The MEP Shop's Insights from Mostra Convegno Expocomfort 2026
In March 2026, members of The MEP Shop team traveled to Milan to attend the prestigious Mostra Convegno Expocomfort 2026 (MCE) - one of the world’s leading exhibitions for HVAC, energy, and building technology. Held from 24-27 March at Fiera Milano, MCE brought together over 1,700 exhibitors and thousands of professionals from across the global supply chain.
The theme of this year's expo was "Energy is Evolving", and we can say with confidence after attending that this isn't just marketing, it reflects a clear shift in the industry that not only have we noticed independently, but was also a recurring theme with exhibitions we viewed whilst over there. The industry is indeed moving towards smarter, and more integrated low-carbon systems.
So now that the dust has settled around the event, below are some of the key insights from our time there, including what some of our partners were showing and where the industry is heading.
Heat Pumps Are No Longer 'Emerging' - They're Standard!
Across the exhibition one thing was very clear: heat pumps are now the default direction of travel.
MCE 2026 described heat pumps as the technology of the present as opposed to being something that was vaguely being trended towards. Manufacturers showcased next-generation heat pump systems, including further low-GWP refrigerant models and hybrid solutions.
Integrations with solar and building systems is becoming standard, and various policy and regulations (such as EU energy directives) are accelerating adoption. The European heat pump market has continued its upward trend with no signs of slowing down.
What we saw and heard over in Italy aligns closely with what we've been seeing here in the UK, especially with regards to retrofit and commercial projects.
Smart Buildings & AI Integration Took Centre Stage
We imagine few readers will be shocked to hear that a good deal of focus was lent to smart buildings and AI integrations. Although while perhaps the least surprising showing from the expo is that of AI integration and the focus on intelligent building systems, it is no less impressive to see how manufacturers are incorporating this technology into their ecosystems.
Key developments included:
- AI-Driven building energy management systems
- IoT-connected HVAC equipment
- Predictive maintenance via cloud platforms
- Systems that respond dynamically to energy pricing
These technologies and solutions are now commercially viable and being rapidly deployed as opposed to being experimental with limited current use-cases. We're likely to see an uptick in real-world deployments across commercial installations
Indoor Air Quality is a Permanent Priority
It's clear from speaking with manufacturers and observing trends that post-pandemic expectations haven't gone away, instead they've evolved into something that is seen as a quiet expectation in projects such as commercial buildings.
At MCE 2026, advanced ventilation systems commanded a significant presence, High-efficiency heat recovery ventilation systems were everywhere with some systems showcased as achieving 90% heat recovery efficiency.
This is particularly relevant for environments such as care homes, schools, and various and wide-ranging commercial refurbishments.
Renewable Integration is Becoming the Norm
A major theme when discussing renewable systems was integration, not just standalone systems.
This includes HVAC systems designed to work directly with solar PV installations and grid-responsive systems that adapt to energy demand. We also heard discussions of hybrid setups that combine heating, cooling and storage systems. This reflects a broader shift toward so called "buildings as active energy systems", not just passive consumers.
This very intentional convergence of energy / HVAC / digital systems is absolutely one to watch, and with several major international upsets to legacy fuel systems as we've seen recently, expect this to be an even larger focus as next year's MCE!
The MEP Shop & Partners
Now for our favourite part of the event - meeting with all of the partners and suppliers that enable us to do what we do. We had so much to discuss with everyone and got some great insights into what the future holds for not only the industry, but focus points for their business too.
Polar Air
We got to catch up with the Polar Air team and see their new hydronic fan coil models and expanded heating/cooling ranges. Polar Air were also demonstrating their PASELECT sizing and selection software.
Hitachi Cooling & Heating
We got to chat with Hitachi who were promoting their presence around cooling, heating, and integrated HVAC solutions at MCE. It was fantastic chatting with the team about what the future holds for the industry, and we came away with a some valuable insights!
Hisense HVAC
Hisense focused on showcasing a comprehensive range of smart comfort solutions, such as their Hi-Smart and Hi-FLEXi systems, with a particular focus on low-GWP systems. Our thanks to the Hisense team for their support and time on the day.
Redge (Formerly Lennox)
We met the Redge team in their very swish "exhibition-in-a-truck" set-up outside the convention hall. We had a fantastic chat with team here and got to see plenty of interesting bits and pieces so our thanks to Redge for accommodating us.
Wrapping It All Up
Being able to not only see the trends and industry focuses but also many of our site partners all under one roof made for an unforgettable and truly fantastic experience. We're very grateful to everyone for their time and hospitality.
It is clear that there are many exciting things on the horizon, with some trends and systems coming into prevalence far sooner than we anticipated.
If any of the topics discussed in this article seemed interesting, why not browse our site to see what forward-looking solutions The MEP Shop can provide for you today?