Despite the spacious aisles in Rimini’s 24 exhibition halls, it was sometimes difficult to get through. More than 1,000 exhibitors, including 320 from abroad, showcased products and services at KEY 2026 from 4–6 March. According to organiser Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), visitor numbers rose 10 percent compared with the previous year, with foreign visitors up 9 percent. IEG did not publish total attendance figures, but turnout appeared to be around 60,000. Some 530 hosted buyers and delegations from 59 countries attended, many from Southeast Europe and Africa, supported by 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 more visitor delegations and exhibitors from the Middle East and Africa at the trade fair, according to Alessandra Borghesi and Federica Ricci of IEG in conversation with pv Europe. Disrupted flight connections often complicated travel arrangements. At the same time, the conflict and its impact on oil and gas prices added further tailwind to the message emerging from Rimini: the necessity and feasibility of accelerating the energy transition. To make Italy’s domestic energy supply more resilient to turbulence in global markets, more solar and wind power will be needed, emphasised Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Minister for the Environment and Energy Security, in his opening speech.
Hans-Christoph Neidlein
Virtually all major international PV and battery manufacturers, along with smaller companies, start-ups and distributors, exhibited at KEY 2026. Exhibitors interviewed by pv Europe reported strong visitor interest and expressed high levels of satisfaction. The general view was that, after Intersolar/The smarter E Europe, KEY has become the second most important solar and renewables trade fair in Europe. This reflects the rapid growth of Italy’s PV and battery market, particularly in larger installations, and the event’s role as a platform for the southern and southwestern Mediterranean region and North Africa.
However, the visitor structure at KEY remains noticeably less international than at the leading fair in Munich, with 80 to 90 percent of attendees coming from Italy, including many installers and distributors. According to IEG, the presence of investors increased significantly at this year’s event, reflected in an extensive supporting programme focused on financing.
Software-supported integrated solutions
The market trend continues towards software-supported integrated solutions that combine PV with battery storage for commercial, industrial and 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 storage solutions for commercial and large-scale applications ranging from 100 kW to 6.25 MW, Trina Storage introduced its Elementa utility-scale storage unit featuring a new cell type, and Sungrow displayed its range of storage solutions up to the new Power Titan 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 agrivoltaic applications, were also prominent, from international manufacturers such as Solarsteel, Solargik, Array and SL Rack to several Italian suppliers. Most ground-mounted installations in Italy are now equipped with trackers, and their share in European solar parks has reached around 50 percent. Demand is growing for systems designed for uneven terrain, often combined with software for yield forecasting, monitoring and fault diagnosis. Module manufacturers are responding to this trend: Aiko, for example, presented its Infinite module, optimised for tracker use and designed to be robust while slightly lighter (665 W, 32.2 kg).
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The trend towards larger projects was also reflected in the presence of internationally active EPCs and developers such as Metlen. The Greek company, which also operates as an IPP, signed a joint venture with PPC, the country’s largest electricity provider, during KEY to develop 1,500 MW / 3,000 MWh of energy storage projects in Romania, Bulgaria and Italy.
Also new residential products
In addition, companies such as Ecoflow, Hyxi and Solavita unveiled new products for integrated energy management of PV and storage systems in the residential and commercial sectors. Gokin 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. Austrian wallbox provider Go-E, active in the Italian market since last year, was also present in Rimini, presenting charging systems designed for PV self-consumption and bidirectional charging. (hcn)
We‘ll be posting more from KEY 2026 in the coming days, so watch this space.
