The smarter E South America ended its 2026 edition this Thursday (27), reaffirming its position as the continent's main platform for the new energy reality.
Over three days, the event brought together the most relevant companies in the solar energy, storage, energy management and electromobility sectors at the Expo Center Norte in São Paulo, in its four simultaneous trade shows -- Intersolar South America, ees South America, Power2Drive South America and Eletrotec+EM-Power South America.
Simultaneously, it offered an extensive program focusing on crucial topics for the sustainable development of the entire energy chain in its congresses, mini-courses, and workshops, which together attracted approximately three thousand participants.
During the sessions, experts, authorities, investors, and executives from major companies presented and discussed strategic topics for the entire sector. With over 500 exhibitors, the initiative received approximately 50,000 visitors. There was a 30% increase in the exhibition area at ees South America, while Power2Drive South America doubled in size.
"The importance of Brazil and Latin America to the renewable energy market was once again reflected in the corridors and conference rooms of The smarter E South America, which served as a stage for the exchange of experiences and knowledge, the launch of products and solutions, the closing of deals, and fundamental debates for the integrated energy transition throughout the region."
“We conclude this year’s edition with the certainty that, even with the challenges related to network, generation and storage restrictions, as well as financing costs, the segment maintains its vigor, with the potential to advance even further based on the innovations made possible by Artificial Intelligence,” says Florian Wessendorf, Executive Director of Solar Promotion International, the international organizer of the event, together with Freiburg Management und Marketing International and Aranda Eventos & Congressos.
Established as the hub of the energy sector, The smarter E South America 2026 was chosen by the Brazilian Photovoltaic Solar Energy Association (ABSOLAR) as the ideal location to announce a set of proposals for the next federal government. Structured around three fronts (Battery Brazil, Energy that Employs, and Sun for All), the initiative foresees the contracting of at least 8 gigawatts (GW) of storage systems, the expansion of 18 GW in large solar power plants, and the expansion of access to clean energy for 3 million consumer units by 2030.
“Brazil has a strategic advantage that few countries possess: it generates large quantities of renewable and competitive electricity. The next step is to transform this abundance into an economic advantage, consolidating battery storage systems and attracting industries, data centers, green hydrogen, and new businesses intensive in clean electricity, as well as providing clean and affordable electricity to our trading partners in Latin America. For this, we need long-term planning and infrastructure compatible with this opportunity,” highlights Rodrigo Sauaia , CEO of ABSOLAR and president of the Intersolar South America congress committee.
According to the executive, the country, in particular, should promote annual capacity auctions with technological neutrality, creating a robust market for storage systems and providing greater predictability for investments in the segment. According to data from the entity, solar energy is the second largest source in the country, with 74.3 GW in operation, equivalent to 27.4% of the national installed capacity. Since 2012, the sector has accumulated more than R$ 328.2 billion in investments and generated more than 2.2 million green jobs.
The Brazilian Association of Energy Storage Solutions (ABSAE) also took advantage of the event to pre-launch the Vision 2030 Project, which maps challenges related to flexibility, power, charges and tariffs and proposes an integrated agenda of public policies for the sector until 2030, with the aim of making storage a state policy, with greater regulatory predictability, market development and adequate remuneration for the different services provided by the systems.
President of ABSAE and of the ees South America congress committee, Markus Vlasits, confirms the value of The smarter E South America for the storage ecosystem.
“Both the conference and the exhibition reinforce something we have been saying for some time. In Brazil, energy storage has moved beyond the experimental phase, the debate of ideas, and entered its first growth cycle. This is evident in the large number of exhibitors bringing storage solutions to the Brazilian market and also in the debate at the congress. Once again, The smarter E South America consolidates itself as a very important platform for discussing the most pressing issues in our electricity sector regarding energy storage and a great opportunity to stay up-to-date on the latest technological advances,” points out Vlasits.
Growing at an accelerated pace – from January to July of this year, more than 270,000 electrified vehicles were registered, totaling 700,000 units in circulation in the country, according to the Brazilian Electric Vehicle Association (ABVE) – electric mobility was also a highlight in the program of The smarter E South America through the Power2Drive South America conference and trade show.
Rafael Cunha , a consultant for the congress, points out that the timing couldn't be more opportune for the sector and that, while the electricity sector faces challenges related to capacity and generation, electromobility emerges as a future possibility for contributing to the stability of the grid itself, through technologies such as Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G), which allows the use of vehicle batteries to import or export energy from the grid, contributing to frequency and power stability.
“Other current topics, such as the regulation of electric vehicle charging in buildings, were also addressed at the congress, while in the pavilion visitors could learn about new solutions aimed at condominiums, including contactors, emergency buttons, and connection to alarm systems,” the consultant added.
Electrical infrastructure and energy management, fundamental to the energy transition, were on the agenda at the Eletrotec+EM-Power South America trade fair and conference, which once again registered a record number of submitted technical papers. According to João Cunha, senior consultant for the Eletrotec+EM-Power South America congress, the submitted initiatives reflect the current market situation.
“We have seen a very large increase in submissions on electrical installations with a focus on sustainable energy: photovoltaic installations, electric vehicles, and energy storage and battery systems. Another new development is that we had our first parallel session focused on the external meter, which is already established in the European version of EM-Power and which we are starting in Brazil this year,” Cunha pointed out.
Opportunities and business for exhibitors
In the exhibition hall, Nelson Stanisci, BYD's energy storage director in Brazil, highlighted the role of Intersolar South America for the company. “Being here is an important opportunity to show how BYD envisions the future of energy storage in Brazil. The country has all the elements to become one of the world's leading BESS markets, and we want to actively participate in this development. Our investment of up to R$ 500 million in BESS in the country reinforces the size of our commitment to the Brazilian market, combining our own technology, decades of battery expertise, and a long-term presence in the country. Energy storage is a fundamental piece for the advancement of renewables and for building a more flexible, secure, and efficient electricity grid.”
According to Leandro Vicente, commercial director of Aldo Solar, the event's potential for lead generation and networking is one of the key differentiators of The smarter E South America. “For us, the event has been very positive, with a large number of visitors on the first day alone. We were able to get very close to our target audience, the integrators, who came very curious about the new products. We closed good deals and other negotiations are progressing. So, Intersolar is very important for our brand positioning,” emphasizes Vicente.
Trinasolar's Sales Director for Brazil, Patrício Pavez, emphasizes that the initiative reaffirmed itself as the main meeting point for the sector in Latin America. “At this moment of market consolidation, the fair was fundamental for reconnecting with clients, strengthening relationships, and building new projects. It's a key event that allowed us to reinforce strategic alliances and generate excellent business opportunities focused on long-term collaborations,” says the professional.
Thiago Melo, Commercial Director of Industrial Batteries and BESS at Baterias Moura, classifies this year's edition of Intersolar as strategic for the company. “We presented our broad and integrated portfolio of energy storage and management solutions to a specialized and decision-making audience, capable of meeting different scales and levels of complexity. From residences and condominiums to commercial and industrial operations and large photovoltaic generation projects.”
Luciana Godoy, Head of Goods and Services at Santander Financiamentos, emphasizes that “being at Intersolar South America reinforces Santander's presence in a sector that is strategic for the energy transition in our country. More than just financing projects, we want to connect partners, solutions, and opportunities to boost this market.”
WEG's marketing manager, Charles Volnei, considers participation in the fair to be positive, since it "enabled new contacts and opportunities, generating a rich exchange of knowledge with our partners, integrators, and clients."
The smarter E South America 2026 had Petrobras as a platinum sponsor of the congress. The next edition of the event will take place between August 24 and 26, 2027, once again at Expo Center Norte, in São Paulo.
The smarter E South America 2027
Dates: August 24–26, 2027
Fair hours: 12 PM to 8 PM
Conference hours: 9 AM to 8 PM
Expo Center Norte – São Paulo, SP
For more details, visit www.ThesmarterE.com.br