Intersolar Now Accepting Nominations for 2013 Awards

Intersolar North America, the most attended industry exhibition and conference in North America for solar professionals to exchange information and develop business opportunities in the U.S. solar market, opened nominations for the sixth annual Intersolar AWARD to be presented at this year’s event. For the first time, the winner of the PV Production AWARD will be honored at Intersolar North America, alongside the landmark solar installations named winners of the Solar Projects in North America category.

The Intersolar AWARD acknowledges outstanding contributions to accelerate the solar energy revolution. Exhibitors wishing to apply for the Intersolar AWARD may submit their nominations now through March 28 in the following categories:

Solar Projects in North America

• Solar Building—projects that aesthetically integrate green building elements (energy efficiency, net-zero goals, etc.) and Photovoltaics and/or Solar Thermal Technologies for power generation, heating and cooling.

• Industrial and Commercial Use—projects that lead the way in showing how Photovoltaics and Solar Heating and Cooling Technologies can be used in industrial production and supplying commercial buildings.

• Utility Scale—PV power plants or solar thermal power plant projects completed at the utility scale.

PV Production

This year the Intersolar AWARD for the category PV Production Technologies will move to Silicon Valley, a nod to the region’s reputation as the epicenter for the semiconductor industry and related technologies. Entries will be accepted for innovative products, technologies, services, materials or solutions for the production of cells, thin film technology or modules, or the process stages associated with production.

“We are seeing project developments in the North American market and beyond that, just a few years ago, wouldn’t have come to fruition,” said Markus Elsässer, CEO of Solar Promotion International. “The dramatic reduction in the cost of solar due to new, advanced technologies—many of which have been displayed at Intersolar in past years—is offering opportunities for the industry to bring affordable, efficient and aesthetic projects to customers across the region. We are proud to honor these projects, and the technologies that make them possible, with the 6^th annual Intersolar AWARD.”

“As one of the solar industry’s most prestigious honors, the Intersolar AWARD singles out the companies committed to innovation and driving adoption in the global solar market,” added Klaus W. Seilnacht, CEO of FMMI GmbH, one of the organizers of Intersolar North America. “We look forward to recognizing the many amazing products, technologies and projects nominated this year.”

The award winners of the Solar Projects in North America and PV Production categories will be announced during an official ceremony on July 9 at Intersolar North America. The exhibition and conference runs from July 8 to July 11, 2013, at the Moscone Center and InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco. ESA Renewables was one of the three 2012 Intersolar AWARD winners for Solar Projects in North American for its innovative Martins Creek Elementary School Solar PV project. At 999 kilowatts (kW), the installation is one of the largest solar farms on school grounds in the United States.

“This award has highlighted our strengths and has given our name more credibility in the industry, we were honored that our project was recognized last year,” said Jeffrey Burkett, president of ESA Renewables.

Since 2008, the global Intersolar AWARD program has honored leading technologies across the  Photovoltaics, Solar Thermal and PV Production categories. In addition to the awards presented in San Francisco, Intersolar is also seeking nominations for the PV, Solar Thermal Technologies, Solar Projects in Europe and Solar Projects in India categories. Following the successful introduction of a project award at last year’s Intersolar North America and Intersolar India events, Intersolar expanded the awards program to include solar installations in Europe.

All other Intersolar AWARD winners — with the exception of the winners of the Solar Projects in India category—will be honored during Intersolar Europe in Munich on June 19, 2013. The award in the category Solar Projects in India will be presented at Intersolar India, November 12, 2013, in Mumbai. All companies exhibiting at any of Intersolar’s five global events can apply. Additional information on the categories is available online here.

Participation conditions

All exhibitors at the Intersolar event series in 2013 (Europe, North America, South America, India and China), as well as those from Intersolar India 2012, are eligible for the Intersolar AWARD. For the project awards, installations must be fully completed and operational for no more than two years at the time the application is submitted. To be considered for the short list, applicants must demonstrate that the project centers on a groundbreaking and unique solution. The jury also bases its decision on how the project benefits society and the environment, as well as the resulting economic benefits. More information on the Intersolar AWARD and the registration process can be found online at www.intersolarglobal.com/award.