The seventh edition of Expo ER+ Mexico, held in Guadalajara, has already been described as the most successful edition to date, not only in the city but across Mexico’s energy sector.
At ER+ 2026, more than 86 companies from various segments participated to present and explore the latest developments in the international photovoltaic and energy storage industries. Energy storage has increasingly become a critical link in the global electricity value chain.
Over three days of the event, product launches and tailored consultations for residential and industrial electricity users, industry professionals visited more than 20 aisles at the Expo Guadalajara exhibition centre, where over 113 companies showcased photovoltaic and energy storage equipment and services.
Juan Pablo Hernández, president of the ISA Central Mexico Section and one of the engineers attending ER+, told pv magazine that the sector is entering a phase of technological maturation and strategic redefinition. “The industry is going through a phase of technological maturation and strategic redefinition,” he stated. “The current policy framework, which includes 46% private participation alongside state control, requires smarter infrastructure. For the photovoltaic sector, the outlook is positive but challenging: growth will not come only from installing more panels, but from the digitalisation of plants. The integration of advanced SCADA systems and cloud-based management will be critical to make solar generation more predictable and to meet grid reliability requirements. The photovoltaic sector is currently the most dynamic engine for achieving the 38% clean energy target by 2030. Within this digitalisation process, cybersecurity is a key issue, and ISA is contributing through standards such as ISA/IEC 62443.”
Karla Cedano, researcher at the Institute of Renewable Energies of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), highlighted the need for a more inclusive energy transition. “Mexico has extraordinary potential to strengthen the photovoltaic industry, but its growth must be directed towards a just and inclusive energy transition,” she said. “It is not enough to simply install more capacity: development must generate territorial well-being, decent employment, innovation, sustainability and opportunities for more people, especially women and young people, who remain underrepresented in the photovoltaic sector.”
For Adhara Perales Chiu, president of Women in Renewable Energies (MERM), the expo has become the leading platform for the photovoltaic sector in Mexico. “We are beginning to see a more open and practical public policy framework focused on diversification and energy resilience,” she said. “The mixed development schemes presented by the Ministry of Energy and the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE) represent an important step. Not because they imply an ideological shift, but because they recognise what the private sector has been pointing out: Mexico cannot close its electricity infrastructure gap with public investment alone. The 7,500 MW of new renewable capacity projected for 2030 is ambitious, and offering these projects as bankable long-term contracts backed by CFE provides the legal certainty needed to attract capital.”
Perales Chiu added that CFE Fibra E’s potential capital issuance to finance an $8.5 billion expansion of the transmission grid is a significant signal. “Adding gigawatts of photovoltaic generation is not useful if the grid cannot absorb it. More than 60% of the National Transmission Grid is already operating near maximum capacity, which represents a real bottleneck for sector growth,” she stressed. She also identified three short- and medium-term opportunities for the photovoltaic industry. “Large-scale generation under new mixed schemes; distributed generation and industrial self-supply; and energy storage as an essential complement,” she added. “Photovoltaics without storage is limited. The National Energy Control Center recorded 104 critical events in 2024 alone. The integration of storage systems provides significant value. This opportunity requires the private sector to be well prepared, with technically sound proposals, credible financial models and a genuine willingness to operate within the regulatory framework.”
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