Solar industry needs glass machines

2007 was a record year for German manufacturers of glass-making machinery.

The solar energy systems market is booming worldwide and the glass machine manufacturers are benefiting from this trend.

The growing significance of climate protection and the increasing costs of fossil raw materials have for several years been promoting and accelerating the positive development of the solar energy market. In many countries, the solar sector, which has been strengthened through state promotional and support measures, has for years been experiencing growth rates like no other area of industry. In this connection for example, turnover for the German photovoltaic systems manufacturers increased in 2007 by 23 percent to around 5.5 billion Euro and the Federal Association of Solar Energy (Bundesverband Solarstrom) is also expecting double-figure growth for 2008. On a global level annual growth of between 20 and 30 percent is forecast. Solar energy is booming. The Federal Association of the Solar Industry (Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft) even describes it as the “giga-trend of the 21st century”. In Germany alone there are currently 15 new solar energy plants under construction or in the planning phase.

Best pre-requisites

The solar industry is a highly interesting and attractive sales market especially for glass machine manufacturers, because glass is used in the permanent protection of systems’ functional surfaces both in the area of solar thermal energy for hot water generation as well as photo-voltaic systems. Its prerequisites for opening up this strongly growing market are the best possible. Over decades the companies have developed a great deal of know-how in the manufacture of ultra-precision functioning systems for glass processing and refinement and also for glass coating and lamination. For the manufacturers of solar modules the application of powerful, efficient and reliable production technology is of existential significance, because the number of suppliers is growing rapidly worldwide and product quality and the price are also key factors for entrepreneurial success in this young industry.

According to Siegfried Glaser, Chairman of the Glass Technology Forum within the German Engineering Federation (Forum Glastechnik im Verband Deutscher Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e.V.- VDMA), almost all the companies operating in the flat-glass engineering sector see great business potential for the future in the area of solar applications. Even at this stage photo-voltaic systems and solar thermal energy have developed into an “absolutely flourishing” sector of industry. The fact that the sector had already recognized the significance of glass for solar applications at an early stage and developed the necessary technology was now paying off, he said. In order to further accelerate and promote the exchange of information with the dynamic solar energy sector, the VDMA with its new Production Agents for Photo-voltaic Systems Forum and the Photo-voltaic/Solar Thermal Energy Industrial Working Group, has created special, specific new forums.

glasstec offers an overview

Just which products and ranges the mechanical engineers from all over the world are launching on this new market will be shown by glasstec 2008 from 21 to 25 October. The most significant international trade fair for glass engineering, glass processing and finishing as well as glass applications offers an ideal forum enabling participants to obtain a comprehensive impression of the latest product spectrum and discover new areas of operation. In addition to plant and system technology, at glasstec 2008 current developments from the area of modular technology will of course also be presented.