The 21st Smart Energy Week Spring / The 4th GX Management Week Spring, an international comprehensive exhibition consisting of nine exhibitions, including PV EXPO Spring 2024 (the 18th [International] Photovoltaic Power Generation Exhibition), was held at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo for three days from February 28 to March 1, 2024. In addition to PV EXPO, BATTERY JAPAN, SMART GRID EXPO, WIND EXPO, H2 & FC EXPO, BIOMASS EXPO, Zero Emission Thermal Power EXPO, DECARBONISATION EXPO and CIRCULAR ECONOMY EXPO were held at the same time. A total of 1,492 companies showcased at the exhibitions, a significant increase from the same event in 2023, attracting 69,261 visitors (up from 65,196 in 2023).

As for PV cells and modules, more than 30 domestic and foreign companies, large and small, exhibited their products, and PV modules for utility-scale and industrial use that have achieved high output and high conversion efficiency through highefficiency cell technologies such as TOPCon, heterojunction (HJT), and back-contact type solar cells, as well as high-density mounting technology onto modules, were lined up. There were also PV modules with a smaller external dimensions for rooftop installations and detached houses in Japan.

There were a large number of exhibitions on lightweight flexible PV modules made of crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells, which can be installed on roofs and walls with low withstand load, and reduced total costs by simplifying construction and shortening the construction period. This has become a new trend. As for perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the exhibition booths of Toshiba (thinfilm Cu2O PV module was also on display side by side), Sharp, JGC/ Enecoat Technologies, and Taiwan Perovskite Solar (TPSC) were always filled with visitors attracted to perovskite PV modules they are developing and the panels introducing their technologies, which indicates high interest in PSCs.

As for new applications of PV power generation, products and technologies related to solar carports, mounts for vertical installation, and floating installation (offshore installation) were also exhibited.

With regard to storage batteries, at the SMART GRID EXPO and the BATTERY JAPAN, many manufacturers exhibited their storage battery systems, large storage battery systems (grid-scale and industrial use) that have achieved higher performance and lower cost, business models that utilize storage batteries, which will be future business opportunities, and those for ensuring resilience and BCP. The booths were crowded with many visitors. Small storage batteries for home use and those as portable independent power supplies also attracted attention.