The 18th Solar PV & Energy Storage World Expo (PV Guangzhou 2026) opened on September 17 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou, bringing together more than 2,000 exhibitors from across the globe for a three-day showcase of the photovoltaic and energy storage industry's full value chain. Organized by the Guangdong Grandeur International Exhibition Group, the event has grown over eighteen years into one of the Asia-Pacific region's most influential solar and storage trade platforms, and this edition reflects both the scale and the ambition of an industry at a critical inflection point.
A Showcase of Unprecedented Scale
The 2023 exhibition has a size of 180,000 square meters with over 2,000 exhibitors carrying out several solar and storage activities. Starting from polysilicon and wafer production as inputs to the latest methods of energy putting such as the storage, inverter, module production, and solar storage. With the listing of the exhibitors exhibiting their talent in the field of solar technology, leading solar companies including JinkoSolar, LONGi, JA Solar, Trina Solar, Tongwei, AIKO Solar, and energy storage companies such as Sungrow, GoodWe, Huawei Digital Power. The participation of all these companies in the fair points towards China's stronghold in the field of solar technology where it has a contribution of around 80 percent.
Technology at the Forefront
The trade show floor shows off the most cutting-edge technologies available to the market, with the key technologies featuring TOPCon, HJT, and perovskite tandem cell technologies. Among them stand long-duration energy storage systems, liquid-basis storage solutions, as well as smart energy management solutions based on AI technologies. BIPV (building-integrated photovoltaic) and agrivoltaics continue to capture many of the exhibitor's attention, even as the industry starts to shift its focus from utility-scale applications to more comprehensive usage situations.
The timing of these technological showcases is significant. Global solar installations reached a record 664 GW in 2025, but analysts project an 8 percent contraction to approximately 612 GW in 2026, driven primarily by a 24 percent decline in the Chinese market following changes to its solar market design. In this context, the expo serves as a critical platform for manufacturers to demonstrate differentiation through technology rather than scale alone.
Connecting Global Markets
The occurrence of global participation has marked this year's occasion. Just on the first day, the exhibition was attended by over 6800 international professional visitors from more than 100 countries and regions including system integrators, EPC contractors, distributors, and investors. The global energy storage market expands even faster than solar energy, with predictions of 62 percent growth of installations till 2026 and the Chinese companies share of 82 percent of global deliveries in the first quarter of the year.
The expo's role as a trade bridge is particularly relevant as the industry navigates increasingly complex global trade dynamics. For international buyers and suppliers alike, PV Guangzhou offers a rare opportunity to engage directly with the full spectrum of Chinese manufacturing capability in a single venue.
Parallel Forums and Strategic Dialogue
In addition to the trade show, there will be several conferences at this event, including the 2026 World Solar and Energy Storage Industry High-Quality Development Conference and the 2026 Global Energy Storage Forum. These conferences will serve as a forum for policy-makers, researchers, and industry executives to discuss fundamental issues related to energy storage policies and entry into foreign markets, as well as combining solar energy with energy storage technologies and their applications in green energy projects.
Looking Ahead
The arrival of the 18th PV Guangzhou edition presents challenges for the solar and storage sector while also creating opportunities. Demand in some important markets, including China, has created predictions of a temporary slowdown in installations, yet the long-term outlook remains bright. The solar market is projected to resume growing in 2027 while energy storage will see more than 1 TWh per year milestone reached by 2028. It is with this context that the Guangzhou expo serves as a trade fair and a market indicator of where the industry is heading and further evidence of the transition to a zero-carbon energy system.
