GPD prepares powerful boost for solar and glass technology

The 11th Glass Performance Days June 12-15, 2009 calls the world´s solar and glass specialists for a rally around Renewable energy sources and energy saving.

In view of the powerful re-ignition of market focus on solar energy and the key role of glass as an integrated component in solar elements it is not surprising that the 11th GPD could also be called a reunion of solar and glass industry specialists. The agenda is strongly focused on solar technology as the fastest growing customer category of glass processorsand their supply chain. GPD lecturers and participants explore the effects that the solar boom will have on glass manufacturers as well as glass processors and their supply chain during the years of exponential growth predicted for the near future on an otherwise stalemate international market.

The opening speakers of GPD on June 12th form a versatile and knowledgeable team:

• Avi Bremiller, President & CEO, Solel
• Lèon Giesen, CEO, Scheuten
• Winfried Hoffmann, President EPIA
• Eric Peeters, Global Executive Director, Solar Business, Dow Corning Corporation
• Johannes Segner, COO, Solibro GmbH

Each of these opening speakers will give their view on the effects that the powerful some 40 % annual growth of the solar technology market will have on the glass industry preparing to support and serve this development.
 
Biggest and most versatile so far
We are happy to report the biggest GPD input so far and have scheduled around 300 professional presentations – the highest number ever, coments Jorma Vitkala, Chairman of the Organizing Committee. .In my view we have before us the largest and best program
in the history of the GPD. Performance is vital to good design and is at the heart of the development process. Energy and mechanical performance are an integral part of glass products themselves and technical improvements in the performance of manufacturing
and processing are essential to our future success.

A team-up of professionals
We put special emphasis on what glass can do to enhance the energy-effi ciency of buildings, that we know consume over 40 % of all energy used. This we do in close cooperation with the developers of special new technologies such as solar and coating solutions. The team-up of solar and glass specialists builds a link between glass providers and the fastest growth factor in glass applications today
- solar technology. Some of the newest key technologies, such as BIPV – Building Integrated Photovoltaics and thermal applications – offer tremendous potential to cut the peak loads of energy loads in buildings. The Architects module has been designed explicitly to explore these prospects.

Versatility and documentation
Our large offering of fi ve parallel sessions every day, our practical workshops, our introductions of new developments, study tours and poster exhibitions combine into a powerful thrust forward for the glass industry and its customers. Many of our repeat-visitors have found that making the most of the GPD works best in teams of several colleagues. In this way multiple participation in sessions of particular interest is made possible and the opportunities for special follow-ups are maximized. We are also gratifi ed to note the favourable
response our new contact service has received. Scheduling meeting requests among participants is a new introduction to the GPD. It has proven to be a most successful and sought-after feature. The documented information that we put to general use through GPD publications and web services such as www.glassfi les.com now consists of some 1,600 specialist presentations and over 6,000 web pages of state-of-the-art information. This is not done just for the sake of the numbers but for open use to benefi t all. In assessing the usefulness of the GPD in a special poll we found that participants valued the event most as a meeting place, its networking opportunities and educational content.