Fifteen solar companies with together over 1,000 employees research and manufacture their products in the Erfurt-Jena-Ilmenau Technology Triangle. No other German region boasts such a dense network of solar companies. With tenants such as ErSol Solar Energy AG, PV Crystalox Solar AG, asola Advanced and Automotive Solar Systems GmbH and CiS Institute for Micro Sensors, Erfurt Südost is the most important photovoltaic site in the Free State. Even the "SolarInput" cluster initiative has its office here.

Unlike many other solar industry centers, these Thuringia photovoltaic companies cover the entire value chain for photovoltaic systems. The gamut runs from the production of ingots, wafers, solar cells and modules to the development of advanced control electronics right up to the design and installation of entire solar systems. Solar thermal applications also benefit from the extensive production and installation potential. Whether you're interested in crystalline silicon or thin film technology, companies in the Free State can deliver. Polymer solar cells are being explored in advanced research projects.

On the supply side, Thuringia is home to one major provider of float glass for the photovoltaic industry: Schott Jenaer Glas GmbH. FEGmbH offers components such as converters.