25th EU PVSEC outlines next 10 years and beyond

VALENCIA, SPAIN: The 25th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition / 5th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (25th EU PVSEC / WCPEC-5) closed its doors today after 5 busy days in Valencia, Spain. 4,540 Conference Delegates attended 1,600 scientific and technical presentations, covering all aspects of photovoltaics. 963 exhibitors met with 38.000 visitors from around the world.

Conference General Chairman Dr. Giovanni Federigo De Santi, Director, Institute for Energy (IE) JRC - European Commission, said: “This 5th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion confirmed our expectations that Photovoltaics is developing globally in the right direction. With the targets as declared so far by its Member States, in the year 2020 the European Union would cover an estimated 3 percent of electricity consumption by PV solar energy. Similar ambitious plans are being brought forward in the US, Japan, India as well as in China. My vision to reach by 2020 a worldwide installed PV solar capacity, equivalent to about 2 percent of the total electricity demand, seems to be not unrealistic“.

The Conference Delegates of the 25th EU PVSEC / WCPEC-5 presented new ideas and concepts in all fields of PV research and technology. The range, spanned from advanced photovoltaics (new concepts and ultra-high efficiency), wafer-based silicon solar cells, materials technology and thin film solar cells, PV systems and their components to large-scale deployment of PV.

In his concluding summary, Dr. Heinz Ossenbrink, Technical Programme Chairman, highlighted the enormous steps ahead in research and development that had been presented during the Conference. In the sessions on advanced photovoltaics for example, the latest progress made in research on PV through nanotechnology, such as 10.9 % efficiency for Nanowire III-V Cells, as well as light trapping plasmonics in thin film were emphasized. The big market share in silicon based module cells is expected to grow rapidly in the next 10 years.

An alternative method of manufacturing silicon was discussed in sessions on the future of silicon. The commercial use of silicon modules today was also addressed during the week. Latest efficiencies of crystalline silicon modules show a performance of more than 22 %. In the auditoria and on the floors the latest efficiencies and thicknesses of PV Thin Film cells and modules were presented.

For example CIGS thin film cells reaching 20 percent efficiencies and micro thin film modules achieving close to 11 percent. Recycling of PV was another topic as well as progress made in measuring the reliability of PV thin film. Dr. Ossenbrink emphasized that `PV Architecture` is about to become a cultural experience.

Members of the PV industry appreciated the high competence of the visitors at this PV Industry Exhibition.

Thomas Glomb, Marketing Manager from EBARA Precision Machinery Europe, said, "All the discussions and talks we had at this event were of a high professional quality."

Ludger Wahlers, President of ISRA SOLAR VISION, a business unit of ISRA VISION AG, Germany, summarizes: "We are very pleased with the outcome of our participation as an exhibitor in this event, especially because of the great number of international PV specialists attending. We were able to initiate many new contacts and promising business activities.

Patrick Binkowska, Head of Business Unit Photovoltaic, SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES, Germany, says: “This 25th EU PVSEC in Valencia was the most important Conference and Exhibition in 2010. We met business partners from all over the world and had many constructive discussions about both technologies – crystalline silicon and thin film production systems. We clearly decided to join the 26th EU PVSEC in Hamburg next year.”

"Bryan Ekus, Managing Director of IPVEA, states: “We, the International Photovoltaic Equipment Association, decided in our member meeting this week to support again the upcoming 26th EU PVSEC in Hamburg 2011.”

On Wednesday, 8 September 2010, the 18th European Becquerel Prize for Outstanding Merits in Photovoltaics was awarded to Prof. Hans-Werner Schock from the Helmholtz-Centre Berlin for Materials and Energy, Germany. He was awarded for his pioneering work on Copper-Indium-Gallium-Diselenide (CIGS) thin film solar cells, one of the most promising technologies with the highest efficiency of any thin film solar cells known today.

The Becquerel Prize was established in 1989 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Becquerel’s classical experiment, which laid the foundation of both photovoltaics and photography by detecting the photovoltaic effect.

The 2010 Robert Hill Award for the Promotion of Photovoltaics for Development was presented to Alain Liébard, Fondation Energies pour le Monde, France. Alain Liébard’s commitment to solar energy extends far beyond developing country applications as he is also a leader for renewable energy in France. With this Award, the award committee expresses its recognition to Alain Liébard for his life achievements.

In 2011 the 26th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition will take place in Hamburg, Germany.

The next 26th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (26th EU PVSEC) will be held 2011 in Hamburg, Germany, in the CCH – Congress Centre and International Fair Hamburg. The Conference will take place over 5 days from 5-9 September 2011; the Exhibition will run over 4 days from 5-8 September 2011.

Having occupied 65,000 sqm in Hamburg in 2009, the exhibition area for the 26th EU PVSEC will be expanded in 2011. Further halls in section A of the Hamburg fairgrounds will be added to offer more space to the exhibitors at the 26th EU PVSEC. The Conference of the 26th EU PVSEC will also diversify and add to its programme by including sessions on specialized topics of the PV industry and new applications, ideas and solutions for cell and module production.