The Southern Hemisphere’s largest clean energy event returns to Melbourne – bigger, bolder, and more international than ever.
With batteries, EV (electric vehicle) infrastructure and grid tech in the spotlight, All Energy Australia is fast becoming a global hub for the energy transition.
All Energy Australia 2025 is poised to surpass all previous iterations, building on record-breaking momentum that saw more than 14,500 unique visitors and a 94 per cent surge in international delegates last year.
At the heart of this year’s event is a bold theme: Australia’s rising influence in the global energy transition – and how this sun-soaked continent is attracting the world’s attention.
“I started on the event in 2016, and it was considerably smaller than what it is now,” says Robby Clark, Exhibition Director at All Energy Australia.
“The market was already dominated by Chinese brands, which makes sense – they lead the way in solar and battery technology – but there was so much more that we could represent.”
Clark took it on himself to expand All Energy Australia’s international reach.
“We’ve proactively grown our international presence,” he says.
“That means attending events like Intersolar in Munich or Smart Energy Week in Japan and saying, ‘Australia is an important place for you to do business.’”
The pitch has become easier. With high rooftop solar uptake, growing battery storage, and strong policy backing, Australia offers a combination of technological appetite and real-world application.
“No one’s going to fly across the world to exhibit unless there’s business to be done, and there is – Australia is a hotspot,” Clark says.
Global, but grounded
Beyond the groundbreaking technology on show, Clark says the sense of shared purpose is what draws global players in.
“There’s a real appetite for the energy of the future here. It’s become very clear, even politically, that the public backs renewables,” he says.
“We have geography on our side – lots of land, lots of sun, lots of rooftops – but we also have the right market conditions.”
This community-first ethos was powerfully on show at All Energy Australia 2024. From packed sessions on community energy and Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) to a full-day First Nations Energy program delivered in partnership with Good Energy Minds, the event actively foregrounds the social side of energy transition.
“We’re seeing what was theoretical five years ago become reality,” Clark says.
“I’ve seen community batteries being installed in my suburb. I walk past EV chargers on the street near my office. And when we run a VPP session now, it fills a 260-seat room. A few years ago, we were lucky to get 80.”
For Clark, this rapid normalisation of once-niche innovations is one of the most satisfying shifts.
“It used to be that when someone said ‘VPP’ you had to explain what it meant. Now it’s just part of the language,” he says.
A new centre of gravity
If VPPs represent the community side of the transition, then Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) symbolise its technical backbone. At All Energy Australia, batteries are booming.
“Battery storage now has the strongest product representation on the show floor,” says Clark.
“Go back four or five years ago and it was all solar PV. Now, BESS dominates. It’s on every second stand.”
The scale has also changed.
“It used to be small units drilled onto walls. Now we’re craning in full container-sized storage systems,” he says.
“Companies are dividing their stands between residential and industrial battery systems – it’s 50/50 now.”
This reflects a wider market trend. While residential storage remains crucial, large-scale batteries are fast becoming essential to grid stability – especially as more renewables come online.
“You look at NSW, SA, the ACT – they’re all bringing big batteries online. And you’ll see that reflected on the show floor,” Clark says.
EV infrastructure in the spotlight
Another standout for 2025 is electric vehicle infrastructure. After years of calls for stronger EV representation, All Energy Australia has launched a dedicated EV Technology & Infrastructure Zone – developed in collaboration with the Electric Vehicle Council.
“EV is finally getting the space it deserves,” Clark says.
“But we’ve intentionally kept it trade-focused. This isn’t a consumer car show – it’s about the technology and infrastructure behind the vehicles.”
That means charging hardware, load balancing software, fleet integration tools, and more.
The timing could not be better. All Energy Australia has seen a 36 per cent increase in visitors looking for EV infrastructure solutions, and a 12 per cent rise in exhibitors showcasing them. With EV charging still patchy across much of Australia, the sector is hungry for scalable, deployable solutions.
Grid smarts
Beyond batteries and EVs, All Energy Australia is also expanding in areas like grid integration and energy efficiency. In partnership with the Energy Efficiency Council, the event includes a growing dedicated zone and education theatre for smart energy management – crucial as the grid strains under the weight of new connections.
“We’ve got all this fantastic new renewable energy coming online,” says Clark.
“But the grid we’re plugging it into isn’t always fit for purpose. So we’re seeing more exhibitors and conference content focused on grid technology, consultants, and solutions providers.”
This aligns with the show’s steady move from pure renewables into the wider energy ecosystem.
As Clark says; “It’s not just about generating clean energy – it’s about managing and distributing it intelligently.”
Policy meets practice
Despite its technology-first focus, All Energy Australia does not shy away from the big-picture questions. Policymakers, regulators and financiers are all part of the event’s opening plenary sessions, where national and state-level agendas are discussed openly.
“We’ve always had strong support from the Victorian Government, which makes sense given the event’s home base,” says Clark.
“But we also get great representation from other states, especially around Renewable Energy Zones and large-scale project updates.”
Still, Clark is quick to emphasise the event’s practical, real-world atmosphere.
“It starts at that macro level, but it always comes back down to product, delivery, and people on the ground. That’s what makes it valuable.”
Face-to-face in a digital world
In an increasingly online world, All Energy Australia remains proudly in-person. According to Clark, that is part of its magic.
“Trade shows are about face-to-face interaction. It’s about touching a product, hearing an expert, having that conversation you didn’t expect to have – whether it’s over a coffee, in a session, or on the expo floor,” he says.
“That serendipity is what drives connection.”
It is also what helps bridge the gap between intention and execution.
“This industry is moving fast. Events like this give people a chance to stop, reset, and go deeper – to learn, network, partner, and come away with real momentum,” Clark says.
Looking ahead to 2030 and beyond, Clark sees continued evolution – both for the event and the sector.
“You’ve got to look backwards to look forwards. Ten or fifteen years ago, this industry was tiny. Now it’s booming, and there’s still plenty of growth to come,” he says.
He sees shifts coming in hydrogen, data centre energy, First Nations-led projects and more.
“Some technologies might pivot. Hydrogen is a great example – it’s changed formats, but it’s not gone. It’s evolving,” Clark says.
So is All Energy Australia.
“Now it’s truly international,” Clark says.
“More countries are coming. More manufacturers are launching products. The growth is only accelerating.”