Looking Ahead to 2026

At Light + Building 2026, ABB will unveil GuestFlow, a fully integrated Guest Room Management System (GRMS) developed for hotel owners, operators, and system integrators. 

Hotels today must balance rising energy costs, increasing sustainability expectations, and growing demand for elevated guest experiences. GuestFlow is designed to meet these demands with a system that is simple to deploy, easy to manage, and built specifically for hospitality – from standard to luxury hotels.  

Guests can control lighting, temperature, shading, and room settings through premium wall panels that blend naturally into modern interiors. Rooms respond instantly to preferences, creating a stay that feels comfortable, personalized and effortless.

Behind the scenes, operators gain full visibility across the property. A centralized dashboard provides real-time insight into occupancy, room status, temperature settings, and guest services (DND/MUR/SOS). Secure integration with Property Management Systems over TCP/IP ensures accurate data and reliable performance. Cybersecurity at both the software and controller levels helps ensure safe, seamless hospitality operations. 

GuestFlow is delivered as one unified ABB ecosystem – from in-room interfaces to control modules and GRMS software. This removes the complexity of multiple vendors and third-party integrations. The result is consistent performance across every room along with faster installation, simplified commissioning and maintenance, and reduced project risk. 

Lucy Han, Business Line Leader, Building Automation at ABB’s Electrification Smart Buildings Division, said: “Hotels today must deliver exceptional guest experiences while improving efficiency and meeting sustainability goals. ABB GuestFlow was purpose-built for hospitality. It brings intelligent room control and centralized insight together in one trusted ABB ecosystem – making smart technology invisible to the guest, yet invaluable to the operator.” 

Open 24/7, hotels face increasing pressure to reduce energy consumption without compromising comfort. GuestFlow integrates presence detection, smart heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) control, lighting automation, to optimize energy use in real time. This helps reduce operating costs, support sustainability goals, and protect long-term investments. 

GuestFlow will initially be introduced in the Middle East, with additional regional rollouts planned in the coming phases. 

Visitors can experience GuestFlow as part of ABB Smart Buildings’ immersive “Inside the Innovation” showcase at Light + Building 2026 in Frankfurt. ABB Smart Buildings will exhibit from 8–13 March in Hall 12, Booths B51 and E51. 

ABB GuestFlow | www.abb.com/guestflow

The countdown is on – 200 days to go until the launch of WindEnergy Hamburg. The global wind industry’s top event will be writing the next chapter of its success story next September: already the number of registrations is about five per cent higher than it was around this time ahead of the 2024 event, and the exhibition floor at the world’s leading wind industry fair will exceed 80,000 m² for the first time. The new Hall A2 will be dedicated to the all-important subject of Energy Storage. The integration of energy storage technology is considered as crucial for the long-term success of renewable energy. Exhibitors will showcase large-scale battery arrays as well as smart energy management technologies. What is more, the world’s leading wind industry fair is becoming even more international: This year’s exhibiting companies hail from more than 40 different countries, and the number of national pavilions is higher than at the last WindEnergy Hamburg, as well, now rising to a record 30.

A summit with a message

With this event, Hamburg is once more highlighting its role as a world-leading hub for wind energy. A powerful signal was sent from here at the end of January, when ten European energy ministers and other EU top representatives met in Hamburg for the North Sea Summit. The message of their “Hamburg Declaration“: The North Sea is to become the world’s biggest “power generator”. There are plans for thousands of new offshore wind turbines, and new sea bottom cables are to improve the continent’s grid connections. At total of 300 gigawatts (GW) of wind power capacity are to be installed by 2050 to reduce the continent’s dependence on imported energy substantially. According to calculations published by the industry organisation WindEurope, this would be tantamount to replacing 70bn euros worth of fossil fuels from the year 2040. The European wind energy industry welcomes this announcement, which promises to provide a more robust basis for planning, saying it intends to invest around 9.5bn euros in new production capacity and create more than 90,000 jobs by 2030.

© Hamburg Messe und Congress / Alexander Wöckener

Crucial impetus for the industry

Complex bidding procedures, delayed grid connections, high cost pressures, political opposition and a changing security situation: “The industry is facing enormous challenges,” says Andreas Arnheim, Director – WindEnergy Hamburg. The more vital it is to seize the opportunity to engage in an exchange of views with the global community, he adds. “It is all about taking an active role in shaping the future of our energy supply. WindEnergy Hamburg 2026 is the ideal platform to do so,” says Arnheim. Apart from well-established companies, the show floor will see many newcomers: Exhibitors from Germany qualifying as “Young Innovators” benefit from a grant offered by the German Federal Office of Economics and Export Control (BAFA), and international start-ups will enjoy an exclusive participation offer. Many new enterprises specialise in Artificial Intelligence solutions, a key enabler of the energy transition.

Conference programme features numerous highlights

A total of six open stages will be set-up directly within the exhibition halls to host a multifaceted conference programme, accessible to all visitors free of charge.

From reports on various market segments and regions to innovative technologies, and through to effective ways to protect critical infrastructure, top-flight speakers will address many topics relevant to the industry’s future.

• Political Industry Summit: Decision-makers from the industry meet policymakers to discuss current challenges and opportunities facing the global wind energy sector.
• Speakers’ Corner (Hall A3): Representatives of exhibiting companies will deliver keynote speeches on their innovative solutions for the energy transition.
• Global Markets Theatre (Hall B1.OG): Background information and analyses of international market developments will provide valuable input to inform global business strategies.
• Energy Transition Stage (Hall B6): Industry leaders will explore topics such as international cooperation, or innovative approaches to securing tomorrow’s energy supply.
• Offshore Stage (Hall B5): Speakers will provide practical insights and deliver strategic perspectives on current developments and technology trends related to offshore wind energy.
• Energy Storage (Hall A2): Energy storage technologies are an indispensable prerequisite for the flexibility and reliability of our entire energy system. Representatives of manufacturers, suppliers, project developers and scientific research institutions will elaborate on practical approaches.
• Recruiting Forum (Hall B3.OG): Young talents and career changers meet human resources representatives of exhibiting companies as well as experts from leading industry organisations.

Focus on recruitment

Attracting skilled professionals is the purpose of the Recruiting Days. On two days of the fair, young talents will be the focus of attention. Exhibiting companies and industry associations will provide insightful introductions to jobs in the wind energy sector, describing career paths, answering questions, and making time for personal conversations. Trainees, university students and pupils will have free access to the fair. Encouraging face-to-face interaction is a core objective of WindEnergy Hamburg: special areas for conversations between exhibitors and visitors will be provided in every hall, and popular networking formats such as Wine o'clock will be given even more space. What is more, around 100 company parties at exhibitor stands will create additional opportunities for informal in-depth exchanges.

©Hamburg Messe und Congress / Michael Zapf

Successful concept rolled out to Asia-Pacific

The Asia-Pacific region harbours significant potential for European companies. India, for example, is planning to expand its installed capacity by 140 gigawatts by the year 2030. Hamburg Messe und Congress (HMC) has formed a new cooperation partnership to unlock this promising market: Following its successful premiere in Hamburg last November, the RECHARGE Wind Power Summit powered by WindEnergy Hamburg will travel to Singapore in May. The two-day RECHARGE Wind Power Summit Asia-Pacific powered by WindEnergy Hamburg will launch as a combination of a top-flight industry conference and a compelling exhibition. “This event merges our know-how as trade fair organisers with the expertise of the industry magazine RECHARGE to make our mark in this dynamic growth market,” says Claus Ulrich Selbach, Vice President Exhibitions at HMC. The two partners will receive organisational support from two government agencies, Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB). Thus the world’s leading wind industry fair will add yet another chapter to its success story in Singapore.

WindEnergy Hamburg | https://www.windenergyhamburg.com/

CenterPoint Energy and Meteomatics announce their joint effort to integrate Meteomatics’ US1K high-resolution model to better anticipate, prepare for and respond to extreme weather across the Greater Houston area, benefiting the 2.9 million electric customers it serves.

This effort is part of CenterPoint’s ongoing Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI), and its commitment to building the most resilient coastal grid in the nation. CenterPoint is integrating Meteomatics’ US1k high-resolution model, accessing weather data with a resolution nine times higher than the country’s current leading public weather solutions. 

As extreme weather becomes more frequent and severe, CenterPoint remains committed to its long-term resiliency strategy, which requires operating complex electric infrastructure spanning diverse environments. Historically, national models have been valuable, but often lacked the granularity needed to anticipate localized threats to critical components of the system. CenterPoint’s adoption of Meteomatics’ US1k Model, a highly granular, actionable intelligence platform, will aid in reducing outage impacts and strengthening reliability for customers when severe weather strikes. 

"As part of our commitment to our customers, we continue to bolster and modernize the tools we use to prepare and respond to extreme weather,” said Matt Lanza, CenterPoint Energy’s Chief Meteorologist. “Working with Meteomatics US 1Km resolution model gives our meteorology and operations teams a more precise picture of potential impacts, helping us make faster, data-driven decisions that support all of the customers we are privileged to serve.”

Meteomatics’ U.S. weather model integrates weather data from 110+ sources, including aircraft, ground stations, radars, satellites, and the company’s own proprietary Meteodrones. With access to more than 1,800 weather parameters updated hourly, the US1k model significantly enhances CenterPoint’s ability to visualize and evaluate risks to distribution lines, substations, equipment, and field operations in real time. This added intelligence supports earlier decision‑making and more targeted pre‑storm preparations, allowing CenterPoint’s workforce to respond more efficiently and restore power safely and quickly when outages occur.

“The use of hyper-local, real-time weather data is a gamechanger for operational reliability in an era of extreme weather,” said Martin Fengler, CEO of Meteomatics. “CenterPoint Energy is a pioneer of advanced technology integration in the energy space, understanding that even the slightest difference in data points can mean an entirely different strategy. We look forward to continuing our work with them to strengthen grids across Texas and beyond.”

CenterPoint Energy | https://www.centerpointenergy.com/en-us/

Meteomatics | https://www.meteomatics.com/

LiCAP Technologies, a leader in clean tech for next generation battery electrode manufacturing, announced a major expansion of its operations with the securing of a 40,500-square-foot industrial facility in Sacramento. The move marks a triple increase from the company's current 20,000 square-foot space, driven by accelerating commercial demand for LiCAP's proprietary Activated Dry Electrode® (ADE) technology and its battery electrodes and ultracapacitor products.

The new facility will serve as LiCAP's dedicated manufacturing hub, enabling scaled production of both its dry electrode platform and supporting broader development across energy storage systems and data center applications. The expansion reflects sustained market demand for manufacturing solutions that reduce environmental impact while improving production efficiency and performance.

At the core of LiCAP's growth is its proprietary Activated Dry Electrode® (ADE) technology, which eliminates the toxic solvent, energy-intensive drying and solvent recovery steps required traditionally in lithium-ion battery manufacturing. By simplifying production and significantly reducing energy use while maintaining high-performance electrode quality, the ADE platform provides a cleaner, more efficient path to advanced battery manufacturing. These advantages are now powering the company's expansion into energy storage systems (ESS) and data center applications.

Building on this platform, LiCAP has introduced a new ultracapacitor system assembly line engineered for high-power applications that require extreme durability and long service life. The ultracapacitors deliver more than one million charge-discharge cycles and exceed 15 years of calendar year life, reducing maintenance intervals and total cost of ownership. The ultracapacitor system line will focus on grid stabilization projects, data center applications, and other energy storage verticals.

The expansion positions LiCAP beyond component manufacturing and into integrated energy storage solutions, broadening its addressable market across industrial power and infrastructure resilience.

"This milestone reflects the market's strong appetite for cleaner, more efficient energy storage technologies and our commitment to meet it," said Richard Qiu, president of LiCAP Technologies. "Our new facility gives us the scale to support commercial partners and deliver energy storage solutions that meet industrial reliability standards."

Founded in Sacramento, California, LiCAP Technologies develops and commercializes its proprietary Activated Dry Electrode process in collaboration with global equipment manufacturers and cell producers, including Nissan, SKon and Dürr. The company focuses on accelerating adoption of next-generation battery and ultracapacitor manufacturing technologies across automotive, grid, data center and industrial markets.

LiCAP Technologies | www.licaptech.com

Generac Power Systems (NYSE: GNRC), a leading U.S.-based global designer and manufacturer of power generation and energy storage products and solutions, and EPC Power Corp., a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of advanced grid-forming power conversion systems, announced their engagement to deploy fully integrated energy solutions for the data center market. These systems will feature Generac SBE Block battery systems, Generac ARC Controller and EPC Power M-System inverters to create the ecosystem required by today's AI data center infrastructure developers and owners.

The integrated energy solution from Generac and EPC Power will address both customer demand for energy innovation and grid operator emerging requirements for interconnection to deliver the power requirements necessary to meet this unprecedented data center growth. 

"Data center customers don't just need more power — they need smarter, fully integrated energy solutions that perform seamlessly under extreme and rapidly changing conditions," said Erik Wilde, EVP and President, Domestic C&I at Generac. "This collaboration with EPC Power allows us to deliver end-to-end, behind-the-meter solutions that meet evolving utility requirements while supporting the performance demands of AI workloads. We're excited by the opportunity to work alongside EPC Power to translate this technology into real-world solutions for the data center market."

"AI is fueling rapid data center growth, creating massive power challenges. Traditional systems can't keep up with dynamic, high-density AI workloads," said Jim Fusaro, CEO of EPC Power. "Our collaboration with Generac represents a powerful alignment of expertise and vision. Together, we are advancing digital power infrastructure that delivers the resilient, secure and highly adaptive performance modern AI workloads require —responding in real time to shifting demands, whether operating with or without active grid support." 

Generac will utilize EPC Power's inverters alongside its battery system and advanced controllers to deploy fully integrated solutions capable of ultra-fast response times, enabling load smoothing for AI data center applications with ride-through and recovery capabilities to meet utility requirements and provide continuity during grid disturbance events. These behind-the-meter energy solutions will enable seamless integration with onsite generators, turbines and other resources in grid-tied or off-grid applications to meet the demands of hyperscale computing. 

Generac Power Systems |  www.generac.com

EPC Power |  www.epcpower.com

Origis Energy, one of America's leading renewable energy platforms, announced financial close of an approximately $545 million senior secured project financing with Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking ("Natixis CIB") and Santander Corporate & Investment Banking ("Santander") for three utility-scale solar projects (the "Rockhound Projects") totaling around 413 MW of installed capacity in Ector County, Texas.

All three projects are currently under construction and are expected to reach commercial operations in summer 2026.

The financing represents the next phase of Origis Energy's multi-project solar complex in West Texas, which will total over 700 MW upon completion. The complex also includes the Swift Air Solar II and Swift Air Solar III projects, which reached financial close in 2025.

The senior secured credit facilities include construction loan, term loan, tax credit bridge, and letter of credit facilities supporting both the construction and operating phases of the projects.

Natixis CIB and Santander acted as Joint Underwriters, Coordinating Lead Arrangers, and Co-Green Loan Coordinators for the transaction, with Natixis CIB serving as Administrative Agent. U.S. Bank National Association served as Collateral Agent.

"This financing reflects the quality of the Rockhound portfolio and the confidence our capital partners place in Origis' ability to execute complex, multi-project transactions with discipline and scale," said Alice Heathcote, Chief Financial Officer of Origis Energy. "Natixis and Santander have been exceptional partners throughout the process. Together, we are advancing resilient, long-term energy infrastructure in Texas while delivering meaningful economic benefits to local communities."

"Santander is proud to once again support Origis alongside Natixis, marking another milestone in our partnership. This transaction reflects the strength of our ongoing relationship and our continued commitment to supporting renewable energy platforms. We value the opportunity to continue partnering with Origis as they expand their portfolio," said Andrew Platt, Head of Energy Structured Finance & Advisory US, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking.

"Natixis CIB is pleased to have supported Origis in the financing of the Greyhound A, Rockhound C and Rockhound D assets, alongside Santander. Origis, along with Antin, are important clients to Natixis CIB, and we look forward to continuing our long, collaborative and successful relationship in future transactions," said James Kaiser, Head of Infrastructure and Energy Finance North America, Natixis CIB.

Latham & Watkins LLP represented Origis Energy in the transaction, with Reed Smith LLP serving as local counsel. Milbank LLP represented the lenders, with support from Husch Blackwell LLP as local counsel.

Origis Energy | www.origisenergy.com

DG Matrix and Musashi Energy Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Musashi, announced a strategic collaboration to tackle one of the biggest hurdles in AI infrastructure: extreme power fluctuations caused by high-performance Graphics Processing Units (GPUs).

The collaboration integrates Musashi's ESS400 Energy Storage System (powered by Musashi's Hybrid SuperCapacitors) with DG Matrix's Interport – a multi-port solid-state transformer. Together, these technologies manage the massive, rapid power "pulses" created by AI workloads, protecting utilities, generators, and data center equipment, unlocking stranded capacity, reducing infrastructure costs, and increasing safety.

The Problem: AI's Pulse-Load

Modern AI clusters don't draw power steadily. Instead, GPUs demand massive, repetitive bursts of energy. Traditional UPS systems and batteries were never designed for dynamic power spikes that significantly degrade battery life, stress primary and backup generators, and force operators to overbuild expensive infrastructure to handle the peaks.

Flexible Integration: Greenfield & Brownfield

The joint platform is designed for maximum versatility across the evolving data center landscape. It is ideal for greenfield projects, where developers can design optimized, high-density power architectures from the ground up. Simultaneously, the system is engineered to seamlessly integrate into existing brownfield operations, allowing operators to modernize power management and access stranded capacity without a total facility overhaul.

The Solution: Closing the Gap in AI Power

The new platform acts as a high-speed shock absorber to protect the electrical grid. By pairing sustainable, safe, high-power, extreme-cycle-rated, and fast-acting HSCs with real-time multi-port power routing and software-defined control, the integrated system closes that gap, enhancing or replacing UPS systems.

• Musashi's Hybrid SuperCapacitors (HSCs): Unlike standard batteries, HSCs deliver 100x faster recharge speeds and 1,000x longer cycle life. They excel in the high-heat, high-demand environments of AI data centers.

• DG Matrix's Interport: This solid-state platform serves as the "brain," routing power in real time between the supercapacitors, the grid, and the AI servers. It eliminates the need for complex, multi-stage power conversions.

"We are pleased to collaborate with DG Matrix to solve a challenge that has quickly become a bottleneck for the industry," noted Frank DeLattre, President of Musashi Energy Solutions – Americas. "AI data centers are creating power demands that far exceed the capabilities of traditional power systems. By combining our Hybrid SuperCapacitors with DG Matrix's intelligent routing, we can manage these dynamic power shifts with far greater safety, speed, and efficiency than traditional batteries ever could."

Efficiency and Cost Savings

Early testing shows the system successfully absorbs GPU spikes without disrupting steady-state power. This approach allows data center operators to:

1. Reduce Battery Size: Smaller battery footprints save space and money.
2. Protect Generators: Fewer "cycling events" extend the life of backup hardware.
3. Simplify Architecture: Multi-port AC/DC connectivity supports a wide range of voltages (415V to 1500V).

"AI workloads are fundamentally changing how power must be controlled," added Haroon Inam, CEO of DG Matrix. "By combining Musashi's ESS400 Hybrid SuperCapacitor system with our Interport platform, we're delivering a system-level solution that tames GPU pulse loads, simplifies infrastructure, and lowers lifecycle costs for AI data centers. This alliance demonstrates the future of intelligent power routing for mission-critical compute."

Musashi's ESS400 and DG Matrix's Interport power routing are perfectly matched, creating an integrated platform that supports the rapidly evolving AI data center infrastructure. Both companies are actively pursuing joint system engineering, integration validation, and pilot deployments targeting AI data centers and mission-critical electrical applications.

The companies are currently moving toward pilot deployments for AI data centers and other mission-critical electrical applications.                                          

Musashi Energy Solutions | www.musashienergysolutions.com

DG Matrix | https://www.dgmatrix.com/