Queensland will host the inaugural Australian edition of renewable energy event Solar & Storage Live in May 2024.
The world’s largest series of solar energy trade shows is coming to Australia with the inaugural Solar & Storage Live clean energy event being held in Brisbane on May 1–2 2024.
The show is already established in the UK, South Africa, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Switzerland and the US. It focuses exclusively on solar, battery storage and electronic vehicle (EV) charging, and covers the residential, commercial, industrial and utility-scale sectors.
Coming to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, the event is supported by the Brisbane Economic Development Agency and Energy Skills Queensland.
Free entry includes access to the exhibition floor and multi-tracked conference, as well as the Investors’ Lounge and Developers’ Lounge for networking, the educational Installers’ University, roundtable discussions, social events, and a networking app.
Solar & Storage Live will feature more than 150 keynote speakers, including:
- Kane Thornton, chief executive, Clean Energy Council.
- Warwick Johnston, managing director, SunWiz; board member, Clean Energy Council.
- David Shankey, deputy director-general, energy, Queensland Department of Energy and Public Works.
- Kimberly Camrass, director, Climate Positive Brisbane 2032 and Climate Futures, Department of Environment and Science.
- Jenny Riesz, principal, Australian Energy Market Operator.
- Niall Brady, head, solar and battery storage, Clean Energy Finance Corporation
- Stan Krpan, chief executive officer, Solar Victoria.
- Glenn Dahlenburg, general manager, energy storage, Energy Queensland.
- Todd Hacking, chief executive officer, Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia.
- Richard Corkish, chief operating officer, Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics, University of NSW.
- Ross De Rango, head of energy and infrastructure, Electric Vehicle Council.
- Megan Jones, co-founder, Circular PV Alliance.
- David Ritter, chief executive officer, Greenpeace.
Event organisers have identified an opportunity to establish a renewable energy event in Brisbane, especially with commercial and industrial solar predicted to grow at a faster rate in Queensland than in any other Australian state during the next 10 years.
The sunshine state already has the highest number of residential rooftop solar installations in Australia. The nation’s top three local government areas for volume of residential rooftop solar are also in Queensland: Bundaberg Regional Council, Fraser Coast Regional Council, and Toowoomba Regional Council.
Brisbane is also hosting the 2032 Olympic Games and the Queensland Government is investing in new development, infrastructure and utilities ahead of the global event. The state aims to deliver the first climate-positive Olympics.
The Queensland Government is also investing $19 billion as part of its charter to have a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. It has targets of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030, 70 per cent by 2032, and 80 per cent by 2035.
This article featured in the December 2023 edition of ecogeneration.