Open Energies · 2028

Agoris analysis · updated October 2026

Key takeaways

• "The meeting place for smart energy": Open Energies is the trade show dedicated to renewable energy and the intelligent management of energy systems (photovoltaic generation, storage, flexibility, new applications).
• Organiser: GL events Exhibitions Opérations (SA). The trade show was launched in 2024 as a complement to BePositive, the group's other energy-transition event in Lyon.
• Next edition: 3rd edition, expected in 2028 at Eurexpo Lyon (Chassieu). Dates not yet announced by the organiser as of this listing.
• Frequency: biennial, in even-numbered years. Open Energies (2024, 2026, 2028) and BePositive (2025, 2027) alternate in March at GL events.
• 2026 results (2nd edition): 3,200 professionals, 90 exhibitors and brands, 24 conferences, 65 speakers and 20 institutional and media partners over two days. The trade show was co-located with Expobiogaz to create bridges between solar and biogas.
• Target audience: renewable energy producers and distributors, integrators, grid operators, electric mobility players, technology developers and public and private decision-makers.

Who exhibits

Typical profile

Open Energies brings together the upstream and downstream of the renewable energy system: photovoltaic equipment manufacturers, storage solution providers, electric mobility players, energy digitalisation companies, integrators and smart building specialists. The positioning centres on renewable energy generation (solar in the lead), new applications and the intelligent management of equipment.

Notable exhibitors

90 exhibitors and brands were present at the 2026 edition. The official list is available on the Open Energies partners page.

Visitor quality

3,200 professionals attended the 2026 edition, compared with more than 4,800 at the first edition in 2024. These figures are reported by the organiser (not OJS audited). In 2026, the trade show shared its halls with Expobiogaz: the two events combined drew more than 5,700 visitors, but this combined total should not be attributed to Open Energies alone.

Activities & community

Conference programme

The programme is built around the Forum (round tables on key energy issues) and workshops (presentations of tools, projects and demonstrations). In 2026, the Syndicat des énergies renouvelables (SER) held the first edition of its meetings on the flexibility of the energy system there, devoted to "Flexibilité du Système Energétique : la responsabilité croissante des renouvelables", focusing on the large-scale integration of renewables and grid stability.

Awards and accolades

The European Solar Games, a competition bringing together pairs of professionals in real-time photovoltaic installation events (organised by Enstall with the support of Qualit'EnR, LONGi Solar and Enphase Energy), set the pace of the 2026 edition with their grand prize, the Crochet d'or. Rgreen Energy won the Crochet d'or in 2026. The winners change with each edition: refer to the official programme for the upcoming edition.

Community & networks

Open Energies brings together the renewable energy sector of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, a pioneering territory for renewable energy, and draws on the ecosystem of institutional and media partners mobilised by GL events around the energy transition.

On site: what you need to know

For access, parking and accommodation, see the venue listing: Eurexpo Lyon (Boulevard de l'Europe, 69686 Chassieu).

Specific to the trade show: an event reserved for professionals. The 2026 edition was held over two days (Tuesday 9am-6pm, Wednesday 9am-5pm). The dates and opening hours of the 2028 edition will be published on the official website. In 2026, co-location with Expobiogaz allowed cross-access to both trade shows with a single badge.

How much it costs to exhibit

GL events does not publish a freely available exhibitor pricing schedule for Open Energies. The terms of participation (bare floor space or fitted stand rental, visibility packages, partnerships) are provided on request via the trade show's sales department. The amounts below are an indicative sector benchmark for a B2B trade show of this size at Eurexpo, and not prices published by the organiser.

Preparing your visit

For the exhibitor

• 9 to 6 months out: initial sales contact, space booking and choice of location (close to the Forum or the workshops depending on your target).
• 4 to 3 months out: stand design, application for activities (European Solar Games, workshop speaking slots).
• 2 months out: client invitation campaign, qualifying meetings, build-up logistics.
• 2 days out: build-up, team briefing, checking of product demonstrations.

For the decision-maker visitor

Identify in advance the Forum round tables and the SER meetings on flexibility, which concentrate regulatory and grid news. Prepare a short-list of exhibitors from the official partners page. The dense two-day format lends itself to a targeted visit rather than an exhaustive walkthrough.

Policy & CSR initiatives

Open Energies is by its very nature an energy-transition trade show: renewable generation, self-consumption, grid flexibility and electric mobility make up the heart of its programme. Beyond the theme, the verifiable organisational commitment operates on two levels. On the venue side, Eurexpo Lyon is ISO 20121 certified (responsible event management), alongside the Centre de Congrès de Lyon and La Sucrière, as part of the CSR approach of GL Lyon Events. On the group side, GL events runs a CSR policy across its venues and events. No ISO 20121 certification specific to the Open Energies event is publicly documented at this stage.

How the trade show has evolved

Trajectory analysis

Launched in 2024 by GL events Exhibitions Opérations as an extension of BePositive, Open Energies settled into a biennial rhythm in even-numbered years, alternating with BePositive in March. The second edition (2026) saw attendance fall compared with the launch year (3,200 against more than 4,800 professionals), against a backdrop of tension in the photovoltaic sector, but gained in sector coherence thanks to co-location with Expobiogaz, which broadens the scope from solar towards renewable gases. The trajectory to watch for 2028: the consolidation of the Open Energies / Expobiogaz pairing and the trade show's ability to durably bring together grid flexibility and electric mobility beyond photovoltaics alone.

Unless otherwise stated, all factual data in this listing comes from the organiser's official website (open-energies.com).