Despite the spacious aisles of the 24 exhibition halls at Fiera di Rimini, at times it was difficult to get through. Over 1,000 exhibitors, including 320 from abroad, presented their latest products and services at KEY 2026 from 4–6 March. According to the organiser, the Italian Exhibiting Group (IEG), visitor numbers at the Energy Transition Expo were up 10 percent compared to the previous year, with foreign visitors increasing by 9 percent. IEG did not provide exact figures for total attendance, but it felt like there were easily 60,000 visitors. 530 hosted buyers and delegations from 59 countries, many from Southeast Europe and Africa, were present thanks to support from the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).
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Without the Iran war, there would normally have been even more visitor delegations and exhibitors from the Middle East and Africa at the trade fair, according to Allesandra Borghesi and Federica Ricci of IEG in conversation with pv Europe. Disrupted flight connections often threw a wrench in the works here. On the other hand, the war, with its dramatic impact on oil and gas prices, gave further tailwind to the “Message from Rimini”—namely, the necessity and feasibility of an accelerated energy transition. To make Italy’s domestic energy supply more independent from turbulence in global markets, more solar and wind power is needed, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Minister for the Environment and Energy Security, emphasised in his opening speech.
Hans-Christoph Neidlein
Virtually all major international PV and battery manufacturers, as well as smaller companies, start-ups and distributors, exhibited at KEY 2026. Exhibitors interviewed by pv Europe reported being thoroughly satisfied, noting high visitor interest. The consensus: Behind Intersolar/The smarter E Europe, KEY has now become the second most important solar and renewables trade fair in Europe, driven by the rapidly growing Italian PV and battery market, especially in the area of larger installations and as a platform for the southern and southwestern Mediterranean region and North Africa. However, the visitor structure at KEY is noticeably less international than at the leading fair in Munich, with 80 to 90 percent of attendees from Italy—including many installers and distributors. According to IEG, the presence of investors grew significantly at this year’s KEY, reflected in an extensive supporting programme on financing topics.
Software-supported integrated solutions
The market trend continues towards software-supported integrated solutions, combining PV with battery storage and C&I as well as utility-scale applications, as conversations with exhibitors and a walk through the halls confirmed. For example, JA Solar presented its latest module generation and, for the first time, its C&I storage systems. Longi showcased its large-scale and commercial storage solutions ranging from 100 kW to 6.25 MW, Trina Storage introduced its Elementa large-scale storage unit featuring a new cell type, and Sungrow displayed its new PowerTitan 3.0. BYD was also present in Rimini with the latest generation of its Battery-Box with blade batteries for residential and commercial applications.
Hans-Christoph Neidlein
The numerous providers of tracker systems—including for agri-PV applications—also caught the eye, whether international manufacturers such as Solarsteel, Solargik, Array and SL Rack, or various Italian suppliers. Most ground-mounted installations in Italy are now equipped with trackers, and the share of trackers in solar parks across Europe has reached around 50 percent. Trackers for use on uneven terrain, combined with software for yield forecasting and monitoring or fault diagnosis, are increasingly in demand. Module manufacturers like Aiko are responding to this trend with the Infinite module, optimised for tracker use, particularly robust and slightly lighter (665 W, 32.2 kg).
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The trend towards larger projects is also reflected in the presence of internationally leading EPCs and developers such as Metlen. Greece’s largest private company, which also operates as an IPP, signed a joint venture with PPC, the largest Greek electricity provider, during KEY, to develop 1,500 MW / 3,000 MWh energy storage projects in Romania, Bulgaria and Italy.
Also new residential products
In addition, companies like Ecoflow, Hyxi and Solarvita unveiled new products for holistic energy management of PV/storage systems for the residential and commercial sector. Gonkin presented its new “AllBlack” back-contact module for the residential market, while Solarfabrik showcased its Mono S4 Halfcut BC White Module (485/490 W) for private and commercial applications. Senior Business Development Manager Ricarda Gutsch told pv Europe that coloured solar modules for the Italian market are planned to launch later this year. Also in Rimini was Austrian wallbox provider Go-E, active in the Italian market since last year, presenting its charging systems designed for PV self-consumption and bidirectional charging. (hcn)
Read more about KEY 2026 the coming days
