Solar Buzz for Ritec at GPD 2009

Stephen Byers, MD of Ritec International reports first hand on GPD 09, held in Finland last month...

Having just returned from GPD 09, I can confirm that there was a definite buzz surrounding the event and one that the Ritec team has embraced and brought back – the reason? Solar Energy Efficiency and ‘Green’ Issues!

GPD has grown considerably since it started 12 years ago and it is now internationally acclaimed as a very professional bi-annual event attracting key players from across all sectors of the flat glass industry. It has also firmly established itself as an excellent networking opportunity, and this year’s event was no exception, with around 60 countries represented. Although there was some drop off in numbers this year, at about 10% this was not as much as predicted. The disappointment was perhaps the almost insignificant number of UK visitors compared with previous years.

Ritec’s message, ‘Cleaner Glass Is Greener Glass’ was the title of the paper I presented. In our view, this is not just a label, it is a state of mind and one that’s becoming increasingly important in today’s economic climate. The paper went on to discuss the reasons why ordinary architectural glass becomes dirty and not ‘green’, reviewed the solutions and considered the advantages of cleaner and greener glass, namely:

• Energy savings – by reducing requirements for power, water and other resources
• Environmental benefits – by reducing CO₂ emissions or carbon footprints
• Better health and productivity – by maintaining or improving the transmittance of natural light

As I mentioned, the WOW factor this year focused on the worldwide importance placed on glass for solar energy panels, both photovoltaic and thermal. GPD was an excellent representation of the solar energy industry from different viewpoints with over 25 presentations and workshops specifically on solar related and green issues. In spite of a global recession, the rate of growth in this market is amazing and there is obviously huge enthusiasm amongst an industry sector that can make good profits yet also be environmentally friendly.

Ritec also participated at the Solar Power - Opportunities for the Glass Industry Workshop. We presented ‘Let the Sunshine in! - Creating Added Value by Maintaining the Energy Conversion Efficiency of Solar Panels’. This outlined the reasons why dirt on the glass of solar energy panels causes significant reductions in efficiency as well as the solutions for both new and existing solar panels. The rapidly expanding solar energy market is just beginning to understand that for any form of solar power to be effective the light transmission of the glass must be maintained, and this means maintaining the performance of the glass to keep it cleaner and free from corrosion. Here the ‘non-stick’ qualities of ClearShield durable surface protection have obvious advantages in that it saves time, money and effort as it is easier to clean and keep clean and does not require harsh chemicals to maintain the appearance.

With a main topic of conversation on worldwide business recession and how companies are coping, it seemed all those present were determined to ride out the storm and emerge in a stronger position. Companies are looking laterally at new business opportunities to help get out of an economic downturn. Ritec’s view is that during recessions opportunities increase as glass and glazing companies specifically look for new business ventures, diversification and ways to add value to increase bottom line profits.

GPD raised the profile of Ritec and ClearShield even more than in previous years. It gave us a good insight into the solar industry and some excellent contacts while enabling us to highlight the performance claims of ClearShield that other technologies cannot match.

This invaluable experience, combined with our own powerful combination of commercial and technical advantages, endorses our commitment to help accelerate the sales of our customers and improve their bottom line profits.