Dr. Nikolaus Benz and Dr. Thomas Kuckelkorn, both from SCHOTT Solar, a subsidiary of SCHOTT AG, have been nominated for the most important innovation prize in Germany, the ‘Federal President’s Prize for Innovation and Technology’. This was announced today by the Head of the Federal Presidential Office, Secretary of State Dr. Gert Haller, at a press conference in Berlin. Under the direction of Drs. Benz and Kuckelkorn, SCHOTT has developed a receiver for solar power plants that permits even more energy to be obtained from the sun. It also prepares the way for the exploitation of new and more efficient forms of this clean energy source. "We are very pleased with this nomination and view this as clear confirmation of the high power of innovation at SCHOTT in the field of solar energy," emphasized Chairman of the Management Board of SCHOTT AG, Professor Udo Ungeheuer.

Dr. Benz explains what lies behind the approach: “Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute have calculated that in one hour, the sun sends enough energy to earth to cover all the energy needs of humankind for one year. For years, people have been attempting to utilize this potential on a large scale, including Concentrated Solar Power Technology (CSP). In this technology, the solar irradiation is trapped using large reflector surfaces, bundled, and then converted into usable energy. In the Earth's Sunbelt regions, this technology can make a breakthrough possible, by largely freeing us from our dependence on fossil fuels. This assumes, however, that electricity can be produced in solar generating plants just as economically as in conventional power plants. Our receivers move the CSP technology a giant step forwards, so that in the future the human race will be able to cover a larger part of its energy needs with clean electrical power.”

This is possible due to the fact that the receivers are core components in parabolic trough power stations. Their quality has a considerable effect on how much solar energy can be converted into electricity by the plant. Under the leadership of Benz and Kuckelkorn, SCHOTT has developed a receiver that markedly increases the efficiency of solar power plants, and thus can make a considerable contribution to the environmentally friendly generation of energy. The details that make this SCHOTT innovation so special can be found on the prize’s website (www.deutscher-zukunftspreis.de).

Dr. Martin Heming, President of SCHOTT Solar AG, congratulates the nominees thus: “Even being nominated is in itself a great honor, since one cannot apply. In fact, a jury composed of renowned experts proposes the four candidates. We are particularly delighted that our developers are among the few nominees, and we’re crossing our fingers for both Dr. Benz and Dr. Kuckelkorn. The nomination also shows that SCHOTT has a highly motivated and highly professional research and development team, and that our innovations represent, at the international level, the state of the art in technology.”

Federal president Horst Koehler will announce the winner of the ‘Federal President’s Prize for Innovation and Technology’ on December 3, 2008 in Berlin. Each year, the prize, worth 250,000 euro, recognizes ‘technical, engineering or scientific innovations’.

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About SCHOTT


SCHOTT is an international technology group that sees its core purpose as the lasting improvement of living and working conditions. To this end, the company has been developing special materials, components and systems for nearly 125 years. The main areas of focus are the household appliances industry, pharmaceuticals, solar energy, electronics, optics and the automotive industry. The SCHOTT Group is present in close proximity to its customers with production and sales companies in all its major markets. The Group’s approximately 16,700 employees generate worldwide sales of approximately 2.1 billion euros. The company's technological and economic expertise is closely linked with its social and ecological responsibility. The parent company of the SCHOTT Group is SCHOTT AG, whose sole shareholder is the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung (Foundation).  

Contact

Klaus Hofmann
phone +49 (0)6131/66-3662

klaus-bernhard.hofmann@schott.com