Intersolar India Gets off to a Great Start

PFORZHEIM and FREIBURG, November 19 /PRNewswire/ — The first ever
Intersolar India in Hyderabad came to a close having proved a great success.
Over 3,000 visitors to the three-day conference and accompanying trade fair
gathered information on international trends and markets in the photovoltaics
industry. The event focused in particular on the significance of the
photovoltaics industry in India and local market developments. Intersolar
India was organized in collaboration with SOLARCON(R) India.

Intersolar India, organized in collaboration with SOLARCON(R) India, came
to a close having proved to be an enormous success. Overall, a total of over
3,000 interested visitors attended the three-day conference and accompanying
trade fair, which were held from November 9 – 11, 2009. The conference
attracted 645 participants and 45 speakers to Hyderabad in the state of
Andhra Pradesh, India. The organizers’ expectations were also far exceeded
with regard to the accompanying trade fair, which recorded a total of 2,500
visitors and 70 exhibitors, 17 of whom were from abroad. As a result, plans
are in place to increasingly expand the trade fair from 2010 onward.

Support for Intersolar India from Indian politicians

The event opened with a keynote speech from Prof. Dr. Eicke Weber,
Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in
Freiburg, Germany. Among the guests present at the opening were Konijeti
Rosaiah, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and K. Lakshmi Narayana, Minister
of Heavy Industries in the host state’s government, as well as Dr. Debesh
Das, the Government of West Bengal’s Minister of Information Technology. This
political backing underlines the increasing significance of solar energy in
India.

India to back solar energy in future

The conference focused in particular on the significance of the
photovoltaics industry in India as well as local market developments. At
present, the country is faced with an energy deficit of 10 to 17 percent. A
third of the Indian population, i.e. over 450 million people, currently has
no access to electricity. Power failures deprive cities of energy for two to
four hours on a daily basis, while rural areas face power cuts lasting up to
20 hours per day. In addition, experts predict a further increase in energy
consumption, with per capita electricity demand rising from a current level
of 660 kWh per year to as much as 2,000 kWh over the next 10 to 20 years.
Average per capita consumption in Europe today lies at 6,500 kWh per year.

However, there may be a solution. Solar irradiation in India amounts to
four to seven kWh per day. With around 300 days of sunshine per year, India
is therefore well placed to use solar energy as a means of tackling its
energy deficit in future. In order to make use of this immense potential, the
Indian government plans to increase the capacity of Indian solar
installations to a total of 20 gigawatts by the year 2020. These plans form
part of the “National Solar Mission” and would offer a sustainable
contribution to India’s energy supply.

As an international meeting point for members of the solar industry,
Intersolar India is a driving force behind the developments in India and
serves as a platform for market players to discuss future challenges to the
Indian solar market.

SOLARCON(R) India and Intersolar India 2009

Intersolar India is organized by Solar Promotion International GmbH and
Freiburg Management and Marketing International GmbH (FMMI). The event was
held for the first time in 2009 in Hyderabad, India. SOLARCON(R) India is
organized by the PV Group, an initiative launched by SEMI, the international
association of the semiconductor and photovoltaics industry. The India
Semiconductor Association (ISA) is an additional cooperation partner.

Further information on Intersolar India 2010 will be available shortly.

For further information on Intersolar India and downloadable images,
please visit our website at http://www.intersolar.in

About Intersolar

The international trade show Intersolar is the largest solar technology
trade fair in the world and has taken place annually since its inception in
2000. It is organized by Solar Promotion GmbH, Pforzheim, in cooperation with
Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG. Intersolar focuses on
photovoltaics and solar thermal technology. Since it was first held, it has
established itself as the industry’s leading international trade fair for
manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and service providers alike.

In 2008, Intersolar North America in San Francisco was launched in order
to further assist in joining together international solar technology markets.
2009 saw the inception of Intersolar India in Hyderabad. Both trade fairs are
organized by Solar Promotion International GmbH, Pforzheim and Freiburg
Management and Marketing International GmbH (FMMI).

    Contact:
    Solar Promotion International GmbH
    Kiehnlestr. 16
    75172 Pforzheim, Germany
    Markus Elsasser
    Tel.: +49-(0)7231-58598-0
    Fax +49-(0)7231-58598-28
    info@intersolar.de

SOURCE Intersolar India