Intersolar North America Launches New PV Production and Technology Exhibition and Program

SAN FRANCISCO, April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Intersolar North America, the premier solar industry exhibition and conference in North America for solar professionals to exchange information and develop business opportunities in the U.S. solar market, will return to San Francisco July 9-12, 2012. Co-located with SEMICON West, the event is expected to draw approximately 950 exhibitors and registered visitors from more than 80 countries to provide a true global perspective of the solar industry.

This year, the conference features a new, dedicated PV Production and Technology Hall located in Moscone North that will draw more than 200 exhibitors showcasing the latest in photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing and material science technology. The PV Production and Technology Hall will feature three full days of presentations on the latest manufacturing trends and developments, free of charge to exhibition attendees. The innovative joint exhibition-conference venue fosters high quality learning, developing and planning of next generation PV production technology strategies, making it the most valuable exchange of ideas in the U.S. market.

The new PV Production and Technology Hall at Intersolar North America will provide a tailored platform for collaboration, dialogue and planning for the future of the U.S. solar manufacturing industry. Highly targeted PV manufacturing and technology-related programs will focus on the real needs of the industry and will provide valuable first-hand information from leaders and technical experts within the PV manufacturing community. Equipment spending by tier-one solar manufacturers is poised to resume in 2013 with strong double-digit annual growth rates forecast out to 2016, according to NPD Solarbuzz, a market research firm that offers solar industry news and analysis.

Presenters on the PV Production and Technology Stage (partial list) include:

Mark Pinto, Applied Materials, Jim Brown, First Solar, Howard Lee, STION, Eric Romano, Dupont Photovoltaic Solutions, Ned Harvey, Rocky Mountain Institute, Dr. Jason Corneille, Miasole, Danielle Merfeld, GE Solar Technologies; Andrew Beebe, Suntech Power; Eric Peeters, Dow Corning; John P. Benner, Bay Area Photovoltaic Consortium; Brent Nelson, NREL; Jef Poortmans, IMEC; Andy McIntyre, EORM (Environmental, Health, Safety, and Sustainability); John Wohlgemuth, NREL; Dr. Nasreen Chopra, Alta Devices; Dr. Vasilis M. Fthenakis, Brookhaven National Labs; Matt Feinstein, Lux Research; Mark Thirsk, Linx Consulting, and many more.

PV Production and Technology Program Topics

PV manufacturing and technology programs (presented on the show floor stage and free to attendees) will focus on themes relating to technology, manufacturing, equipment and materials with emphasis placed on innovation for greater efficiency and cost reduction in a production environment. Programs include:

• PV Manufacturing in the U.S. — A Vision for the Future
• International Standards on PV Module Quality & Reliability
• Business Benefits of Green Manufacturing in the PV Industry
• Scaling Thin-Film PV Technology to Bankability — Supply Chain and Manufacturing Challenges
• New Materials in PV Manufacturing — Dye Sensitized, Full Organic, Hybrid
• Global PV R&D Research — Focus on 2-3 Year Availability to Volume Scale Manufacturing
• Advanced Photovoltaics — Ultra-High Efficiency Technologies

The PV Production and Technology Hall marks the logical progression of the co-location between Intersolar North America and SEMICON West. As such, SEMI PV Group, the global microelectronics industry association, is now responsible for overseeing the photovoltaic production and raw materials industry segments at the conference.

Industry segments at the PV Production and Technology Hall include PV Manufacturing Equipment: Wafers, Cells, Modules, and Thin Film; Integration and Automation; Metrology; PV Manufacturing Consumables (pastes, wires, etc.); and PV Manufacturing Gases and Liquid Chemicals.

About Intersolar

With over 3,500 exhibitors and 120,000 visitors spanning three continents, Intersolar is the world's leading exhibition series for the solar industry.

Intersolar North America takes place annually in San Francisco's Moscone Center. Since its establishment in 2008, the exhibition and conference have developed into the premier platform for the solar industry in North America. Intersolar North America focuses on photovoltaics and solar thermal technologies and is co-located with SEMICON West. It has quickly established itself among manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and service providers as an international industry meeting point.

In total, 834 exhibitors and 19,168 trade visitors participated in 2011. The conference featured 30 sessions with 220 speakers and catered to 1,617 conference attendees.

Intersolar's storied history of international exhibitions and conferences spans more than 20 years. Taking place in addition to Intersolar North America are Intersolar India in Mumbai, and Intersolar China in Beijing, which was launched in December 2011. The world's largest exhibition for the solar industry is Intersolar Europe in Munich.

For more information on Intersolar North America please visit: http://www.intersolar.us/

Organizers

Intersolar North America is organized by Solar Promotion International GmbH, Pforzheim and Freiburg Management and Marketing International GmbH (FMMI). SEMI PV Group, the global microelectronics industry association, is a co-organizer responsible for the photovoltaic production and raw materials industry segments. In addition SEMI PV Group presents conference sessions on themes relating to technology, manufacturing, equipment and materials with the focus on innovation, efficiency gains and cost reduction.

SOURCE Intersolar North America