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PT_BR 
MUNICH, GERMANY. Intersolar Europe turned 30 in style. Between the 6th and 8th of October, the fair held in Munich, Germany, featured four exhibition sectors and the presentation of different products and services.
The event, which focused on solar energy in combination with storage, had the presence of Canal Solar on site. The fair covered topics such as mobility, intelligent energy systems, innovative technologies and new business models.
Intersolar Europe also offered workshops and talks delivered by renowned participants in the international solar sector. Fair participants were able to see the acceleration of the solar sector in the world and its trends up close.
Intersolar Europe Highlights
Among the innovations, agrivoltaic and floating systems were presented. Another highlight was the launch of N-type modules, presented by manufacturers such as Risen, LONGi and JA Solar.
The first company innovated with the 700 W power module and 210 mm cells. According to the manufacturer, it is the industry's first “mass-produced” module with a nominal power of up to 700 W.
LONGi, in turn, presented its new Hi-Mo N module. According to the manufacturer, the new panel offers 1% more absolute efficiency than its p-type PERC predecessor.
Jolywood also presented its N-type panel, with the JW-HD132N module – 210 mm wafers built with the company's N-type TOPCon 2.0 cell technology. According to the company, the panel can achieve efficiency of up to 25.4% in the laboratory.
JA Solar also presented its Type-N module with a power of 620 W, 182 mm, with half-cut and multi-bar technology.
Energy storage systems were also highlighted at the fair. The technology can be used to optimize energy consumption, whether through use in homes, businesses or recharging electric cars, in addition to bringing reliability to energy consumption.
The idea is that the use of photovoltaic panels in conjunction with storage equipment will become increasingly common.
Winners of the Intersolar 2021 award participate in the event
In July this year, the Intersolar award honored companies that stood out in the categories of new Project models, Smart Renewable Energy, Photovoltaics and Electric Energy Storage, technologies that contribute to the supply of intelligent, sustainable and profitable energy.
The award-winning companies received the honors through a ceremony broadcast live, from July 21st to 23rd this year. Furthermore, the winners and finalists were also able to present their innovations during the Intersolar Europe event in Munich.
The winning companies were DuPont Teijin Films: photovoltaic films made from recycled material, Goldbeck Solar: photovoltaic building system for agriculture and Co., Solar LONGi: rated power and efficiency of the Hi-MO5.
In the storage area, among the finalist companies for the 2021 Intersolar Prize is Enphase Energy, with its “Encharge” storage system. Offered in two different sizes, this storage system has a capacity of 3.5 to 10.5 kWh, with other units being able to be attached later, increasing its capacity up to four times.
Electrification
Electric mobility was also the center of attention for many curious onlookers who approached some of the 30 stands of electric car suppliers participating in the event.
The role of electric mobility in the energy transition, infrastructure and battery energy storage in the concept of hybrid and 100% electric vehicles show the importance of the transport sector, using photovoltaic systems as well as other clean energy sources.
Those who walked through the halls of the event were able to come across countless new features. Robots programmed to clean solar panels, under remote or automatic control, as well as drones to detect defects in photovoltaic stations and high-tech equipment developed to assist in the installation of solar panel structures.
Among the countless new features at the event, two sectors of the photovoltaic sector are growing and were present at Intersolar, agrivoltaic companies and floating solar panels.
The Italian company RemTec presented its agrivoltaic system which can even be used in grape plantations for wine production, bringing to the event a small demonstration model that caused curiosity among visitors, who were enchanted by the production capacity in the agro sector through clean energy.
This type of application is used by European and Asian countries as a possible alternative to conventional solar parks, enabling the coexistence of agricultural production and solar energy generation on the same land space.
Another highlight was the German firm Zimmerman, with its floating photovoltaic equipment. The sector is still in a growth phase in Germany. These systems are designed to be installed on calm water surfaces, supported by floating structures. Cold, icy seasons or dry seasons do not interfere with the equipment’s operation.
In addition to the exhibitions in four sectors, visitors were also able to attend lectures and workshops that focused on climate issues and their renewable energy solutions and technologies.
Among the speakers was the renowned journalist and activist Dr. Franz Alt, who gave the lecture “After Covid and after the flood: shaping our future, again”. During his speech, he also addressed the government's responsibility for accelerating and investing in the renewable energy sector and said: “The energy transition is not a job killer”.
Intersolar revives optimism in Germany's solar industry
With equipment and modules in short supply and at high prices, Germany begins its plan for greater independence from China. The Asian country announced energy rationing in the country that abruptly affected the production of solar panels that are exported to Europe.
Furthermore, the price of gas and coal is expected to increase this year, causing European countries to seek appropriate solutions as quickly as possible to continue the construction of photovoltaic systems.
According to Germany's PV Magazine, two new solar module factories are currently being built in Saxony, an investment made by the Swiss company Meyer-Burger, investing 145 million euros and generating around 300 jobs in the solar energy sector, but the objective is for up to 3,500 jobs to be created.
In an interview with PV Magazine, Michael Nöding, Account Manager for Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) companies in Germany, the country needs to find a non-Asian alternative. He believes that this dependence on China affects the prices of modules and raw materials.
According to Nöding, large-scale photovoltaic production is necessary in Europe to meet demand, as there is currently a low supply of products and extremely high demand.
