Connecting the Future of Energy at Solar & Storage Live UK and EVCharge Live UK 2026
The NEC Birmingham will become a major meeting point for the UK energy industry from 22 to 24 September 2026, with Solar & Storage Live UK and EVCharge Live UK taking place alongside one another.
Solar & Storage Live UK is the UK’s largest solar energy exhibition, bringing together installers, developers, energy users, landowners, utilities, manufacturers and technology providers to explore the latest developments across solar power and energy storage.
The 2026 event is expected to attract more than 20,000 attendees, with over 500 exhibitors and more than 250 speakers covering residential, commercial, industrial and utility-scale solar and energy storage projects.
Running alongside it, EVCharge Live UK focuses on the infrastructure required to support the continued growth of electric transport.
The event brings together charge point operators, installers, fleets, site owners, government organisations and technology providers, with more than 150 speakers discussing areas including charging infrastructure, grid capacity, fleet electrification, depot charging, policy and commercial deployment.
Together, the two events demonstrate how closely solar generation, battery storage, electric vehicles and intelligent energy management are becoming connected.
Energy Infrastructure is Becoming More Connected
The transition towards renewable energy is not only about generating electricity.
Modern energy infrastructure increasingly depends on connected equipment that can communicate with cloud platforms, management systems and remote technical teams.
Connected energy technology may include:
- Solar inverters
- Battery Energy Storage Systems
- EV charging points
- Smart meters
- Energy management systems
- Grid monitoring equipment
- Environmental sensors
- Remote power equipment
- Security systems
- Industrial gateways
- Monitoring controllers
- 4G and 5G routers
Each system may perform a different role, but reliable connectivity can provide the communication link between equipment in the field and the platforms used to monitor and manage it.
IoT Connectivity for Solar Energy
Solar installations can range from individual commercial buildings to large solar farms containing thousands of panels and multiple pieces of supporting infrastructure.
Connected technology can help operators monitor:
- Energy generation
- Inverter performance
- Equipment availability
- Voltage and current
- Fault conditions
- Environmental conditions
- Energy export
- Battery performance
- Site security
Some solar sites are located in rural or remote areas where fixed broadband may not be available or practical.
M2M Data Connect provides managed IoT SIM connectivity that can support routers, gateways and monitoring equipment without requiring the installation of a traditional fixed connection.
Remote Monitoring of Solar Installations
Solar assets are often expected to operate for many years.
Being able to remotely monitor equipment can help operators understand performance and identify problems without sending an engineer to the site for every investigation.
Connected monitoring systems may generate alerts when:
- An inverter stops communicating
- Generation unexpectedly decreases
- Equipment reports a fault
- Connectivity is lost
- Battery conditions change
- Environmental conditions move outside expected limits
Remote access can also allow authorised technical teams to investigate compatible equipment from another location.
This can be particularly valuable when managing multiple solar installations spread across large geographical areas.
Battery Energy Storage Systems
Battery Energy Storage Systems, commonly known as BESS, are becoming an important part of modern energy infrastructure.
Battery storage can allow electricity generated at one time to be stored and used when it is required.
BESS deployments can support applications including:
- Renewable energy storage
- Peak demand management
- Grid balancing
- Commercial energy optimisation
- Backup power
- EV charging infrastructure
- Industrial energy management
- Energy trading applications
These systems contain sophisticated monitoring and control technology.
Connected BESS equipment may report information such as:
- State of charge
- Battery health
- Temperature
- Voltage
- Power output
- Charging cycles
- Fault conditions
- Energy consumption
- System availability
Reliable connectivity can allow this information to reach the appropriate monitoring and management platform.
Environmental Monitoring for Battery Storage
Battery installations may also include environmental and safety monitoring equipment.
Connected sensors can monitor conditions such as:
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Smoke
- Equipment status
- Cabinet conditions
- Energy consumption
- Site security
Monitoring environmental conditions can provide operators with additional visibility over remote battery installations.
Sensors can transmit information at regular intervals or generate alerts when predefined thresholds are reached.
EV Charging Infrastructure Continues to Expand
EVCharge Live UK highlights the technology and infrastructure required to support electric vehicle adoption.
The event will explore areas including public charging, fleet electrification, depot charging, grid constraints, installation, investment and commercial deployment.
Modern EV chargers are connected devices.
Connectivity can allow charging points to communicate with backend platforms for functions such as:
- Payment processing
- User authentication
- Charger availability
- Session information
- Energy consumption
- Remote diagnostics
- Firmware updates
- Fault notifications
- Pricing information
- Usage reporting
- Maintenance alerts
If a charger loses connectivity, some of these functions may become unavailable or restricted.
Reliable communications are therefore an important part of EV charging infrastructure.
Connectivity for Public EV Chargers
Public charging points may be installed in:
- Car parks
- Service stations
- Hotels
- Retail parks
- Supermarkets
- Leisure facilities
- Town centres
- Airports
- Workplace locations
- Residential developments
Many sites may already have broadband available, but operators may not want chargers to depend entirely on the host location’s internal network.
A dedicated cellular connection can provide an independent communications route for compatible charging equipment.
This can make deployments easier to manage and reduce reliance on third-party Wi-Fi or local networks.
Fleet and Depot Charging
Fleet electrification is another major focus of EVCharge Live UK.
Businesses transitioning vans, taxis, delivery vehicles, company cars or other commercial fleets to electric power may need significant charging infrastructure at depots and operating locations.
Connected charging systems can help fleet operators monitor:
- Charging sessions
- Energy consumption
- Vehicle charging status
- Charger availability
- Equipment faults
- Charging schedules
- Site demand
- Individual charger performance
Reliable connectivity can help ensure information continues to flow between chargers and fleet management platforms.
Multi-Network IoT Connectivity
Energy infrastructure can be deployed almost anywhere.
Solar farms may be located in rural areas, EV chargers may be installed along transport routes, and battery storage systems may operate at industrial sites or remote energy facilities.
Coverage from individual mobile operators can vary between these locations.
M2M Data Connect multi-network IoT SIMs can allow compatible equipment to access multiple mobile networks instead of depending entirely on a single operator.
This can provide more connectivity options for applications including:
- Solar monitoring
- EV charging
- Battery storage
- Smart metering
- Remote energy equipment
- Environmental sensors
- Energy management systems
- CCTV and security
The correct SIM and network configuration will depend on the location, equipment and resilience requirements of each deployment.
Secure Remote Access
Some connected energy equipment may require remote access for diagnostics, configuration or technical support.
M2M Data Connect can provide connectivity options including:
- Private APNs
- VPN connectivity
- Fixed public IP addresses
- Fixed private IP addresses
- IP whitelisting
- Restricted internet access
- SIM-to-SIM communication
- Usage limits and alerts
These options can help organisations control how remote equipment communicates with approved systems.
A Private APN and VPN configuration can also provide a controlled route between connected equipment and an organisation’s authorised infrastructure.
Fixed IP Connectivity
Fixed IP connectivity can be useful when engineers or monitoring platforms need to establish a consistent connection with remote equipment.
Potential applications include:
- EV chargers
- Energy controllers
- Routers
- CCTV systems
- Battery management equipment
- Solar monitoring systems
- Remote gateways
When combined with appropriate security controls, fixed IP connectivity can help authorised teams access compatible equipment remotely.
Connectivity for Smart Energy Management
Solar, battery storage and EV charging are increasingly being combined into integrated energy systems.
For example, a commercial site may generate electricity using rooftop solar panels, store surplus electricity in batteries and use that stored energy to support EV charging.
An energy management platform may then monitor each part of the system and determine when electricity should be generated, stored or consumed.
Reliable connectivity can help link these different components together.
Connected systems can provide data on:
- Solar production
- Battery capacity
- Site consumption
- Charger demand
- Grid import and export
- Equipment performance
The result is a more complete view of how energy is moving across a site.
Temporary and Backup Connectivity
Energy projects may require connectivity before a permanent fixed-line service is installed.
4G and 5G routers can provide temporary connectivity during:
- Construction
- Installation
- Commissioning
- Testing
- Temporary site operation
- Maintenance work
Cellular connectivity can also provide a backup connection for compatible equipment if a primary fixed connection becomes unavailable.
This can help increase resilience for applications where continuous communication is important.
CCTV and Security for Energy Sites
Solar farms, battery storage facilities and EV charging sites can contain valuable infrastructure.
Connected security systems may include:
- CCTV cameras
- ANPR cameras
- Access control
- Perimeter monitoring
- Gate systems
- Remote alarms
Cellular connectivity can support security equipment where fixed connections are unavailable or where operators require an independent communications route.
Centralised IoT SIM Management
Large energy deployments may contain hundreds or thousands of connected devices across multiple locations.
Managing each SIM individually can become difficult as deployments scale.
M2M Data Connect provides centralised connectivity management tools that can help organisations manage their connected estate.
Depending on the selected solution, users can:
- Activate or suspend SIMs
- Monitor data consumption
- Create usage alerts
- Set data limits
- Review connection activity
- Organise SIMs by site or device
- Identify inactive connections
- Investigate unusual usage
- Manage multiple deployments
- Export usage information
Centralised management can provide technical teams with greater visibility over their connectivity.
Connecting Solar, Storage and EV Charging
One of the most important aspects of Solar & Storage Live UK and EVCharge Live UK is how clearly the industries overlap.
Solar generation can provide renewable electricity.
Battery storage can help store and manage that energy.
EV chargers can use the electricity to support transport electrification.
Digital platforms, sensors and connected equipment can then provide the visibility needed to manage the complete system.
The co-location of the two events reflects this increasingly connected energy ecosystem. EVCharge Live UK is specifically co-located with Solar & Storage Live UK, bringing EV charging professionals together with the wider renewable energy and infrastructure supply chain.
Visit Solar & Storage Live UK and EVCharge Live UK 2026
Both events take place at the NEC Birmingham from Tuesday 22 September to Thursday 24 September 2026.
Solar & Storage Live UK takes place across Halls 17-20 and features solar panels, mounting systems, inverters, battery storage technology, installation training, demonstrations and industry presentations.
EVCharge Live UK takes place in Hall 6, focusing specifically on electric vehicle charging infrastructure and bringing together charge point operators, installers, fleets, site owners, government organisations and other industry stakeholders.
Both events are free to attend, with Solar & Storage Live visitors also able to access the co-located EVCharge Live UK event.
Connect Your Energy Infrastructure with M2M Data Connect
As solar generation, battery storage and EV charging become more connected, reliable communications will remain an important part of the infrastructure supporting them.
M2M Data Connect provides secure, scalable and managed IoT connectivity for solar monitoring, Battery Energy Storage Systems, EV charging infrastructure, smart meters, environmental sensors and other connected energy applications.
Whether you are connecting a single EV charger, remotely monitoring a solar installation or managing thousands of energy devices across multiple locations, our IoT connectivity solutions can help keep your technology connected, visible and under control.
Contact M2M Data Connect to discuss the connectivity requirements for your next solar, battery storage or EV charging deployment.
