Intersolar
With events on four continents, Intersolar is the world's leading trade fair for the entire solar industry and its partners. In order to increase the solar share in the energy supply, it connects people and companies from all over the world.
The trade fair and conference series focuses on the areas of photovoltaics , PV production technology, energy storage and solar thermal energy . Since it was founded, it has established itself among manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and service providers as the world's leading trade fair for the entire solar industry and its partners in line with its guiding principle of “Connecting Solar Business”.
The Intersolar trade fairs and conferences take place in Munich , San Francisco , Mumbai , Dubai and São Paulo . These international events are complemented by the Intersolar Summits, which are taking place in new and growing solar markets around the world. Intersolar Europe is organized by Solar Promotion GmbH, Pforzheim, and Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM).
History of the Intersolar
- "Solar" in Pforzheim
Intersolar was founded in 1991 with the aim of actively promoting the development of solar technology. It started with a one-day event, the Solar '91, which was organized by members of the working group for environmental technology from Pforzheim . At that time, five solar companies presented their products at a small trade fair with lectures on the use of solar energy. Over the years, interest in solar technology grew and with it the number of exhibitors and visitors. Solar '93 has already attracted 25 exhibitors and 2,500 visitors to Pforzheim. 45 exhibitors came to Solar '95, at Solar '97 there were 84. The last solar trade fair in Pforzheim took place in 1999, at that time with 142 exhibitors and 8,400 visitors.
- “Intersolar” in Freiburg and Munich
After the venue in Pforzheim had become too small, the fair moved to Freiburg im Breisgau , where Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH (FWTM) came on board as a co-organizer. With its new exhibition center and the solar companies and institutes based in Freiburg, the new location offered a professional environment for representatives of the growing European solar industry. The renaming from “Solar” to “Intersolar” was the logical consequence of the increasing level of awareness beyond the national borders. 185 exhibitors and 11,505 visitors came to the first Intersolar in 2000.
The trade fair continued to grow considerably, so that in 2007 three times as many exhibitors and visitors came to Intersolar. Once again, the growth of Intersolar had exceeded the space available at the trade fair, and Intersolar moved from Freiburg to Munich . The FWTM remained a co-organizer. The new venue enabled further growth, which attracted exhibitors from the supplier industry and the Intersolar was expanded to include PV production technology. In 2011, for the 20th anniversary, 2,286 exhibitors and 76,738 visitors came to Intersolar Europe.
- International
Over the years, Intersolar has been able to firmly establish itself throughout Europe. But the trade fair did not only gain popularity in Europe: by organizing further trade fairs on other continents, Intersolar developed into the world's leading trade fair for the entire solar industry and its partners. Intersolar North America was launched in San Francisco in 2008, followed by Intersolar India in Mumbai in 2009, Intersolar China in Beijing in 2011 and Intersolar South America in 2013. These international events are supplemented by the Intersolar Summits, which are held worldwide in the new and growing solar markets.
- Expansion of the topic to include energy storage
In order to further increase the share of solar power in the general energy industry in the future, Intersolar expanded its product portfolio to include energy storage . At Intersolar Europe 2013, over 200 exhibitors from Germany and abroad presented the latest products and solutions for storing and integrating renewable energy into the grid. Since 2014, electrical energy storage (ees) , the international trade fair for batteries, energy storage and innovative manufacturing, has been taking place parallel to Intersolar Europe. The ees covers the entire value chain of innovative battery and storage technology. In 2014, a total of 260 exhibitors presented energy storage solutions at ees and Intersolar Europe.
- Intersolar Conferences
Almost from the beginning, the Intersolar Conferences took place parallel to the Intersolar trade fair to deepen the individual subject areas. Conference sessions, panel discussions and workshops have since shed light on the current framework conditions and developments in international markets as well as the latest technologies and trends. At the international Intersolar Conferences over the past five years, around 20,000 conference participants discussed topics in the industry and exchanged views on technological, economic and political developments.
The individual events
Intersolar Europe
Intersolar Europe is the world's leading trade fair for the solar industry and its partners. It takes place annually at the Munich Trade Fair.
In 2015, more than 1,000 international exhibitors and more than 47,000 trade visitors took part in Intersolar Europe and the electrical energy storage (ees) trade fair that took place at the same time. Over 1,500 participants attended the conference and its side events.
Intersolar North America
Since it was founded in 2008, Intersolar North America has developed into the most-attended industry event in the solar industry and the leading platform in North America. It takes place annually parallel to the semiconductor trade fair SEMICON West in the most important US solar market, California. The venue is Moscone Center West in San Francisco. In 2015, 576 exhibitors and around 18,000 trade visitors took part in Intersolar North America.
Intersolar South America
In 2014, 75 exhibitors and more than 9,000 trade visitors took part in Intersolar South America. At the accompanying conference, 71 speakers and more than 500 participants discussed current industry topics and shed light on the background to technological, market-related and political developments.
Intersolar India
Intersolar India is India's largest trade fair and conference for the solar industry. It takes place annually at the Bombay Exhibition Center (BEC) in Mumbai. In 2014, 160 international exhibitors and around 9,000 trade visitors took part in Intersolar India. At the accompanying conference, 100 speakers and 500 participants discussed current industry issues and highlighted the background to technological, market-related and political developments.
Intersolar Middle East
In 2016, Intersolar Middle East took place for the first time as an independent trade fair in Dubai with around 150 exhibitors and 4,000 conference participants. In 2017 and 2019, Intersolar Middle East took place as a specialist conference, and in 2019 as part of Middle East Electricity.