUNMORE Europe GmbH
(Germany), Festo AG & Co. KG (Germany), Gebr. Schmid GmbH + Co. (Germany),
Komax Solar Inc. (USA), Manz Automation AG (Germany), NanoFocus AG (Germany),
Saint-Gobain Solar (USA), Somont GmbH (Germany) and Suniva Inc. (USA).

Intersolar Europe 2011 will take place from June 8-10 at the New Munich
Trade Fair Center.

For more information about the Intersolar Europe Conference, please go to
www.intersolar.de.

Supporters of Intersolar Europe

Intersolar Europe is supported by the leading solar industry
associations: the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), as an
exclusive partner of Intersolar Europe, the German Solar Energy Society
(DGS), the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF), the
International Solar Energy Society (ISES) and the SEMI PV Group. With the
support of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA).

About Intersolar

With over 3,000 exhibitors and more than 100,000 visitors spanning three
continents, Intersolar is the world's leading exhibition series for the solar
industry. Intersolar Europe takes place annually at the New Munich Trade Fair
Center. Today, it is the world's largest exhibition for the solar industry,
and looks back on a history spanning almost twenty years. In 2010, 1,884
international exhibitors and more than 72,000 trade visitors were welcomed to
Intersolar Europe. Intersolar Europe focuses on the areas of photovoltaics,
PV production technology and solar thermal technology. Since its founding, it
has become established as the most important industry platform for
manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and service providers. The accompanying
Intersolar Europe Conference consolidates the topics of the exhibition. In
2010, more than 150 speakers and around 2,000 attendees discussed current
industry topics and shed light on the background behind technological, market
and political developments.

In addition to Intersolar Europe, Intersolar North America in San
Francisco was launched in 2008. This was followed by Intersolar India in
2009, which has been held in Mumbai since 2010. From 2011, Intersolar China
in Peking will be added to the Intersolar portfolio. Intersolar Europe is
organized by Solar Promotion GmbH, Pforzheim and Freiburg Wirtschaft
Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG. The exhibitions in North America and India
are organized by the international subsidiaries Solar Promotion International
GmbH, Pforzheim, and Freiburg Management und Marketing International GmbH
(FMMI).Intersolar China is organized by Solar Promotion International GmbH
and FMMI in cooperation with MMI Asia.

    Contact:
    Solar Promotion GmbH | P.O. Box 100 170 | 75101 Pforzheim

    Horst Dufner | Tel.: +49-7231-58598-0 | Fax: +49-7231-58598-28 |
    info@intersolar.de

    Press contact:
    fischerAppelt, relations | Infanteriestrasse 11a | 80797 Munich, Germany

    Robert Schwarzenbock | Tel. +49-89-747466-23 | Fax +49-89-747466-66 |
    rs@fischerAppelt-relations.de

    Iris Funke | Tel. +49-89-747466-221 | Fax +49-89-747466-66 |
    ifu@fischerAppelt-relations.de

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