Taking place for the first time on 23 and 24 January 2024 at Eurexpo Lyon France
The energy world is undergoing profound change, a revolution which is setting new industry standards. Decentralised, low-carbon, renewable energy sources now play a central role in our society. Smart electrical systems are emerging, providing agility and new services while lowering consumption. A new ecosystem spanning the entire energy value chain is being invented and a new market is taking shape, opening up huge potential for development, cooperation, innovation and business.
This provides the backdrop for the ambition of Open Energies to be the new professional event dedicated to photovoltaic energy production, self-consumption and energy system monitoring - a genuine forum where manufacturers, distributors and users of smart energy systems can meet, share ideas and invent new projects. This stance also chimes with the ambitions of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional authority to develop solar energy.
This new show is organised by the GreenTech+ division of GL events, which also manages other major gatherings on the common topics of green innovation and sustainable development. These include BePOSITIVE, dedicated to the energy transition, which will be held every two years, alternating with Open Energies.
“We intend to make Open Energies the forum for sharing knowledge and experiences and the place where innovation thrives, starting from renewable energy production and moving towards new uses, including both self-consumption and electric mobility.”
- Raphaël Goerens, GreenTech+ Business Development Manager, GL events
Jean-Luc Fugit, member of parliament for the Rhône department, president of consultative industry body the Conseil supérieur de l'énergie (CSE), and Vice-President of the OPECST*, is Honorary President of the inaugural Open Energies exhibition.
* Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices
Open Energies, a meeting and networking forum and a business accelerator
Open Energies will be the place for developers and users of smart energy systems to meet, exchange ideas and work together on designing and deploying projects that will shape the future of energy. This will hence be a major business gathering, offering a wealth of new opportunities.
The inaugural Open Energies exhibition will showcase solutions focusing on three key themes:
- Production of renewables, especially via photovoltaics (solar panels, carports, inverters, etc.);
- New energy uses (electric mobility, charging stations, heat pumps, thermodynamic water heaters, etc.);
- Monitoring of smart systems (smart buildings, control, etc.).
Who are the exhibitors?
Equipment manufacturers and distributors and service providers will be showcasing their solutions and innovations in the field of new energy systems:
- PV and RE generation
- Electricity for buildings, industry and the service sector
- Energy storage
- Electric mobility: charging, data collection, management
- Grid integration
- Data management: collection, storage, distribution and processing
- Integrated solutions
- Developers, EPC firms, energy producers/suppliers
- Engineering, technical consulting, finance, insurance, legal matters, training, innovation, and more...
And the visitors?
This new event is intended for visitors along the entire value chain such as fitters, RE project developers, public- and private-sector energy buyers, specifiers, R&D and innovation managers and investors, as well as potential data users and application developers. It is also for players responsible for examining energy issues in an asset management context, such as public- and private-sector contracting authorities and technical managers of property portfolios or industry processes.
Open Energies Connect – an app to foster networking at the exhibition
The OE connect app is the networking service offered to all exhibition visitors, exhibitors and partners. By generating leads and boosting opportunities to meet, it gives them an additional way to make the most of their presence. It is also a valuable visit guide, as it contains the list of exhibitors, a summary of their products and innovations, the exhibition programme, and much more.
New sustainable uses emerge with the ramp-up of photovoltaics, self-consumption and storage
The upscaling of photovoltaics, self-consumption and storage capabilities and the sustained rollout of such systems are paving the way to new sustainable solutions, transforming the way we produce, consume and manage electricity. Old methods and facilities are being called into question, driving the emergence of new opportunities and some significant advances. As David Gréau, CEO of Enerplan, stresses: "players in the energy sector need places and times to come together to ensure that RE systems - whether self-consumption based or not - are geared to the needs of electrical systems.”
An event like Open Energies is a chance to shine a spotlight on the smart solutions lying behind the systems, panels and facilities. Smart systems are vital to optimise consumption and make the connection with generation. This is a key area of focus for future investment, and the major challenge of decarbonisation is opening up a huge range of possibilities.
An exhibition at the heart of the AuRA region's solar energy challenges
Open Energies ties in with an ambitious policy to develop solar energy across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (AuRA) region of France, which has strong potential thanks to abundant sunshine and a rich local ecosystem.
Testament to this is the launch of the Club Solaire métropolitain du Grand Lyon, an initiative of the Lyon urban area authority in conjunction with the regional solar energy professionals’ union AuRA Digital Solaire and Enedis. Unveiled during BePOSITIVE last March, this advisory body aims to provide local players in the Lyon urban area with the operational tools and contacts they need to accelerate the development of their solar projects.
Three experts’ viewpoints on these markets
“The first step was to move to renewables. The second, now, is to move to smart systems, in order to match different energy sources to needs.”
Jules Nyssen, President of the renewable energy union Syndicat des énergies renouvelables (SER)
“By their very nature, solar energy players are decentralised at a regional level, working with private individuals and businesses, and all this needs to be coordinated, automated, computerised and discussed.”
David Gréau, CEO of ENERPLAN
"Solar energy is decentralised at a regional scale, so it is vital to balance electricity supply and demand on the grid.”
Pascal Richard, President of AuRA Digital Solaire
Players who have already confirmed they will be attending the inaugural exhibition:*
*Non-exhaustive list
GROWATT https://fr.growatt.com/: global provider of smart, sustainable energy solutions.
NED [Nouvelles Energies Distribution] https://www.ned-energie.fr/: leading distributor of innovative renewable energy solutions to professionals.
RISEN ENERGY https://en.risenenergy.com: solar innovation to support a zero-carbon future for everyone.
ECONEGOCE www.econegoce.com: B2B energy efficiency retrofitting specialist.
FOX ESS www.fox-ess.com: a global leader in the development of inverter and energy storage solutions.
KBE ENERGY www.kbe-energy.com: a major player in the French PV market.
ENERFOX https://www.enerfox.fr/: offers a hardware and software solution helping companies and communities work towards energy optimisation and independence.
SOLSTYCE https://www.solstyce.fr/: expert in solar energy and the construction of PV solar power plants to meet energy, environmental and architectural challenges.
SUNPOWER https://sunpower.maxeon.com/fr/: has been offering solar energy solutions for homes and businesses for more than 35 years.
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ABOUT THE ORGANISER
GL events Exhibitions Operations
With 200 public and professional events organised worldwide, GL events Exhibitions Operations has developed unrivalled expertise in the business of organizing exhibitions, a business which must keep pace with ever improving marketing, communication and organisational techniques while staying in close touch with the players in its markets. The Open Energies exhibition is organised by the GreenTech+ division, which also manages eight other major gatherings: BePOSITIVE, Eurobois, Expobiogaz, HyVolution, Horizonia, Paysalia, Piscine Global Europe, and Rocalia.
GreenTech+ is the new division of the GL events group, a unique showcase born of synergies between trade fairs grouped around the common themes of green innovation and sustainable development.
With GreenTech+, GL Events group wants to play a full part in meeting the major environmental challenges, with a unique format that brings together and offers new visibility to the sectors of the future. GreenTech+ is an accelerator committed to supporting the industry's players in their development, seeking tomorrow's solutions, and encouraging people to behave in a more environmentally responsible manner.
