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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. The thirteenth SOLTEC fair in September 2008 had some 16,200 visitors and 150 exhibitors.

In 2009 the SOLTEC will take place from 3th until 6th of September.

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. Meanwhile 368 objects with thermic solar energy and 115 objects with photovoltaics have taken advantage of the loan program. The town has so far given some 638,000 EUR to the users of the program.