We have already reported on some of the international trade fairs that have taken place in recent weeks, for example the Energiesparmesse Wels in Austria and Solar Solutions in the Netherlands. Today we want to talk about the ENEX in Kielce, Poland, where we were able to present our portfolio on 8th and 9th March.
The focus of the fair was on sustainability, e-mobility and storage as well as mounting systems, on which many stimulating discussions took place. For our Polish team, it was also a premiere to visit the fair together with the many new colleagues, as the team has grown significantly in the last year.
ENEX in numbers
The international trade fair for “Power and Electrical Engineering and Renewable Energy Sources” took place for the 25th time and celebrated this anniversary together with more than 300 exhibitors from 15 countries. Almost 20,000 visitors were on their way on more than 33,000 square meters, which is a new record for the fair. In 2022, there were still less than 8,000 visitors on less than half the space. This development clearly shows how strongly interest in renewable energies is growing and how positive the growth is throughout the industry.
Product highlights
Our highlights at the stand in Poland were also our IBC SOLAR mounting systems: AeroFix G3, our in-house aerodynamic mounting system for flat roofs, adapts perfectly to the dimensions of the module and impresses with its cost-effectiveness, modularity and high quality. A variety of installation options and the possibility to combine wide and narrow base rails make the system unique. For pitched roofs, we had our mounting system IBC TopFix200 with us at the fair. This system adapts to all types of roof tiles, trapezoidal sheet metal roofs or corrugated eternit roofs and meets the required safety and quality standards. High-quality components guarantee a long service life, and pre-assembled parts also reduce installation costs.
Another highlight was the presentation of our PV Manager, a planning tool for grid-connected PV systems in the home and commercial sector. As a comprehensive programme, it offers all functions for planning, selling and processing in a single software. It accompanies installers professionally through every project – from customer enquiry, quotation and order to commissioning. Visitors could try out the software directly at the stand.
The PV Market in Poland
In Poland, too, a lot has happened in the PV sector in recent years. Despite general growth, political decisions also have an influence on the market. For example, last year’s switch from net metering to net billing is expected to continue to reverberate in the residential segment, while on the other hand the commercial and industrial (C&I) and solar park market segments are poised to catch up. In the commercial sector, interest in energy self-sufficiency is particularly high due to the sharp rise in energy prices. Because of the long development times, many projects will be realised this year that were already planned last year. Solar parks are currently very interesting for investors. A lot will happen in this sector in the near future, as the government targets for the share of renewable energies have to be met. The storage segment is also growing, which will be further expanded by new subsidies expected in the spring.
The residential sector underwent a significant change in spring 2022, when new regulations were introduced for PV “micro systems” up to 50 kW in size. The new net billing system replaced the net metering system that had been in order since 2016, jeopardising the main driver of PV expansion in Poland. Net metering is a model of remuneration from small PV installations where prosumers are only charged the difference between their electricity fed into the grid and the grid electricity used. With net billing, the prosumer is paid with a feed-in tariff that is, however, lower than the market electricity price. Despite many hurdles last year, according to Solar Power Europe, a total of 4.9 GW of capacity was installed, making Poland the third largest European market after Germany and Spain.
Conclusion
After two eventful days at the trade fair, we look back very positively on the industry meeting in Kielce. Our Polish team returned to their desks with many new ideas and suggestions and is looking forward to the upcoming projects and collaborations that emerged at the fair.