More than 140 suppliers present their latest developments in the field of PV energy storage systems between June 13 and 15 at Intersolar Europe 2012.

Munich, April 24, 2012 – In 2011, more photovoltaic systems were installed worldwide than ever before. In Germany, roughly 7.5 gigawatts (GW) of photovoltaic capacity were added, breaking the previous record set in 2010. The increasing importance of solar energy will transform the power grid, giving innovative, cost-effective storage systems a crucial role. Storing solar power ensures that electricity is still available for consumption during periods of low yields, and helps stabilize a power grid infrastructure which was originally designed for central power production with few fluctuations. The solar industry is working hard to develop new solutions for power storage and grid integration. This topic also forms a focus of this year's Intersolar Europe, the world's largest exhibition for the solar industry. More than 140 suppliers present their latest developments in the field of PV energy storage systems between June 13 and 15 at Intersolar Europe 2012. The PV ENERGY WORLD special exhibit showcases the latest technologies. At the Intersolar Europe Conference from June 11-14, 2012, experts from industry and science discuss the storage technologies of the future.

In the future, power storage and the integration of decentralized storage systems into the grid will play a crucial role in transforming the way electricity is supplied. At the same time, placing new demands on the grid's infrastructure creates new business opportunities for the solar industry. New storage technologies may also play their part in easing the burden on the grid and boosting photovoltaics' contribution to the energy supply. The new regulation for on-site consumption of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), which is expected to stipulate that a proportion of the electricity produced by installations of a certain size must be consumed on-site, will make power storage systems attractive to home owners. This should ease the pressure on national grids. Innovative power storage systems are the first choice for ensuring that power is made available in the most effective way possible for on-site use throughout the day.

Battery storage systems gain importance in the PV market
Batteries have been used for many years in off-grid photovoltaic installations and help allow large proportions of the demand for energy in both self-sufficient homes and island grids to be met with solar power, for example in supplying villages with power. Matthias Vetter, battery expert at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, is certain that batteries are a great investment: "In the future, the gap between feed-in tariffs and electricity prices is going to become so wide that introducing decentralized storage systems will be worthwhile for end customers irrespective of any on-site consumption legislation. Larger photovoltaic battery systems could help single-family homes or apartment buildings to cover up to 80% of their power requirements with solar energy – even in Germany. "Intelligent turnkey solutions with effective storage technologies and energy management systems may in future bring significant cost savings in commercial and industrial buildings, an area with high consumption-dependent electricity costs. Lithium batteries are highly likely to play an important role in grid-connected photovoltaic installations, roof installations fitted to private homes and photovoltaic farms. "The need for larger storage capacities could make redox flow batteries an interesting option in the future," explains Vetter. In addition to this battery type, lead acid and sodium nickel chloride batteries, as well as many other power storage solutions, feature at this year's Intersolar Europe.

PV ENERGY WORLD special exhibit showcases latest technologies
The PV ENERGY WORLD special exhibit at Intersolar Europe 2012 presents the wide array of technologies available. Following the special exhibit's successful launch last year, Intersolar Europe 2012 is once again set to showcase the latest developments and pioneering solutions in hall C4, booth C4.230. This year's PV ENERGY WORLD presents up-to-date information on the topics of Electricity Storage and Grid Integration. At the special exhibit, a central forum hosts expert presentations and panel discussions. The expert presentations give an insight into current state-of-the-art technologies for increasing PV electricity generation. The special exhibit is brought to you by the organizers of Intersolar Europe, Solar Promotion GmbH, Pforzheim and Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM), Freiburg. SOLARWATT AG from Dresden is sponsoring the event.

Intersolar Europe Conference sheds light on power grids of the future
The Intersolar Europe Conference takes place from June 11–14, 2012, running two days before the start of the world's largest exhibition for the solar industry, Intersolar Europe, and during the exhibition itself. In total, 400 invited speakers and more than 2,500 attendees are expected at the International Congress Center Munich (ICM). The Intersolar Europe Conference consolidates the exhibition topics and places markets and technologies, as well as industry and research, in an international context. This year, the topics of Electricity Storage and Grid Integration also form a part of this. The presentations on June 11, 2012 focus on short and medium-term electrical storage systems, such as lead acid, lithium ion, sodium nickel chloride and redox flow batteries. A further topic covers technical applications for long-term electricity storage, including hydrogen-based and power-to-gas methods. Speakers shed light on the different areas of application and explain business and cost models for purchasing and operating the various storage systems. The key topic for the future of the power grid âˆ' grid integration – is scheduled for discussion on Wednesday, June 13. The Grid Integration session uncovers the new challenges placed on the power grid by renewable energy sources, the design of future supply networks and issues concerning safety and standardization. A further topic explored on this day is grid stability and security.

Intersolar Europe 2012 takes place from June 13–15 at the Messe München.

Further information on Intersolar Europe can be found at www.intersolar.de