“No other trade fair in the world covers the entire spectrum of energy storage solutions. Every year, new players enter the still young market with innovative solutions - often with new technological approaches to energy storage,” stated Hans Werner Reinhard, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf.

According to the current estimate of the German Energy Storage Association (BVES), the energy storage industry will grow by around 11% in 2018 and will generate a turnover of approximately EUR 5.1 billion. Medium-sized companies are the main driving force behind this increase. The development of Energy Storage Europe reflects this industry trend: With a total of 170 exhibitors and about 4.500 visitors, this year's energy storage trade fair and the two conferences ESE and IRES continued the positive development of the past years.

"No other trade fair in the world covers the entire spectrum of energy storage solutions. Every year, new players enter the still young market with innovative solutions - often with new technological approaches to energy storage," stated Hans Werner Reinhard, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf.

Urban Windelen, Executive Director of the BVES, added: "Energy Storage Europe 2018 once again demonstrated the solid growth of the industry across all storage technologies and various applications. The event is the decisive international business platform for energy storage systems and its success confirms the growing industry figures predicted by the BVES."

Increasing international participation
Internationalization is a further industry trend apparent in the visitor structure of Energy Storage Europe and the IRES Conference: this year, the organizers welcomed delegations from Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador and other Central American countries as well as from Greece, Norway and Poland, Portugal. Overall, participants from 61 countries attended the conferences and trade fair.

Energy Storage Europe and IRES strengthen research and development
At this year's Energy Storage Europe Conference (ESE) and the 12th International Renewable Energy Storage Conference (IRES), the discussion revolved around the considerable influence of regulatory frameworks on the development and introduction of storage technologies. Prof. Peter Droege, President of EUROSOLAR e. V., remarked: "The decentralized energy turnaround is more urgently needed than ever. To this end, the introduction of a new energy market regulation with renewable energies and storage systems at its core is a key step. For this reason, we call on Brussels and the new government in Berlin to finally make the widespread market introduction of storage applications possible."

"The research environment and economic strength of North Rhine-Westphalia form the ideal growth medium for a technology trade fair such as Energy Storage Europe. Here it is evident how scientific expertise and entrepreneurial commitment can jointly advance the energy industry," commented Dr. Frank-Michael Baumann, Managing Director of EnergieAgentur.NRW.

Focus on sector coupling and system-useful stores
Other important topics at the conferences were flexible sector coupling and system-useful storage solutions that stabilize networks. The IRES conference also focused on thermal energy storage and specific applications.

First study on energy storage market published
According to BVES' current market estimate, the capacity of large-scale battery storage facilities for grid stabilization installed in Germany alone will increase by more than 80% in 2018. BVESs study published on March 13, 2018 includes detailed figures on the sector's development.

About Energy Storage Europe 2018
Energy Storage Europe is the trade fair for the global energy storage industry and flexible sector coupling with the worlds largest conference program on energy storage solutions and their applications. The conferences included the 7th Energy Storage Europe Conference (ESE) of Messe Düsseldorf and the 12th International Renewable Energy Storage Conference (IRES) of EUROSOLAR e.V. The thematic focal points were economy and finances (ESE) as well as science and social policy (IRES).

Energy Storage Europe will return to Düsseldorf, Germany from March 12 - 14, 2019. For further information on visiting or exhibiting at Energy Storage Europe 2019, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60601. Telephone: (312) 781-5180; Fax: (312) 781-5188; E-mail: info@mdna.com; Visit https://www.energy-storage-online.com and http://www.mdna.com; Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/EnergyStorageNA