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The first Professional Fair for Solar Energy Techniques in Northern Germany (SOLTEC) was held in Hameln in 1996.

SOLTEC fairs have taken place in Hameln annually ever since.

Hameln calls itself "Solar city of the North" (of Germany) for several reasons:

1. It is place of the SOLTEC fair every year.
2. Just outside the town there is the "Insitut für Solarenergieforschung (ISFH) GmbH Hameln-Emmerthal", a solar energy research institute.
3. The town offers a solar energy loan program for (public and) private buildings in Hameln. Objects with thermic solar energy, objects with photovoltaics and with geothermics have taken advantage of the loan program. The town has so far given some 660,000 EUR to the users of the program.