InterSolar Europe 2026 Key Takeaways

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The smarter E Europe 2026 occurred this week in Munich, with the lead occasion of InterSolar Europe co-located with ess Europe, Power2Drive and EM-Energy. Whatever the meant group of the convention and exhibitions, the traces between them have more and more blurred, as photo voltaic is mixed with storage, EV charging and vitality administration.

Having tried to drink from the knowledge fireplace hoses of CES and Auto China already this 12 months, I believed that attending InterSolar can be extra manageable. I used to be incorrect. Whereas I made it to all the foremost halls, I couldn’t get into depth with each firm or see all of the displays. I didn’t get an opportunity to check drive any EVs whereas I used to be there both. However I discovered quite a bit. I’ll go into extra element on a few of these subjects within the days and weeks to return, however some key takeaways stood out:

Photo voltaic’s Future is Battery Storage

A latest Bloomberg NEF examine trying on the stall in US residential photo voltaic concluded that “battery storage is the way forward for residence photo voltaic.” Nonetheless, Germany, vitality storage programs (ESS) are more and more trying like the way forward for photo voltaic total and the way forward for constructing a cheap, steady grid. As well as, ESS is more and more trying like the way forward for power-hungry functions, like industrial warmth pumps and EV chargers. Whereas many international locations can forestall residential photo voltaic from feeding into the grid in periods of extra manufacturing, in addition to utility scale curtailment, that leaves a large useful resource being wasted. Past residential photo voltaic including storage to make higher use of the vitality generated, industrial and industrial photo voltaic functions can see related advantages. As well as, attributable to years of backlog related to putting in new transformers, storage can be utilized to offer extra peak energy. Utilities are additionally growing their storage capability to make the most of low cost utility-scale photo voltaic era when the solar isn’t shining and to offer the soundness wanted to show off base load thermal era.

The Future is Crowded

Strolling via the 18 halls of Messe Munich, the aggressive panorama is very large. Based on the organizers, greater than 2800 firms exhibit on the occasion, some with a number of divisions. I met folks from extra firms not exhibiting however in attendance to seek out suppliers or try the competitors. Whether or not the corporate is headquartered in Germany, the UK, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Korea or China, all are fiercely competing for the German market, in addition to European and world markets. Many have related choices. I’ve a sense that the very best will rise to the highest and we might see some consolidation sooner or later. Nonetheless, differentiation is usually a problem.

Differentiation With Design & Usability

Jackery, who hosted me on the occasion, has led in designing merchandise to suit buyer wants. It turns into much more apparent in particular person, seeing the small print, high quality of execution and ease of use. Like with telephones, regardless of typically having related shapes, design particulars and useability set prime firms aside. Nonetheless, a number of different opponents have mimicked their aesthetic, together with the charcoal grey and excessive visibility orange coloration scheme of their transportable fashions. Whereas there, I even noticed opponents analyzing their merchandise intimately and taking plenty of photos. Designers might want to work onerous to maintain forward. Shifting into the photo voltaic displays, you get the sense that the usual flat panels many people consider have turn out to be commoditized and creativity is required to set firms aside. Together with Jackery’s Photo voltaic Gazebo and Photo voltaic Roof that appears like clay tiles, I additionally noticed panels that simulate slate roofs, copper roofs and numerous colours and textures of cladding. Photo voltaic is even being built-in into surfaces like automobile hoods.

Balcony Photo voltaic Fills Market Hole

In lots of instances, indifferent houses that need photo voltaic have already got it in Germany. Industrial and industrial provide chains are properly developed. Balcony photo voltaic, with built-in storage, brings photo voltaic and the power to profit from TOU charges to flats and different residences the place it beforehand was not out there. Nonetheless, design and ease of use are particularly essential on this section, the place individuals are self-installing in floorplans with restricted house to cover industrial-looking programs. Jackery’s new SolarVault 3 is a superb instance that I’ll discover in a future submit.

Rising Photo voltaic Functions

Past the standard rooftop or floor mount photo voltaic, PV panels have been additionally designed for fencing and to permit some gentle via for agrivoltaics, offering for twin use of helpful land. Floating photo voltaic is more and more confirmed and increasing quickly. Along with the vitality advantages, the panels scale back evaporation and might enhance water high quality when integrating bubblers and blocking the solar that might in any other case result in algae blooms.

Automating Photo voltaic

On the alternative facet of the spectrum from self-installed balcony photo voltaic, robots are more and more changing into concerned in utility-scale photo voltaic. Functions included mount set up, cleansing, mowing and inspection. Past the robots, a transparent focus was positioned on making set up quicker and simpler via simplified connections and mounting. Photo voltaic manufacturing is already closely automated, and photo voltaic system implementation and upkeep are headed in that route quickly.

Administration Alternatives

All of the renewable era and storage is barely pretty much as good as their administration. Energy must be saved when it’s clear and out there and deployed when it’s wanted, reliably and with out inconveniencing the shopper. Firms like BYD, Huawei and Rolls Royce Power highlighted their superior vitality administration programs (EMS), however the functionality isn’t restricted to utility scale. V2G companies from VW and Octopus Power are including a layer of intelligence to V2G charging. Jackery, Powerizer, Huawei, and extra launched Ai-enabled residence vitality administration that may optimize vitality sources, storage and factors of use. “Ai” might not but be the catch phrase at InterSolar that it was at CES, however clever vitality administration will turn out to be more and more essential as renewable era and vitality storage develop.

Belief

When going to the totally different ESS system cubicles, I requested them which cells they have been utilizing. EVE Power, Gotion and CATL have been the highest responses. Some stated that BYD was a serious provider however has shifted focus to constructing their very own ESS batteries. Though costs have come down, these are prime tier cell producers. Even the unfamiliar ESS manufacturers have a tendency to make use of prime quality cells, even when their clients by no means see them. After I requested firms why they picked these dearer cells, a frequent reply was belief. Belief that they may have a constant product that simply exceeds world regulatory requirements. Making an attempt to avoid wasting prices with a no-name provider might result in higher prices from regulatory hurdles, recollects and tarnished model fame. Digging somewhat deeper with EVE, they stated belief is constructed on “mutual profit.” Listening to buyer wants and delivering. Constructing upon a high quality product with high quality service. Clients get a greater product, and the provider will get repeat purchases.

 

Studying From EVs

Main automotive battery producers had a powerful presence on the present. The biggest EV maker, BYD was there with a Sealion 7 alongside industrial, residential and utility scale storage. GAC INPOW had mannequin vehicles at their BESS sales space. EVE had a BMW iX3 with their batteries in it subsequent to vitality storage programs. Even Tesla, who skipped CES and the foremost auto reveals, was at InterSolar. In chatting with folks on the displays, a number of talked about that what they discovered from making strong batteries for EVs has led to raised batteries for ESS. With China’s newest fireplace security necessities for vehicles, their ESS batteries can simply move any world requirement. For BYD, their vertical integration on the automotive facet, simplifying half counts and bettering system effectivity, carries over to their large-format ESS Blade Battery cells and elevated volumetric energy density on the utility facet. That has made BYD the biggest utility-scale ESS producer by put in capability. Mass manufacturing for EVs has additionally taught many producers how you can make constant battery cells that exceed necessities for ESS functions, even when these batteries are a lot smaller.

V2G Exhibits Promise

The primary convention I attended was “Prepared For Electrification: Making ready The Energy Grid For EVs.” Petrouschka Werther, Director of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Administration, confirmed EV progress within the Netherlands and the way a lot of the grid problem introduced by EVs might be solved by EVs themselves via vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and bi-directional charging. The important thing to the success of V2G comes from guaranteeing the price/profit displays the wants of the grid. The next morning, Volkswagen Group’s Elli launched their V2G service in Germany, providing drivers 720 Euros in income per automobile per 12 months or roughly 15,000 km price of driving. That makes driving their EV free for a lot of automobile house owners. That is designed to function transparently within the background, with out noticeable inconvenience to the driving force. Presently, the service is being rolled out in Germany with VW Group autos, which is sensible attributable to scale and economics. Nonetheless, I might see the service spreading to extra international locations and companions shifting ahead.

Costly, Unstable Power Costs Entice Options

In Germany, electrical energy is pricey and the worth can fluctuate considerably. That creates a large market of individuals making an attempt to scale back their payments with residential photo voltaic. Nonetheless, if left unmanaged, that photo voltaic may contribute to grid instability, and individuals are not utilizing or getting paid for a lot of the electrical energy that they generate. That has led to sturdy ROI for storage, which is creating a large market. As such, I heard from a number of exhibitors that they’re concentrating on Germany for his or her services first. The comparatively low value of electrical energy in comparison with gasoline in China drives EV adoption, but it surely additionally weakens the financial case for a lot of residential and industrial photo voltaic and storage merchandise. The low value of electrical energy in components of the US is nice for our financial system, but it surely additionally reduces the ROI and marketplace for some new applied sciences. Nonetheless, the excessive and risky electrical energy costs in Germany make the financial case sturdy for a lot of clear applied sciences, together with photo voltaic and storage.

DC Comeback

On the opening press breakfast of The smarter E Europe 2026, one of many audio system talked about the potential for DC to play a bigger function. Whereas AC had gained out for {the electrical} grid, photo voltaic, batteries and plenty of electrical energy functions are DC. Whereas a transformer is a comparatively easy strategy to change AC voltage, additionally it is cumbersome and costly. With the creation of DC-DC converters, just like the extremely environment friendly strong state SiC fashions from Epic Energy, there may be more and more little have to contain the energy-losing inverter. As well as, Differ Energy confirmed off their DC warmth pumps that may take energy instantly from photo voltaic panels or batteries, with out the inverter losses.

 

Battery Buffering

Talking about warmth pumps, a lot of the motivation for ESS is because of efforts to cease burning fossil fuels for warmth. That is particularly the case for industrial functions, the place the massive quantity of warmth that must be generated can have giant energy calls for, as seen in GOODWE’s GOODHEAT warmth pumps. As well as, many DC quick chargers have been proven with battery buffering to extend peak output from normal utility connections. For instance, ADS-TEC, who provides battery buffered chargers to Porsche. These are much like BYD’s Flash Chargers, however at decrease energy ranges. CATL confirmed off their battery-buffered Turbochargers, which additionally attain MW-level charging energy. New transformers can take years to return on-line in Germany. Battery storage, particularly when mixed with photo voltaic, can assist take peak energy demand off the utility connection, growing the pace of the transition to electrification.

Simplicity & Harmonization Wanted

The German grid is constructed from 4 major Transmission Service Organizations (TSOs) and over 800 Distribution Service Operators (DSOs), in addition to retail electrical energy suppliers. Every has their very own paperwork and insurance policies, along with prolonged authorities bureaucratic processes. I requested a number of firms what their largest challenges have been in Germany, and the complexity was typically the highest reply. This not solely makes it incessantly take years for renewable vitality era to hook up with the grid, but in addition for main electrical energy shoppers to get the ability they want. The dearth of entry to reasonably priced electrical energy holds German business again, even when it stimulates the gross sales of some industrial photo voltaic and storage programs for on-site use. I additionally requested a number of firms if we would see their merchandise within the US. Completely different requirements and UL certifications require intensive, expensive testing. The necessities are sometimes no more stringent, simply advanced and totally different, making a barrier for world firms coming into the US. Some noticed it as a higher barrier than tariffs, which elevate costs for everybody and would depart them nonetheless aggressive out there. General, an effort to coordinate and simplify paperwork, harmonized globally, would speed up adoption, pace electrification and scale back emissions whereas additionally lowering prices to shoppers.

World Footprints

Whereas a number of firms proudly displayed “Made in Europe” indicators, they nonetheless are likely to depend on world suppliers of battery cells, photo voltaic cells, transistors, connectors, microprocessors… With out these elements native innovation wouldn’t be attainable. A number of robots have been based mostly on Chinese language fashions however modified and outfitted to suit particular native wants. I noticed revolutionary photo voltaic, storage, inverters and DC/DC converters. Whereas they is probably not highlighting it of their advertising and marketing supplies, a number of talked about that solely via world provide chains and collaboration is native innovation possible.

Native Jobs

Strolling across the present flooring, crammed with business folks, it turns into spectacular seeing how many individuals are employed in these clear expertise jobs. In lots of instances, firms based mostly in a single nation will rely closely on native expertise to grasp the wants of the market and develop higher merchandise. More and more, the cumbersome merchandise are seeing their closely automated manufacturing occur regionally. A mess of European firms are arising with artistic functions that use world provide chains, like agrivoltaics programs, or are implementations of worldwide merchandise. For instance, Isifloating’s floating photo voltaic mounts are based mostly in Europe and have localized manufacturing within the US, however their enterprise and the roles it creates are made attainable by the worldwide provide of merchandise that make up the rest of the system. Throughout the present flooring, whether or not it’s from an organization based mostly in Europe or based mostly elsewhere, plenty of native hiring was occurring at InterSolar. A job portal can be prominently featured on the smarter E Europe web site.

“The Greatest Learner Is The Winner.”

That quote comes from an govt of a serious producer on the present who requested to not be named as our dialog strayed into politics, however he makes a fantastic level. He talked about a dynamic the place his firm is continually studying in regards to the wants of worldwide clients, whereas his clients study from them about potential functions. He learns from totally different divisions inside his personal firm to offer higher options throughout divisions. He learns from the developments of his opponents, whereas they study from his firm, every searching for to enhance upon what they discovered to maneuver forward. Within the world dynamic seen at InterSolar, plenty of studying was occurring. The manager talked about that isolation from that studying dynamic was holding the US again, much more than the elevated costs from protectionism. Holding the imaginations of innovators again from studying the complete extent of what’s occurring now, in an effort to create what’s subsequent. Even when our authorities prevents clients from having the liberty to decide on the very best merchandise globally, shoppers ought to study what is feasible to demand higher. Firms who hope to stay related must also search to deeply have interaction within the world clear expertise ecosystem, to study extra and assist develop superior merchandise as much as world requirements. On the very minimal, they may attend world exhibitions and conferences like InterSolar with the target of studying. I hope to attend related world conferences sooner or later to study from totally different views. Or as the manager stated, “slicing your self off from different cultures means you aren’t studying from different cultures.” That studying will outline the winners and losers within the a long time to return.