Solar Summits - Review Solar Summit 2008

The international conference series Solar Summits Freiburg celebrated its première in the Freiburg Konzerthaus (Freiburg Concert Hall) from 22 to 24 October 2008.

230 distinguished photovoltaics experts from 23 different countries attended the lectures featuring high-profile speakers and participated in the numerous round table discussions held on the subject of “Silicon Materials for Photovoltaics”.

The countries providing the most visitors apart from Germany were – in the following order – the Netherlands, Norway, the USA, Italy and Austria. Moreover, the number of participants coming from India, Taiwan and Japan was particularly pleasing.

Leading photovoltaics experts from the fields of science, research and industry presented the latest developments and solutions for obtaining and processing silicon for the purposes of solar cell production in more than 20 lectures of outstandingly high quality. Above all, the presentations and discussions ensured that the scientists and industry representatives in attendance were provided for the first time with an optimum platform for exchanging scientific results and details of practical implementation.

Here you can download the congress programme 2008 (PDF, 854 kB) and the final report (PDF, 60 kB).

Here you can find a variety of impressions of the congress 2008.

Statements of the participants at the Solar Summit 2008

Norbert Bargmann, managing director of Messe München GmbH (Munich International Trade Fairs): “The kick-off event to the Solar Summits Freiburg series was an outstanding success. It was our aim to set up a high-profile discussion platform for the solar sector at which new approaches and practical experience could be brought together harmoniously, and I think we made a big success of it. The solar city of Freiburg was the ideal venue for such a top class event.”

Dr. Bernd Dallmann, managing director of Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG: “The new conference series ‘Solar Summits Freiburg’ sees us establishing a further high-profile event in Freiburg and marks the further development in the profile and significance of ‘Freiburg Green City’ as a solar and ecological centre. Freiburg has become a key location for international exchange and know-how in the field of environmental technologies and science.”

Dr. Florian Holzapfel, CTO Q-Cells AG: “Freiburg is the birthplace of solar; hence I appreciate a conference here, and especially a conference with such interesting discussions as seen in 2008. I am looking forward to come again in 2009 to the place of sun and solar.”

Dr. Carsten Herweg, Corporate Sector Research and Advance Engineering, Robert Bosch GmbH, commented: “Solar Summits is a technically high-quality conference with coordinated content promoting and improving networks and, as such, an enhancement to the PV events calendar.”

Hans Joachim Fröhlich, Director, Strategy Developement, SGL Group– The Carbon Company: “Very compact, highly relevant and up-to-date overview of the amazing scope of development work that is going on in the PV industry.”

Dr. Joris Libal, Project Developer HYSYTECH Srl.: “A highly interesting conference with competent speakers. A feature particularly worthy of note was the scope left for discussion between the speakers among themselves as well as with the audience. The discussions were very helpful in supplying us with more information on corporate opinions and strategies and enabling us to assess new trends. The presentations provided an excellent overview and good summary of the subjects covered.”