Page 213 - ISES SWC50

Klaus Taafel
Country: Germany
Year joined industry: 1980’s
Company first worked for: Paradigma engineering office - as owner
Technology area: Solar Thermal
Still active in the industry: No

Klaus Taafel had a vision. Instead of earning his money simply and successfully in the automotive industry like
others, he decided early on to dedicate his life to renewable heat production with solar collectors and biomass. He
founded the engineering office “Paradigma” in order to implement his renewable heating system concepts in an
exemplary manner and thus bring about a change in the heat supply towards environmentally friendly technology.
He met like-minded Alfred Ritter and together they founded the company Ritter Energie- und Umwelttechnik in
1988. Driven by a common spirit, which they also transferred to the rapidly growing number of employees, highly
innovative new system concepts and products such as the CPC vacuum tube collector with plasma coating were
created under Taafel’s leadership. His infallible instinct is also the reason why solar systems do not necessarily have
to be operated with an antifreeze mixture, but with simple heating water. For him there were no prohibitions to
think, only tasks that were waiting to be done. In 2001, a joint venture with China was founded. This put him ahead
of his time in the solar industry and in systems technology. His legacy and spirit have been preserved in the Ritter
Company and still ensures that it is the technological leader in heating systems and large-scale solar installations.
Klaus Taafel was and will always be the intellectual and technical father of Paradigma. Together with his friend and
companion Alfred Ritter he is a legend of solar history. Both therefore definitely belong as pioneers in the history
book of solar energy.

Bruno Topel
Country: Brazil
Year joined industry: 1981
Company first worked for: Heliodinamica
Technology area: PV
Still active in the industry: No

Bruno Topel started Heliodinamica in 1981 after being introduced to PV at an energy exhibition in Australia.
Heliodinamica was the first solar power company in South America. In 1983 the company started manufacturing solar
modules and then 2 years later started manufacturing solar cells. In the 1990’s Bruno closed the manufacturing plant
down and continued as an energy consultant in Brazil. He advised Technometal about starting a PV manufacturing
plant and in 2011 Technometal built a 20MW manufacturing plant. He was the recipient of the August Mouchot
award at the 1994 Eurosolar.

ISES SWC50 - The Century of Solar-Stories and Visions | 195