This year’s Genera, Spain’s largest energy fair, had a strong focus on solar energy and, according to preliminary data, attracted significantly more companies and visitors than last year.
The 2023 Genera energy fair was held on 21–23 February in Madrid with the support of the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and the Institute for Diversification and Conservation of Energy (IDAE). Genera 2023 organizer Ifema claimed that this year’s event grew “by all parameters”.
It attracted 385 direct exhibitors to 18,000 square meters of exhibition space in three halls, a 70% increase over 2022. The participants were 141 international companies and organizations from 21 countries, including China, Germany, Italy, Turkey, the Netherlands and Portugal, according to Ifema. Although the event’s organizer has yet to reveal official attendance figures, it claimed attendance was up more than 50% from 2022, with over 25,500 attendees.
Numbers aside, this year’s event highlighted Spain’s position as a key value center for the solar industry. Genera has practically become a solar fair, and it is no longer primarily focused on its own consumption of energy.
After years of absence, many big names returned to Genera with their own departments. Many manufacturers of batteries and storage systems participated, in addition to a thriving ecosystem of secondary and tertiary producers of components for solar projects. The exhibition featured all the hallmarks of a mature solar market: cables, alarms, production lines, packaging, drones for operation and maintenance, robots, cleaners and software.
Genera 2023 also served as the stage for several important announcements. Iberdrola revealed that it will start manufacturing solar panels in Spain, Trina Solar introduced the new TOPCon series rooftop solar panels and Canadian Solar’s Eternalplanet unit were unveiled a new residential storage system to the European market.
Market analysts and international consulting companies such as Wood Mackenzie and Pexapark walked the corridors of Genera. There were also numerous independent electricity producers and design, procurement and construction contractors.
In addition, several Spanish government officials attended the fair, including Minister of Ecological Transition Teresa Ribera, Minister of Energy Sara Aagesen and Director of IDAE Joan Groizard. Inside something a short interviewGroizard discussed the state of solar energy production in Spain pv magazine.
