20 top solar events and conferences in 2023

The renewable energy industry has shown great resilience over the last two years. It has become one of the most competitive sources of electricity generation despite supply chain constraints and rising raw material costs. As governments and utilities have set ambitious goals for clean energy deployment to address climate change, growth in renewables is set to accelerate in 2023.

Keeping pace with utility-scale solar and storage developments is important for businesses throughout the supply chain to understand where the sector is heading and which trends will have the most impact. Solar industry events are one way to do just that — putting you where thought leaders, institutions, and manufacturers come together to share their expert knowledge.

Here are the top events that should be on your radar.

Pulse

• What? The renewable energy event to speed up renewable energy transition

• Where? Madrid, Spain

• When? April 19-20, 2023

Pulse brings together global renewable energy professionals to tackle coming challenges, unveil business opportunities and celebrate innovative progress towards the low-carbon sustainable transition. The event includes keynotes speakers, hands-on technical sessions as well as an excellent networking opportunity.

Intersolar Europe

• What? The world’s leading solar exhibition

• Where? Munich, Germany

• When? June 14-16, 2023

The world’s leading solar industry exhibition, Intersolar Europe brings together solar equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, as well as service providers, project planners, and developers from around the world. Attendees discuss the latest solar industry developments and trends, explore technological innovations, and meet potential new clients.

The event is held each year in Munich and while it took place on May 11-13, 2022 the conversation is set to continue over social media — Intersolar has also put this highlights reel together from the 2022 event.

Our team at Intersolar Europe 2022.

Energyear Espana

• What? Spain’s top renewable energy event

• Where? Madrid, Spain

• When? April 25-26, 2023

Also known as Energyear Mediterránea, this event features conferences, workshops and meetings with Spanish renewable executives, specialists and members of the regulatory establishment.

Spain is an important market in the renewable industry as the country with the largest solar resources in Europe and good potential for wind generation, as well as a large manufacturing capacity for equipment components.

The event will be held in Madrid on April 25-26, 2023, but there are other global events running for the remainder of the year. Visit the company’s LinkedIn page for more information.

Our colleague Carla during her panel discussion at Energyear Espana 2022.

RE+

• What? The biggest renewable energy event in the USA, which includes SPI, ESI, RE+ Power, and RE+ Infrastructure

• Where? Las Vegas, Nevada

• When? September 11-14, 2023

Solar Power International (SPI), Energy Storage International (ESI), and Smart Energy Week have rebranded as RE+, as the SPI event has shifted focus to accommodate complementary markets.

As North America's largest renewable energy event, RE+ adopts a more entrepreneurial focus — the importance of uniting clean energy solutions including storage, microgrids, Internet of Things (IoT), wind power, hydrogen, fuel cells, and electric vehicles to respond to the global climate crisis are all up for debate.

RE+ will be held September 11-14, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada, while RE+ Northeast debuted in Boston, Massachusetts on February 22-23, 2023. The rest of RE+ Events (formerly Solar Power Events) can be found here.

Our team at 2022's edition of RE+.

Intersolar South America

• What? South America’s most comprehensive PV and solar thermal event

• Where? Sao Paulo, Brazil

• When? August 29-31, 2023

The region’s largest solar exhibition and conference — 300+ attendees and 40+ providers — Intersolar South America focuses on photovoltaics (PV), PV production and solar thermal technologies. The exhibition presents manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, service providers, project developers, EPC contractors, system integrators, and research institutes, while the conference PV, brings together industry experts to discuss the market, policy and technology trends that will shape one of the world’s most dynamic PV markets.

The event will be held on 29-31 August 2023 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, while the Intersolar Summit Brasil Nordeste event, which is focused on networking, will be held on April 18-19, 2023.

Our colleagues at intersolar South America 2022.

Large Scale Solar Europe

• What? The European edition of Large Scale Solar

• Where? Lisbon, Portugal 

• When? March 21-22, 2023 

Produced by UK media company Solar Media, Large Scale Solar Europe gathers key stakeholders from the European solar industry including senior developers, EPCs, utilities and investors to discuss how the market is maturing and technology is evolving, identify new markets, and what is driving the market forward into the 2020s.

The eleventh year of the sell-out event will be held in Lisbon on 21-22 March, 2023, discussing themes such as colocations, biodiversity, floating solar and green hydrogen. 

Solar Media also runs Large Scale Solar Central & Eastern Europe, scheduled for November 14-15, 2023 in Warsaw, Poland and Large Scale Solar USA, which will take place in Austin, Texas on 3-4 May, 2023.

Solar & Storage Live UK

• What? The UK’s largest solar event: “powering the smart energy system of the future”

• Where? Birmingham, UK

• When? October 17-19, 2023

The UK’s largest solar event, Solar & Storage Live UK, focuses on uniting the solar, energy storage and electric vehicle industries in the UK to “power the smart energy system of the future”. Key stakeholders across the energy value chain meet with innovators and disruptors showcasing the solutions that will enable the clean energy transition.

The video from 2021’s exhibition provides a taste of what’s in store at Solar & Storage Live UK — next held in Birmingham on October 17-19, 2023.

Our colleague Teresa during her keynote presentation at Solar & Storage Live UK 2022.

X Foro Solar

• What? Spain's reference event in the solar photovoltaic sector

• Where? Madrid, Spain

• When? TBA

Leading companies in the Spanish photovoltaic sector debate with public institutions and representatives of civil society to draw up a roadmap to accelerate the energy transition and the economic recovery of our country. IX Foro Solar, organised by the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF), brought together more than a thousand people, breaking a record in its 6th edition in 2022. 

All-Energy Australia

• What? A shared event with All-Energy, Energy Efficiency Expo and Waste Expo Australia

• Where? Melbourne, Australia

• When? October 25-26, 2023

Held in partnership with the Clean Energy Council, All-Energy Australia provides opportunities for industry suppliers and experts to expand their business networks and discuss the latest technology and trends in the renewables sector. All-Energy Australia is co-located with Energy Efficiency Expo and Waste Expo Australia, showcasing clean energy, energy efficiency and sustainability in one place.

“With the recent border opening of Australia, the industry is eager to meet, see the newest industry technologies and make a change in the market’s energy current situation. All-energy is the place to be this year as we have found that Australian-based companies are quite eager to meet and discuss the industry, specially for utility-scale related activities“ Laura Rodríguez, Account Executive Manager of Australia.

Our team at All-Energy Australia in 2022.

World Future Energy Summit (WFES)

• What? An exhibition and summit with multiple forums (available in person and on-demand)

• Where? Abu Dhabi, UAE

• When? January 16-18, 2023

WFES is hosted by renewable energy company Masdar in the United Arab Emirates annually, held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. The event features a summit and exhibition as well as a Project Village and Young Future Energy Leaders program. Forums play a big part at WFES too, with breakout sessions happening around Solar & Clean Energy, Smart Cities or Ecowaste, among others.

Solar Solutions International

• What? A largescale event focusing on sustainable HVAC technology

• Where? Expo Greater Amsterdam, Netherlands

• When? March 15-16, 2023

It’s the largest trade show for solar energy in Northwest Europe  in the Benelux region. The 2022 event was 25% bigger than previous years, offering practical seminars and networking opportunities. Running simultaneously with Green Heating, the largest trade show for sustainable HVAC technology, attendees can get up to date with both sustainable heating and energy at the same time.

Our team at Solar Solutions International in 2022.

Energaïa Forum

• What? An annual renewable energy forum celebrated in France

• Where? Montpellier, France

• When? December 7-8, 2023

Energaïa is annual event dedicated to renewable energy industry professionals, supported by the Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée. Backed up by a content-rich programme of talks, round tables, workshops and pitches giving centre stage to the expertise of key players in the sector, Forum EnerGaïa has reasserted its status as a major meeting for renewable energy professionals.

Intersolar North America

• What? A huge solar energy event with 4500 attendees and 275 exhibitions

• Where? Long Beach, California

• When? February 14-16, 2023

Intersolar North America (ISNA) and Energy Storage North America (ESNA) combined for the first time in January 2022, delivering one of the major solar and storage events in the region. The event boasted 4500 attendees and 275 exhibitors, connecting installers, developers, utilities, technology providers, policymakers, and key stakeholders.

There’s also the annual Solar Games competition, where installer teams build on- and off-grid residential solar and storage systems in the exhibition hall using material from sponsors.

Our team at 2022's edition of Intersolar North America.

SNEC PV Power Expo

• What? Asia’s largest PV trade show

• Where? Shanghai, China

• When? May 24-26, 2023

The biggest PV trade show in Asia, SNEC PV Power Expo showcases PV manufacturing facilities, equipment, materials, projects, and systems, plus energy storage and mobile energy. The conference covers PV market trends, collaboration and development strategies, policy, finance, and investment.

GENERA

• What? An international energy and environment trade fair

• Where? Madrid, Spain

• When? February 21-23, 2023

The International Energy and Environment Trade Fair, GENERA counts with the support of the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving, IDAE (Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge). The fair brings together professionals from the energy efficiency and renewable energies areas in the commitment towards climate neutrality.

Our colleagues at GENERA 2022.

PV Expo Japan

• What? World Smart Energy Week

• Where? Tokyo, Japan

• When? March 15-17, 2023

PV EXPO gathers a full range of products and technologies from next-generation solar cells to solar power plant construction, maintenance and operation, and is well-established in the industry as the business plat form where experts from all over the world visit.

The Expo counts with three different shows throughtout the year: March 15-17, September 13-15 and November 15-17. 

Our colleagues at the PV Expo 2022.

Solarplaza Summit Nordics

• What? An international gathering for large-scale PV stakeholders

• Where? Denmark, Copenhagen

• When? September 28, 2023

Solarplaza is an international event organization. Since 2004, Solarplaza has organized 150+ events, in 60 cities, in 41 countries, on 6 continents. The Solarplaza Summit Nordics unites key players active in Nordic PV markets, providing them with crucial insights and extended networking opportunities.

ASEAN Clean Energy Week

• What? Southeast Asia’s most attractive and influential solar conference and exhibition

• Where? Manila, the Philippines

• When? November, 2023

With 1500+ C-suite energy professionals, ACEW brings together leaders and decision makers across the fields of energy, technology, finance, business, and government to discuss how they can facilitate the acceleration of the energy transition in a region that is home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Our team at the 2022 edition of ACEW.

Key Energy

• What? Italy's reference event for renewables

• Where? Rimini, Italy

• When? March 22-24, 2023

K.EY provides a comprehensive showcase for the technology, integrated solutions and services that can guide the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral economy. It is also a cultural, scientific and technical hub and community catalyst able to connect stakeholders, players and leaders in the renewable energy sector.

Our team at Key Energy 2022.

Clean Power Conference & Exhibition

• What? Italy's reference event for renewables

• Where? New Orleans, LA

• When? May 22-25, 2023