Articles from Solar Promotion GmbH

Exactly one week has passed since The smarter E Europe closed its doors in Munich. Once again, Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry turned the Bavarian capital into the epicenter of the global energy sector and impressed with outstanding results. Over the course of three days, 2,737 exhibitors from 57 countries showcased their technologies, business models and market-ready solutions for an intelligent, interconnected and fully renewable energy system. Around 107,000 professionals from 157 nations took the opportunity to connect, initiate partnerships and launch new projects. The accompanying conferences and side events also attracted strong interest, drawing more than 2,600 participants. The message sent out by The smarter E Europe and its four exhibitions – Intersolar Europe, ees Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe – was clear: We are the energy system.

Electricity from renewable sources has become the new normal – in Germany alone, around 60 percent of net electricity generation came from renewables in 2024. But the growing volume of green power is posing new challenges for energy supply: The integration into the existing system urgently requires more flexibility. A Euroelectric/EY study forecasts a doubling of daily European flexibility demand by 2030 compared to 2021, potentially reaching 1.8 TWh daily (137 TWh annually), a substantial rise from the prior 1.5 TWh weekly demand. Electric vehicle (EV) batteries are identified as a key flexibility solution, potentially offering around 116 TWh capacity within five years.

The energy transition has reached a crucial point. With increasing electricity generation from renewable sources, the need for effective grid stabilization solutions is growing. Large-scale battery storage systems play a key role. According to SolarPower Europe, the European market will grow by 30–40% annually, driven by the rise of large-scale storage. These systems will be central to discussions at ees Europe, the continent’s largest trade fair for batteries and energy storage, from 7 to 9 May 2025.

The winners of The smarter E AWARD 2025 will be honored on 6 May at the International Congress Center Messe München. The finalists are the following.

The era of hybrid power plants has arrived. By combining solar, wind, and hydropower with smart storage, these plants integrate renewable electricity efficiently into the grid. As the global solar industry gathers at Intersolar Europe, discussions will focus on the latest advancements, regulations, and future prospects of hybrid power plants.

‘Accelerating Integrated Energy Solutions’ - this is the motto of The smarter E Europe 2025, which will take place this year from 7 to 9 May at Messe München. Smart integration is crucial in the evolving energy and mobility sectors. Energy management systems (EMS) for prosumers and businesses have shifted from a nice-to-have to a must-have, making them a key topic at this year’s event.

The global growth of solar power generation shows no signs of slowing. Established markets are witnessing rapid deployment of photovoltaics (PV). In 2024, the global milestone of two terawatts of installed PV capacity was achieved. Solar generation capacity installed in the last two years exceeded that of the previous 68 years combined. A big reason for this development is the decreasing price of photovoltaic modules. To keep the momentum going and continue on the path towards a climate-neutral energy world, the leading players and talents of the solar industry will be meeting at Intersolar Europe once again this year. The world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry will take place from May 7–9, 2025 as part of The smarter E Europe, Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry, at Messe München.

Electric cars equipped with bidirectional charging technology can store electricity and feed it back into the grid when needed. A new study by Transport & Environment (T&E) shows that this could save billions by optimizing the use of generation capacity, reducing curtailment, and lowering fuel consumption. Bidirectional charging (BiDi) could thus achieve a technological and economic breakthrough in Europe but it requires clear regulatory framework conditions. Without these, the potential will remain untapped. In response to these developments, Europe’s largest alliance of energy industry exhibitions, The smarter E Europe, is dedicating a special exhibit to highlight the opportunities and challenges for the mobility and energy industries. The event will take place from May 7–9, 2025, at Messe München.

The deployment of renewable sources of energy is picking up speed around the world. The impressive results of several market surveys recently presented at The smarter E Europe 2024 prove this. Photovoltaics (PV) and storage systems in particular are experiencing dynamic growth, and the trend goes towards the combination of the two technologies. The number of large-scale PV power plants is growing rapidly, as is the number of residential, commercial and industrial PV installations combined with storage systems.

Battery storage is booming. According to a study by Frontier Economics, the volume of grid-connected storage in Germany alone could increase to 60 gigawatts (GW) or 271 gigawatt-hours (GWh) by 2050. This is forty times the current storage capacity. Similar dynamics in cost reduction and installation speed are expected as seen with photovoltaics (PV) in recent years. Soon, battery storage will fundamentally change energy supply. The latest technologies, trends, and market developments will be showcased at ees Europe, Europe’s largest and most international exhibition for batteries and energy storage systems. It will take place from June 19 to 21 as part of The smarter E Europe, Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry, in Munich. Around 3,000 exhibitors and over 115,000 visitors from around the world are expected in 19 exhibition halls and an outdoor area.

The German government’s goal is to have an equal share of large-scale power plants and roof-mounted systems. In 2023, the large-scale ground-mounted segment was able to increase by 45 percent. With the adoption of Solar Package I, this segment will continue to grow. The package of measures aims to reduce the red tape associated with solar deployment in order to achieve an annual growth of 22 gigawatt peak from 2026. The latest applications, products and business models for large-scale PV power plants will be on display at Intersolar Europe, the world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry. It will be held in Munich from June 19–21 as part of The smarter E Europe, the continent’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry. Some 3,000 exhibitors and over 115,000 visitors from all corners of the globe are expected to attend. The event will take place across 19 exhibition halls and an Outdoor Area.

Visitors to The smarter E Europe, Europe’s Largest Alliance of Exhibitions for the Energy Industry, will find out how private consumers can become self-sufficient in electricity, heat and transport in a smart way and how this creates new business opportunities for installers and system providers. The smarter E Europe combines the four trade fairs Intersolar Europe, ees Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe and takes place from June 19 to 21 at Messe München. Around 3,000 exhibitors and more than 115,000 visitors from all over the world are expected in 19 exhibition halls and on an outdoor area.

Climate-neutral power generation from solar and wind will place several new challenges on the energy system. Key is that a significantly higher degree of flexibility will be required compared to today to keep supply and consumption in balance. Flexible consumers can make a significant contribution to this. How this can be achieved will be an important topic at EM-Power Europe, the international trade fair for energy management and integrated energy solutions.

The energy industry is undergoing a radical transformation. Renewable sources of energy have become increasingly profitable in recent years and are now the most economically viable solution for generating electricity. Deployment is accelerating and the technologies are becoming increasingly sophisticated. This has put renewables in the fast lane. Visionary companies are contributing to this development with modern technologies, ideas and concepts. The best and most innovative developments have been nominated for The smarter E AWARD 2024. The prize is awarded in five categories: Photovoltaics, Energy Storage, E-Mobility, Smart Integrated Energy and Outstanding Projects. The winners will be honored on the eve of The smarter E Europe on June 18 at 6:15pm at the International Congress Center München (ICM). Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry unites four exhibitions (Intersolar Europe, ees Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe) and will take place at Messe München from June 19–21.

The EU’s objectives are ambitious: The total solar energy deployment is to reach around 750 gigawatts by 2030. In this context, dual land use concepts, especially agricultural PV, are gaining importance. At Intersolar Europe, the world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry, visitors will have the opportunity to see a varied range of technologies, products and solutions for agricultural PV, and to gain deeper insights into best practices and the latest developments. Intersolar Europe will take place from June 19–21, 2024 as part of The smarter E Europe, the continent’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry, in Munich.

E-mobility is about much more than driving on climate-neutral electricity from renewable sources. The batteries of electric vehicles can be used as temporary storage. And it’s not just vehicle owners who benefit from this: In the medium-term, bidirectional charging can take the burden off distribution grids while making them more flexible. Power2Drive Europe, the international exhibition for charging infrastructure and e-mobility, showcases the latest state of the art. As part of The smarter E Europe, the continent’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry, it will take place from June 19–21, 2024, at Messe München. The Power2Drive Europe Conference, the industry's meeting point and forum for exchange and discourse among experts, stakeholders, and thought leaders in the new mobility sector, kicks off one day earlier.

More and more electricity is being generated from renewable energies while the electromobility business is growing. Whether we are talking about sustainable power generation or electric mobility, one thing is key: Energy storage – especially battery storage. Manufacturers today primarily rely on lithium-based batteries. But now they are going one step further: The production of batteries is to become more environmentally friendly and the products more efficient, safer and cheaper. To this end, several manufacturers are now looking for alternatives – and they have found them. At ees Europe, the continent’s largest and most international exhibition for batteries and energy storage systems and the concurrent exhibitions, more than 950 suppliers will be presenting their latest products and solutions for the energy storage of the future. What’s more, attendees at the ees Europe Conference will learn first-hand where lithium-based batteries will continue to play out their advantages, but also what opportunities are opening up for other battery technologies. ees Europe is part of The smarter E Europe and will take place alongside Intersolar Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe from June 14 to 16 at Messe München. 2,400 exhibitors and over 85,000 visitors from 160 countries are expected to attend in total.

The energy transition does not just change the energy generation technologies we use, but also requires the power grids to be updated. Today, instead of a dozen large-scale power plants, an enormous swarm of power plants all feed into our grid: Several thousand wind farms and over 2.6 million PV systems have been installed in Germany alone – and there is a steep upward trend. This makes our power generation weather dependent: On windless or cloudy days, the energy supply may not match the demand, leading to bottlenecks – or worse – blackouts. To keep the grid frequency at a stable 50.2 hertz, grid operators need yield forecasts. Artificial intelligence (AI) helps process this highly complex information and integrate it into the energy system.

According to statistics from the European Alternative Fuels Observatory, over six million electric and hybrid cars were on Europe’s roads in 2022. From 2035 onward, all cars will have to be electric in the EU. With e-mobility booming, there is more and more potential for e-cars to be used as mobile energy storage systems. They can supply electricity to private homes and offices, stabilizing the public power grid in the process. Using vehicle batteries as flexible storage systems in a smart grid in the future will be a crucial step in guaranteeing a stable energy supply and a cost-effective way of achieving climate targets. Visitors at this year’s Power2Drive Europe, the international exhibition for charging infrastructure and e-mobility being held at Messe München on June 14–16, will be able to discover innovations in bidirectional charging. Experts will also be discussing this topic at the accompanying Power2Drive Europe Conference 2023 at the International Congress Center München (ICM).

The world population is growing, as is the demand for food. To tackle the climate crisis, the world needs both agricultural land and surfaces for the deployment of photovoltaics (PV). In line with the zeitgeist, agricultural PV brings together both worlds: agriculture and renewable power generation. Solar modules built over fields can transport us into the new energy world faster, all the while protecting important agricultural yields. This is why Intersolar Europe – The world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry – will be focusing on the topic. Together with the French-German Office for Energy Transition (DFBEW), Intersolar Europe will be presenting new business models and best practices from France and Germany. Agricultural PV is also on the agenda of the Intersolar Europe Conference. Intersolar Europe will be held as part of The smarter E Europe, the continent’s largest platform for the energy industry, from June 14 to 16, 2023 in Munich.