Industry Event
Smart Buildings Show announces conference programme
The UK’s only dedicated commercial smart buildings conference and exhibition, Smart Buildings Show takes place at ExCeL London on 14-15 October 2026.
T he conference
programme for the show is now live, and even organisers have confirmed a number of industry-leading speakers. Their presentations will debate emerging trends and provide a wealth of information to guide delegates towards efficiency in their buildings. The dedicated conference programme features over 120 speakers in four separate theatres: Energy Management; IT and Digital Infrastructure; Management and Proptech; and Controls and Networks.
As hybrid work, sustainability
targets and operational efficiency are becoming more prevalent than ever, smart infrastructure ties it all together and by combining digital systems with the built environment, businesses are gaining insights that lead to lower energy costs, more efficient use of space and smarter investment decisions.
Smart Buildings Show 2026 will also feature a dedicated AI Hub with exhibitors showcasing the latest technology which integrates AI into smart buildings to generate efficiencies. AI is now being used throughout the smart buildings industry making buildings far more intelligent than they have ever
been through the use of data which allows the building to self learn and evolve to suit the changing needs of its occupants. The AI Hub will allow exhibitors to promote their products and services to over 3,500 attendees
and speak directly to the people that matter during the dedicated panel discussion.
https://smartbuildingsshow.com
Solar Charging
EV solar modules market B
ut a quieter contest is taking shape on the outside of the vehicle – on the roof, the hood, the hatch – solar integration. The global EV solar modules market was valued at roughly $728.71 million in 2026, and is projected to reach $3,088.01 million by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of nearly 19.73%, according to Polaris Market Research. Those numbers matter less as a forecast than as a signal: solar integration is shifting from a niche engineering curiosity into a genuine strategic lever.
It’s tempting to read EV solar modules as simply a way to squeeze a few extra miles out of a sunny commute. That framing undersells what’s happening. The more useful lens is ‘range independence’ – reducing reliance on grid charging for auxiliary loads, standby drain and short- hop driving, even before it changes total range dramatically.
ewnews.co.uk
That distinction matters commercially. A fleet manager doesn’t need solar to double a van’s range; they need fewer unplanned charging stops and lower depot costs. An automaker doesn’t need solar to replace the battery; it needs a feature that differentiates a flagship trim and signals sustainability leadership.
This is why solar integration is increasingly a product strategy decision, not just a components one. Nissan’s 2026 AI-powered vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) program and its solar- augmented ARIYA concept, alongside LONGi’s collaboration with NIO on integrated photovoltaic charging infrastructure, aren’t incremental engineering updates – they’re bets that solar becomes a visible, marketable layer of the EV value proposition. Polaris Market Research’s data shows that power management systems are forecast to grow fastest of any component category. This is the
For a decade, the EV race has been fought on one battlefield: battery chemistry. Bigger packs, faster charging, longer range.
hardware that determines whether solar-generated electrons get used intelligently – regulating charge flow, prioritising auxiliary loads, coordinating with the main battery. An automaker treating solar as a bolt-on panel rather than an integrated energy- management system is building a feature, not a capability.
The same logic plays out in vehicle type. Passenger EVs currently dominate adoption, but commercial electric vehicles are set to grow fastest — fleet operators running vans, buses and utility vehicles are discovering that even modest solar- assisted charging compounds into real savings across a large, high-utilisation fleet. For logistics and transit operators, this isn’t a sustainability nice-to- have; it’s a line item on the operating budget. More information can be found at
www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry- analysis/ev-solar-modules-market
October 2026 electrical wholesaler | 25
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