Smart Energy 2024
Early in March this year, the annual Smart Energy conference was held in Sydney. An exhibition such as this is a great way of keeping up with the ever-changing renewable energy sector.
Exhibitors from across Australia and worldwide get together to showcase not only their current products, but products that have been in development and will be released to the public in the near future.
The exhibition covers many different aspects of the energy sector, such as solar panels, inverters and batteries, which are always in the spotlight at these events, with a large number of exhibitors displaying them. Monitoring platforms, energy management devices, and software were also showcased, demonstrating how to maximise the utilisation of the energy being produced and optimise its benefits for end-users.
Products like the Catch Power Relay and other energy diversion equipment was a popular stand. These products intelligently divert any excess solar energy being produced to appliances that can be switched on and off, depending on how much available excess solar is being produced.
Given that in the last year we have seen a number of well known brands of panels and inverters leave the Australian market for various reasons, it was good to see that the products we most commonly use were still on display and showing no signs of slowing down. If anything, these products were highly prominent, showcasing their respective offerings as industry leading. Brands like Fronius, Trina, PowerPlus+, SolarEdge, BYD, Sungrow and Selectronic were all represented and are highly respected in the solar industry.
Another aspect of the annual Smart Energy conference is for training and education. Each year, installers and designers are required to achieve a certain amount of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points to continue working in the industry. These training sessions cover topics relating to the solar industry, ensuring installers stay up to date with changes affecting the installation of specific products and encouraging adherence to Australian industry standards and best practices. This ensures the safety and longevity of the systems that customers purchase for their homes.