Mumbai/Pforzheim/Freiburg, November 18, 2014: Today Intersolar India, India's largest exhibition and conference for the solar industry, open its doors for the sixth time. From November 18–20, the exhibition and conference are taking place for the first time on the same dates at Mumbai's Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC). Here, 160 international exhibitors from the fields of photovoltaics (PV), PV production technologies, energy storage systems, and solar thermal technologies are presenting the entire solar industry value-added chain. Some 8,500 visitors from all over the world are expected to attend. In parallel to the exhibition, 100 distinguished speakers will discuss the latest market developments, new technologies, and application solutions at the Intersolar India Conference.

Full speed ahead for solar energy: With some 300 days of sunshine per year and daily insolation levels of four to six kilowatt hours (kWh) per square meter, India has a huge potential for the production of solar energy. The new Indian government has recognized this fact, and is now focusing heavily on solar energy in its plans to tackle the country's energy deficit. Only in October, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) increased the existing targets, with schedules now providing for some 15 gigawatts (GW) of additional capacity by 2019.

Alongside large-scale solar power plants and industrial or commercial roof installations, India has enormous potential for off-grid solar systems, or ‘microgrids', since many regions currently have no working power grid. The technologies, products, and services needed to fulfill all these demands are being showcased from November 18–20 at Intersolar India.

Intersolar India Conference opens in parallel to exhibition for the first time

For the first time in its history, the Intersolar India Conference is today opening at the Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC) on the same day as the Intersolar India exhibition. For three days, the topics and trends affecting the solar industry will be explained and discussed by 100 recognized experts from research, industry and associations – among them prominent representatives of the Indian solar industry. To get the conference underway at the opening session in hall 6, auditorium 1, speakers including Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Director General of TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute), as well as Sudhi Ranjan Mohanty, Principal Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh, will talk about the successful development of programs for the solar industry in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The PV Executive Panel provides a further highlight on the first day of the conference. Here, senior representatives of the Indian solar industry will discuss developments in the country as well as prospects for the future. Additional topics on the following conference days include: solar energy market developments in India and around the world; financing, safety and operation of large-scale PV power plants as well as training specialist staff; industrial and commercial roof installations; solar-diesel hybrid systems, and solar energy storage.

Intersolar India: technologies and trends in India's solar energy supply

In halls 5 and 6 of the Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC), around 160 exhibitors are today showcasing their products and solutions in the fields of photovoltaics (PV), PV production technologies, energy storage, and solar thermal technologies. New for this year is the joint pavilion shared by the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh together with the booths of Welsun, Sun Edison and Urjaas Energy Limited. The state has been the focus of attention since it was assigned a surprising third of all projects in the latest round of tenders for the national solar mission (Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission – JNNSM) in May of this year. Companies are again also presenting technologies and products ‘made in Germany' at the joint German pavilion.

Intersolar AWARD ceremony for Solar Projects in India
This year, exhibitor offerings are once more being complemented by a full program on the Presentation Stage in hall 5, booth 5.C60. During the morning, finalists in the Intersolar AWARD category for Solar Projects in India will have the opportunity to present themselves here. At 3:00pm, the winners will then be announced in an official ceremony. The prize is awarded for the best projects in three categories: Off-grid Solutions, Industrial and Commercial Use, and Utility-scale Projects.

On the second exhibition day, industry experts will discuss the latest and future developments in India's national solar mission as part of the Indo-German Energy Forum on the Presentation Stage. Two further sessions will also focus on the opportunities and challenges presented by expanding PV production capacity in India. The final exhibition day will see exhibitors giving short presentations on their recent product innovations and answering questions from visitors here.

Further information is available at www.intersolar.in