Green & Renewable Energy Events List – August & September 2010

The events list is back!

If we have missed anything, please let us know. You can leave a comment on this post or even send us a tweet.

August 2010

Green Drinks – Reading
3rd August 2010
RISC Global Cafe, Reading, UK

Sustainability Now
On demand until 10th August 2010
Virtual
Follow @sustainnow on Twitter

Green Drinks – London
10th August 2010
The Glasshouse Stores, Soho, London

September 2010

Green Mondays - North West
6th September 2010
Manchester, UK
Follow @greenmondaynews on Twitter

Green Mondays – Midlands
6th September 2010
Nottingham, UK
Follow @greenmondaynews on Twitter

Green Mondays – London
6th September 2010
London, UK
Follow @greenmondaynews on Twitter

The Energy Event
8th & 9th September 2010
Birmingham, UK
Follow @energyevent on Twitter

Wind Power Monthly - Cost-effective, best-practice O&M strategies
9th & 10th September 2010
Hamburg, Germany
Follow @WPMevents on Twitter

World Green Roof Congress
15th & 16th September 2010
London, UK

Low Carbon South West: Sustainable Cities - Building The Future
17th September 2010
Bath, UK

Bioten
21st – 23rd September 2010
Bath, UK

HUSUM Wind Energy
21st – 25th September 2010
Husum, Germany

Women in Cleantech: Exploring Cleantech Policy
22nd September 2010
London, UK

If you are organising an event coming up soon and would like it included in future lists - don't hesitate to let us know about it.

The EcoSearch Team

Carbon Management Software – State of the Nation

I am using the phrase “carbon” management software deliberately. Using words such as sustainability & environmental do not necessarily attract the right talent, create the right feel and, frankly, make some people run a mile.

A quick check if I say “environmental” to you - what picture is in your head right now? What are you thinking? I bet its not cool, teccie, exciting software and programme deployment the like of which we haven’t seen before, is it?

Does GHG sound attractive to you? What about carbon accounting? Does “environmental management system” turn you on? Nah, didn’t think so.

None of these phrases grab me either, so that’s why I prefer not to use them. I prefer words normal people understand, are familiar with reading in their everyday newspapers and can apply a broad brush too. One thing is for sure, the vocabulary used by organisations penetrating a variety of vertical markets will be increasingly important in order that you don’t pigeon-hole your product into a single sector – and you may have to change it depending on which circles you are moving in.

So things are definitely hotting up in the carbon management sofware sector but we don’t have any decent traction… yet. What we do have is a lot of talk. There are some good looking solutions sloooowly coming to market… lots of RFIs/Bids, case studies building etc. but who is really selling and who is really buying?

Across the board incoming enquiries are reported to be up… but don’t hold your breath. I hear this week that the Environment Agency are sending mass mail shots out without so much as a job title in information packs.

Here are some of the things I see adding to the confusion and noise out there:

• Lots of products and services window shopping by all manner of functional areas on the client side and none that necessarily hold the keys to an open cheque book.
• Complex sales entry points – sure you may get in with the FM manager – but who do you need to mark off next?
• Who has got responsibility for delivery of these solutions across the business – come to that are people thinking “cross business solution” or are they thinking “solve just my problem”?
• Solutions that fall across a number of areas take some digging to find where overall responsibility lie.
• Long, laborious scoping out of solutions that have to go through a myriad of sign offs.
• Prospects are underestimating the complexity and reality of the legislation coming down the pipe – there could be some expensive mis-selling and retrofitting going on.
• Interfaces with existing data systems – other environmental management software, HR software, facilities management software – what about communication with outsourced functions and partners?
• Vertical markets – everyone’s going for the big ones first and boy are they making the most of shopping around because they don’t want to make a purchasing error. Seriously – hands up who is working with Tesco?
• Channel and reseller markets. Who is getting into bed with who and are you competing against them in the market now – how will that relationship play out?
• Carbon consultancies WAKE UP - this as a huge cross-sell/up-sell opportunity. But you need a different skillset to sell these software solution babies… do you just want to sell “consultancy” – well you have a 24 month shelf life if that is the case. Call me if you need the right talent to help you open this revenue channel – you have the easy part you UNDERSTAND the client pain, a couple of extra heads with the right knowledge of these products and you have yourself a brand new revenue channel that will extend your company’s shelf life.
• Reseller models - make a wrong move now and you could find yourself in an exclusive reseller partnership with a non-market leader – could be very damaging.
• Software players –are you underestimating the amount of handholding needed to put these products into play? This is not something for the white socked sales person. Consulting credibility client side is the key. There is no getting away from the fact that your front facing sales people will need a modicum of holistic carbon management programme understanding, backed up by some subject matter experts who can navigate their way around the legislative framework. Cue merger and acquisition activity in the boutique consultancy arena.
• Lack of product information – things are moving so fast its difficult to benchmark the different offerings and who really does have credible case history on deployment – half the products I see are still being developed off the shelf as things go along – which is fine – providing you have the right person holding the client’s hand and you understand the vertical markets you are operating in.
• Product Evolution – so you have a wonderful shiny new product - but can you spot the challenges coming through the rest of the market that will impact it and can you keep pace? (think PESTLE, I’m sure you know what I mean).
• Patience – there’s going to be a mixing of a whole host of cultures on this moving forward… that will be an interesting play out – FM, CSR, CTO, FD, HR, IT Sales, outsourcing companies, infrastructure providers and Green Consultants...
• Panic – From what I can see I am predicting that come February some organisations are not going to have the bandwidth to service the enquiries coming through the channels. Don’t leave it until next year – get your teams assembled now!

There will shortly be a feeding frenzy. We know who’s having the conversations and marking off the best talent in the marketplace but not actually hiring yet. Well prepare for a bidding war soon. Those organisations that move early to acquire the brightest talent will have the greatest chance of success.

If you are a candidate, open to the idea of a new opportunity, make sure you back a thoroughbred with a well thought out plan that is showing the ability to flex and actively learn how to approach different markets. Don’t back a donkey that’s just thinking we sell “IT solutions” this way! There will not be enough space in the future.

The talent is out there but will not be for long. I welcome serious clients – no tyre kickers please!

Call or email me for the latest talent hotsheet of individuals available in this space – or if you want to go on it, for that matter!

By Debby Lloyd

Managing Direcor, EcoSearch

~*~

Some upcoming events you might also find interesting:

Green IT Expo - London 10th & 11th November 2009

Smart Energy 09 - London - 1st & 2nd December 2009

Green Monday - London - 7th December 2009

Energy Saving Week 2009

Energy Saving Week is an annual event hosted by the Energy Saving Trust. This year the event runs from 19th – 25th October and will be important for our pockets as well as the planet.

In the spirit of the event, the EcoSearch team brings you their top tips for saving energy;

Debby Lloyd, Managing Director

“for all those with teenagers - outsource them to university and watch your electricity bills halve! If you have latch-key kids - when you arrive home from work to find they have used the "advance" heating button on the boiler and the thermostat is set on 30 degrees! Open your wall thermostats and set the stopper at 18 degrees - force them to use jumpers! Oh, and turn off the gas on the gas fire so they can't use that either. Use a slow cooker in the winter instead of the oven - Lakeland has a great little gadget called a Remoska that literally uses the energy from a light bulb to effectively cook food!”

Phillip Clement, Director

“Work longer hours - this has numerous energy saving benefits. You use the lights and heating at work not at home. Your drive into the office and home will be in less traffic so you will use less petrol. When you get home you're so knackered you'll want to go to bed without any dinner which means you won't use the cooker and you won't need to put the lights on and you have to get up so early you won't feel like breakfast and you can wait till you get to the office to have a cup of tea so you won't need to boil the kettle.”

Mark Sawyer, Senior Partner

I recommend taking the Home Energy Check questionnaire via the Energy Saving Trust website. Considering my home working, mother and child at home all day every day with the heating on, I was surprised to get the results back and find that on an A-G rating I am currently a C. I have currently done everything possible that they suggest in their report email to reduce my carbon footprint except for getting thicker loft insulation and changing some more light bulbs... A worthwhile use of 5 minutes, especially if you are very new to thinking about saving energy.”

Clare Buxton, Wind Energy Sector Lead

“Don’t leave appliances on Standby and remember not to leave laptops and mobiles phones on charge unnecessarily. I always find myself going around the house behind the rest of the family turning off the things they’re finished with like computers, the TV and games consoles.”

Katharine Robinson, Research Associate

“Don’t put on any laundry unless you have a full load – one full load uses a lot less energy that two half loads – it’s better to wait. I have never used a tumble dryer either. I try to dry as much clothes as possible outside on the washing line, or if it’s just too rainy use an indoor airer.”

We did a series of blog posts last year for Energy Saving Week – you may find there interesting too;

• Energy Saving Week - Saving energy around the office and at home
• Energy Saving Week - Greener Driving
• Energy Saving Week - Greener Shopping
• And as the end of October approaches, check out this post on Greening your Halloween.

We hope you save lots of pennies this week

The EcoSearch team

Test Drivers Wanted for Mini's Prototype Electric Car

Drivers from South East England can volunteer, you just need to have a driving licence, be happy with a left hand drive car and have your own garage or carport for the charging unit to be installed in. The trial lasts for six months and kicks off in December.

You will have to rent the prototype, costing you £330 per month, but you will have up to 90% lower running costs, no maintenance charges, no tax or insurance to pay and the Mini-E is exempt from the London congestion charge. The free insurance, lack of maintenance bills and a cut of £220 per month to the lease cost comes thanks to funding from the Technology Strategy Board.

The Mini-E is a prototype and only 40 have been made. The research done in this trial will likely inform the development of all other 100% electric vehicles.

For more information and to apply, simply visit www.electricMINI.co.uk

By Katharine Robinson

Research Associate, EcoSearch

Understanding What the 10:10 Project is and What You Have to Do to Be Part of It

10:10 is a project to rally every sector of British society behind a very simple idea – to cut the UK’s carbon emissions by 10% before the end of 2010.

The philosophy behind this is for the UK to demonstrate to the policy setters that we are ready, able and willing to reduce our GHG emissions and happy not to wait for policy to be imposed on us as that would likely be a long time coming. Franny Armstrong, one of the idea developers, explains this really well on the Guardian’s 10:10 site.

EcoSearch as a business and myself as an individual have committed to reducing our emissions, so understanding what it is and what we need to do is important. Thankfully the first 10% reduction is the easy step.

A couple of thoughts on how to start:

1. Energy in the home / office – replace all light bulbs with energy efficiency light bulbs, turn off radiators in halls and unused spaces, lower the thermostat by one degree, insulate your walls and lofts. There are grants available for cavity wall insulation and loft insulation, so take advantage of them!
2. Buy quality products – quality products last longer meaning they need replacing less. Less replacement translates to less manufacturing and less emissions.
3. Eat better – local food that is in season has the smallest carbon footprint. Reduce your impact buy buying locally and from independent businesses. You will feel better for it too!

There are plenty of simple actions you can take to begin the process – that’s exactly what 10:10 is all about. Think about your own lifestyle and business – if you travel a lot, how can you minimise it? If you have an inefficient property – what can you do to improve it?

Specific targeting of the big emission sources in your micro-environment is easy to do and what this project is about.

So get to the 10:10 site, commit to the cause and let’s show the policy setters we are ready!
http://www.1010.uk.org

By Steven Rogers
Sector Lead for Carbon and Renewable Energy Engineering

Offshore Wind Round 3: On your marks… Get set…

The allocation of the Crown Estate’s Round 3 zones is nearly upon us.

After what seems like a life-time of anticipation, the commercial negotiations are now going on between the Crown Estate and the wind energy consortiums, to finalise the allocation of offshore zones in Round 3 of the UK’s offshore development. I have spoken to a number of contacts in the industry this week, who confirmed that things are very close to kicking off. Now is the time to fasten your seatbelts, we are about to get very busy!

Massive demand for Development Skills.

Everyone to whom I speak acknowledges the fact that, should they be successful in securing a link in the supply chain towards delivering a new round of offshore wind, they will need to build their teams accordingly to make sure that they can deliver upon their commitments. From EIA specialists, to planning and consents analysts, and technical due diligence engineers, there is all of a sudden going to be a massive demand for talented individuals who can help to turn an allocated area of the sea into a massive power generating asset.

I was speaking to a specialist in Environmental Impact Assessments for Offshore Wind farms yesterday. He has been involved since Round 1 of offshore developments, and is known as one of the few real experts and heavy hitters in that arena. He is already very busy, and is anticipating his work load only to increase as time develops. Immediately the best of the best in this industry, those that have lived and breathed offshore wind already, are going to be seriously in demand.

How will you attract the best?

In a question of weeks and months, there are going to be up to 9 consortiums suddenly competing to secure the best teams in a short period of time. All of these groups of companies currently have key players already on board, but the development of a multi-MW wind farm demands significant resource and expertise. Employers, have you thought about how you are going to attract further players to your team? I’ve spoken to several people in the last few months who have claimed “we know who we want to hire already”, but have you considered that other people want to hire the same experts?

How will you create and implement a hiring strategy which allows you to identify quickly and efficiently the right people for your company, and then ensures that you are able to attract them without going through unnecessary to-ing or fro-ing, and most importantly without entering into a bidding frenzy?

How will you retain the best?

Have you also considered that other companies out there may have identified members of your existing team as the people they want to hire? How will you ensure that you retain your key players? Retention means ensuring that they are 100% comfortable where they are, and will not start to entertain your competitors’ flirtations of promotion, better benefits, more money, or increased responsibility?

Head-hunters are going to be all over this space. And whilst some of us do so with discretion, and with the best interests of all parties at heart (i.e. we have more values and ambition than just to make a quick buck), I warn you now that there are many who don’t.

You need to make sure that you have a strategy in place to hire the right people, and to retain the right people.

If you would like to discuss how you are going about this, please don’t hesitate to give me a call on 0845 241 4810 or email clare.buxton@ecosearchglobal.com.

By Clare Buxton

Wind Energy Sector Lead, EcoSearch

Follow @CEBUX on Twitter

Green and Renewable Energy Events – September 2009

EcoSearch aims to bring you a comprehensive list of all the events happening across the Renewable Energy, Cleantech and Carbon Management sectors.

September is going to be a manic month for events, so be sure to do your homework and don’t miss out on the best ones for you.

If we’re missing a conference, please leave us a comment or drop us an email and we’ll update our list – it’s our way of helping you connect with the right people.

~*~*~

Featured Event:

~*~*~

Climate Camp 2009 - Free (donations requested)

27th August – 2nd September

Follow @ClimateCamp on twitter
London

BioEnergy 2009 – Sustainable Bioenergy Business
31st August – 4th September
Jyväskylä, Finland

LAWEA Wind Expo 2009 - Latin American Wind Power - International Conference & Exhibition
2nd – 4th September
Panama City, Panama

Green Monday (from 2degrees)

7th September

London

AWBriefing - Hybrid and Electric Vehicles Advanced Battery technology
8th September
London

National Energy Foundation - Introduction to Renewable Energy
8th September
Milton Keynes

Green Drinks – London – Free
8th September
London (Green Drinks events happen globally - more locations can be found on the website)

Cleantech Forum Boston
8th – 10th September
Boston, MA

Offshore Europe 2009 - Free
8th – 11th September 2009
Aberdeen, Scotland

The Energy Event 09 - Free
9th & 10th September
Birmingham

BWEA Connect - a networking evening exclusively for existing and potential members of BWEA
10th September
London

Southwest Renewable Energy Conference
10th & 11th September
Flagstaff, Arizona

EcoMo09 24-hour dev camp - Can you write green code? - Free

11th September
Follow @ecomo09 on Twitter

London

Carbon Capture and Sequestration Summit
14th & 15th September
Washington, DC

European Offshore Wind 2009 Conference & Exhibition
14th – 16th September
Stockholm, Sweden

UWIG Wind Integration Short Course
14th – 17th September
Charleston, SC

IMarEST Metocean Awareness course
15th – 17th September
London

Recycling & Waste Management 2009 - Free
15th – 17th September
Birmingham

The Heat and Energy Saving Strategy - reducing emissions from existing buildings
Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum
16th September
London

European Biodiesel 2009
16th & 17th
Prague, Czech Republic

AWEA Wind Power Health & Safety Workshop
16th & 17th September

Follow @AWEA on Twitter
Snowbird, UT

Coasts, Marine Structures and Breakwaters 2009
16th – 18th September

Follow @ICE_Engineers on Twitter
Edinburgh, Scotland

JetFin Green 2009 - For investors and managers in search of real returns from green investment
17th September
Geneva, Switzerland

European Smart Grid Strategies
17th & 18th September
Berlin, Germany

Irish Sustainable Buildings Show - Free
17th – 19th September
Dublin, Ireland

CANWEA - Canadian Wind Energy Association Annual Conference & Exhibition
20th – 23rd September
Toronto, Canada

11th Renewable Energy Finance Forum (REFF-London)

21st & 22nd September

London

24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition
21st – 24th September
Hamburg, Germany

REA WATTS (Wave and Tidal Technology Symposium)2009
22nd September
Wirral, Merseyside

Heat & Energy 09
22nd September
London

Hargould EcoShowcase West London - Sustainable Building Product Exhibition
22nd September
Twickenham, London

Wind Power Expo 2009 - Free
22nd – 24th September
Zaragoza, Spain

Carbon capture and Storage World Summit
22nd – 24th September
Arlington, Virginia

Grove Fuel Cell Symposium
22nd – 24th September
London

Klimaenergy 09 - Renewable Energy Trade Fair and Conference
24th – 26th September
Bolzano, Italy

RENEXPO - 10th International Trade Fair for Renewable Energy & Energy Efficient Building and Renovation
24th – 27th September
Ausburg, Germany

Energy from Waste
28th & 29th September
London

Next Generation Biofuels
28th – 30th September
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The 2009 Energy Roundtable conference: A transatlantic energy partnership
29th September
London

The Carbon Show - The Exhibition for Trading, Reducing and managing carbon – Free (register before 25/09)
29th & 30th September
ondon

National Energy Foundation - Solar Thermal Training
30th September
Milton Keynes

AWEA Wind Resource & Project Energy Assessment Workshop
30th September & 1st October

Follow @AWEA on Twitter
Minneapolis, MN

Sustainable Cities & Communities
30th September & 1st October
Geneva, Switzerland

Eolica Expo Mediterranean 2009
30th September – 2nd October
Rome, Italy

GeoTech Expo 2009 - First Mediterranean Earth Industry Technology Exhibition
30th September – 2nd October
Rome, Italy

~*~*~

We will publish a similar list for October soon.

Click here for August’s Green and Renewable Energy Event List.

Click here to download a full list of Green and Renewable Energy events for the next 12 months from Scribd.com

UK Low Carbon Transition Plan

On Wednesday the Government announced its Low Carbon Transition Plan.

The plan covers everything from;

• The power sector
• Homes and communities
• Workplaces and jobs
• The transport system
• Farms and managing land
• Waste sustainability

So, here’s a round-up of all you need to know:

From the Government:

• DECC - Wednesday’s press release from DECC
• Carbon trust - Proof will be in the delivery of Low Carbon Strategy
• Energy Saving Trust – have not issued a press release
• Department for work & pensions – have not issued a press release
• Department for Transport – A greener future for transport
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – have not issued a press release

From the power utilities:

• Ofgem - Response to the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan
• British Gas/Centrica – have not issued a press release
• EDF – have not issued a press release
• E.On UK - It's now or never if we're to win the fight against climate change
• RWE npower - RWE npower welcomes Government plans to meet emissions targets
• Scottish Power - ScottishPower welcomes the UK Government’s Low Carbon Transition Plan
• Scottish & Southern Electricity – have not issued a press release

From the Press:

• The BBC - Low carbon way 'to reshape lives' and from BBC Parliment on iPlayer

The Broadsheets:

• The Times – Lots of articles including those on Jobs, higher energy bills and transport
• The Guardian – Green energy revolution and Government unveils sweeping plans to transform UK into low-carbon economy
• The Telegraph - Society must change to tackle global warming, says Ed Miliband

The Green Press:

• BusinessGreen - Reaction and a comprehensive round-up
• New Energy Focus - Renewable Energy Strategy published
• Recharge - UK Government unveils Renewable Energy Strategy

You may also find my list of 15 renewable energy news sources interesting.

If I have missed anything, don't hesitate to let me know.

By Katharine Robinson

Research Associate, EcoSearch

Ed Miliband Talks Climate Change

This morning Ed Miliband took part in a web chat about climate change in advance of the launch of the “Road to Copenhagen” initiative today, which begins the run up to the climate negotiations in December.

Mr Miliband sings from the policy hymn sheet while managing to keep the chat human. He tells us he has a Prius and admits that he hasn’t quite finished reading David MacKay’s book ‘Sustainable Energy - without the hot air’. He talked about the UK being the only country to have a specific commitment on aviation: “that aviation growth will be constrained by a commitment to get aviation emissions back to current levels by 2050”, and acknowledge that we are in need of a 2050 Energy Roadmap: “That's part of what our summer white paper will be doing so watch this space. And we must make the transition from fossil fuels.” He also advised readers about the £100bn financing plan announced by Gordon Brown today (go to the DECC website for more info), and referred people to the manifesto for Global Climate Change.

Mr Miliband was even willing to answer an off-topic enquiry about his feeling regarding the passing of Michael Jackson.

You can see everything that was discussed in the web chat, from carbon capture and storage, carbon offsetting nuclear power and energy efficiency here on the Guardian website.

Global Wind Day?

I am a supporter of Wind Energy. I believe that our generation is obliged to seriously increase our generation of clean (or cleaner) energy, whether that be wind, wave, solar, biomass or nuclear. My career is currently dedicated to building teams, growing businesses and ultimately contributing to the growth of the wind energy sector. I spend day in and day out talking to people who already work in companies in the Wind energy supply chain, or who want to work with said companies.

However, I have to admit that Global Wind Day, might have passed me by this year, if it wasn’t for one of my colleagues shouting at me that I should be doing something about it. “It’s your thing”, she said…

So what is the point in Global Wind Day? Essentially I understand that the concept is to raise awareness of wind energy… But what then? Is it aimed at making young people want to work in Wind energy? Is aimed at making local communities want to support the construction of wind turbines in their region (let’s hope some of the local councils are reading this…) or is it aimed at making investors want to invest in the sector?

The success of any of the above relies on extending the message of Global Wind Day beyond the immediate circle that already has a vested interest in the Renewable energy sector. So how have they marketed Global Wind energy day? How have the organisers (EWEA and GWEC with the support of the national Wind Energy associations like BWEA), actually gone about reaching their target markets? How did you read about Global Wind Day (or #GWind09 as it has become on Twitter, which is where, incidentally, I have seen the most activity around Global Wind Day)?

Apparently “thousands of public events will be organised simultaneously” on Monday 15th June 09. But searching via the Global Wind Day website only brought me details of 3 events in the UK. Just 3?! Surely that can’t be the case. (I have to add an NB that two of those events are organised by RES - well done RES). So I turn to BWEA to see what they are doing about this Global Wind Day thing… and there’s nothing on their website. So where is it being publicised? I can only imagine (hope) that things are more proactive on the other side of the pond. The American Wind Energy Associations, does at least lead on their home page with the story “Show Your Support for Wind Energy on Global Wind Day, June 15”…

To be fair, Vestas mentioned the day under “campaigns” on their website. ABB released a press release for a bit of publicity (good on them). But Vestas, ABB and RES are in the minority here, and I don’t see the UK broadsheets or tabloids picking up on this – should they be?

If I was Josephine Bloggs working in an un-related sector, and going out my usual routine – home, car, office, car, gym, car home – only listening to Radio 1 or Radio 4 and scanning The Times at lunchtime, would I have known about Global Wind Day?

The idea of having a “Wind Energy Day” is a great idea for a PR and awareness campaign, but if you’re going to do it, isn’t it worth doing it well? (And I would love to practice what I preach and be more involved next year – if someone from GWEC or EWEA is reading this, give me a shout.)

Let me know what I missed, and how you recognised Global Wind Day yesterday.

By Clare Buxton
Sector Lead for Wind Energy, EcoSearch

Get in touch:
Email: clare.buxton@ecosearchglobal.com
Twitter: @CEBUX
Or via LinkedIn

All-Energy ’09 Round-up

The EcoSearch team had a great time in Abredeen last week at the All-Energy ’09 conference and exhibition. Some of the team give their thoughts on this coming together of the Renewables community in 2009.

Debby Lloyd:
Managing Director

“This year's show was markedly different to last year’s - a broader range of technologies on show representing the maturing renewable energy markets. Many businesses were in attendance that are not in mainstream renewables but were clearly looking for an angle to come in on it. Now the "mighty" are throwing their weight behind technology development it will be interesting to see what happens. Interesting views from the Oil and Gas community, who in general were surprised at the "low tech" approaches encountered ... not surprising when oil and gas technology is priced for the BPs of the world - and that's clearly not been in the renewable energy budget to date!”

Clare Buxton:
Sector Lead for Wind Energy

“What a busy week! All-Energy was a stimulating and informative exhibition and conference with some interesting and considered presentations from industry experts. It was noteworthy that whilst some of the largest contributors to the (UK) industry and utility companies had chosen not to exhibit this year, many new (even potential) members of the renewable energy community were exhibiting for the first time. As observed by Adam Bruce of BWEA at the Connect networking event on Tuesday, the growing number of legal, marketing and recruitment organisations providing services into the sector are a sign of the sudden maturity of an industry that was only in its infancy five years ago.”

Steven Rogers:
Sector Lead for Carbon and Renewable Energy Engineering“All-Energy is always one of the busiest and most enjoyable weeks in my calendar and this year’s show proved to be as good as its predecessors.

Over the last few years it has been a real pleasure watching businesses grow from pre-development/‘model’ stage to where they are today, often at the technology deployment stage or business commercialisation stage. In simple terms we have gone from small scale models to these amazing technologies being in existence and use. My lasting impression is that real and quantifiable progress is being made in the renewable energy industry and that it is set to continue.”

Katharine Robinson:
Research Associate and Global Information Management

“My mission for this year’s All-Energy conference was to demonstrate the power of Twitter for building relationships in the Renewable Energy industry. All-Energy had taken me up on my suggestion to run a twitter account and managed to gain 120 followers in the run up to the event. I had managed to build a list of 30 twitter users, other than the folks at EcoSearch, which would be attending the show. The first person I met at All-Energy was a tweeter Clare and I have been following for several months. He came up and introduced himself right as the exhibition started on Wednesday morning. The team and I had some great chats with folks we had connected with via twitter and it was great to see the show covered on this additional layer.”

Phillip Clement:
Director

“Great to see an increasing number of companies dipping their toe into the market - bringing their own flavour and adaptation of their existing services, this is a step change in attitude and acceptance that "it's here to stay" and not a fad. As an engineer and investment manager I am however amazed at the number of Heath Robinson contraptions that are still being presented, perhaps the big boys will make a difference and finally put some weight and money behind some realistic and serious R&D.”

Did you attend the conference? What were your lasting impressions?

We Can’t Wait To Meet You At All-Energy '09

It’s finally here, All-Energy ’09, the UK’s largest renewable energy event. The EcoSearch team took an early flight to Aberdeen this morning, here’s some of the team looking bleary at Luton Airport as we gulp down the day’s first cup of tea.

We arrived in Aberdeen and were told by locals at the AECC conference centre that the best place to get breakfast was the van in B&Q car park. Unable to argue with local knowledge, we got straight back into our hire car (as packed as it was with seven people and all their luggage) and headed to B&Q. It was only a minute from the AECC and we were cooked up the best breakfast rolls of our lives! If you’ve got time to stop by before the conference, it’s well worth the tiny detour!
Back at the AECC and it was a hive of activity. The majority of stands were still spookily bare. It’s always difficult to believe that in less than 24 hours this cavernous empty space will be transformed into an immaculate display of the Renewable Energy industry at its finest.

As a quick reminder before you hit the conference, or if this is the first time you are reading about All-Energy 09, here are a few useful links to familiarise yourself with the exhibition and conference details:

All-Energy 09 home page
All-Energy 09 exhibitor list
All-Energy 09 conference guide
Follow All-Energy on Twitter @AllEnergy

And of course @EcoSearch will be tweeting live from the show via twitter.

Stand E15 will be the team’s home for the next couple of days. We would love for you to stop by and say hello.

See our previous article on using twitter for conferences here to learn more.

Leadership For A Sustainable Future

This post is from a consultant placed by Debby Lloyd last year. It is our privilege to place “the best of the best” in the market. They then become the heart of influence on some of the most strategic and complex carbon management programmes in global industry today. Their insight into the challenges faced is unique. We are delighted to give them a platform for their personal views – which let’s face it in consulting can rarely be aired or discussed to maintain that fine line of objectivity on a project. So we cherish their input, give them a platform and respect their anonymity … but we know they welcome hearty debate so do comment!

With climate and sustainability scientists becoming increasingly gloomy, do we need to see more leadership and less haggling over policy detail in order to achieve a sustainable future?
The Climate Safety Report, written by the Public Interest Research Centre and released in November 2008, reviewed research published the IPCC’s report of October 2007 including:  

• 2008 was the year of minimum Arctic summer ice volume—70% below the 1979 volume. It is clear that that Arctic sea ice is disappearing much faster than the IPCC’s end of century prediction. Pen Hadow’s Catlin Survey, advised by EcoSearch and now underway, will provide the detailed data to measure permanent Arctic ice thickness. 
  
• As the Arctic melts, increased warming in surrounding regions will be seen up to 1500 km inland into area of continuous permafrost. This permafrost contains twice as much carbon as previously thought—double the amount currently in the atmosphere. The effect of this warming permafrost is not presently incorporated in any global climate models.
  
• Greenland’s 2007 melt was 60% greater than the next highest year of 1998.
  
• While the IPCC predicted sea level rise of 0.5m to 1.4m by 2100, James Hansen, of NASA, in taking long term feedback mechanisms into account, predicts a rise of 0.5m by 2050.
  

While the UK and the EU have certainly demonstrated leadership over the past years in setting policy and drivers to reduce carbon emissions, changes are implemented slowly, very slowly.
DEFRA recently announced that UK greenhouse gas emissions (2% of global emissions) had fallen by 1.7% from 2006 to 2007 and in total by 21.7% from 1990 to 2007 . Laudable indeed, but the UK Climate Change Committee recently set a 2020 target reduction of 34% or 42% if there is a global deal to cut emissions--almost doubling the average annual reductions the UK have achieved over the past 17 years.

In the EU, there seems to be a tendency to attempt to achieve consensus through endless consultation and in some cases, near-perfect standards and targets. Jonathan Porritt has been decried for raising the issue of population growth as the elephant in the room. Plans for a third runway at Heathrow have been approved. Leadership seems to falter.

Okay, so the UK could try harder, but at least the UK and the EU have been trying for the last 17 years. The Americans have a massive challenge, their greenhouse gas emissions (representing around 20% of global emissions) have risen by 16.7% from 1990 to 2007.  

So far, President Obama seems to be supporting two targets for the USA: cutting U.S. greenhouse gas emissions back to 1990 levels by 2020, and an 80 per cent reduction from 1990 levels by 2050. While the second is in line with the UK’s targets, the first, while ambitious for America (and by the way, matching the annual reductions achieved by the UK over the past 17 years), doesn’t meet the expectations of the rest of a hopeful world placing enormous environmental expectations on the new President. Nonetheless, while the Americans are coming late to the party, watch out, EU. Americans have shown repeatedly throughout history that once they “get” a concept, their focus, drive, pragmatism and energy enables them to leap frog the slow, steady results achieved by others.  

And certainly, Obama has the charisma, persuasiveness and intelligence (in sum, leadership) to cut through the treacle, set ambitious targets and motivate the interests of his country and others to achieve them. Sometimes, it is about simplicity and not being distracted by too much detailed policy.  

And as the Climate Safety Report concludes, we need to convey a hopeful and viable future vision which is coherent and compelling. We need big asks. We must challenge political “realism”. We also must start the tough debates about population control and what sustainable consumption actually looks like. In short, we need leadership to achieve a sustainable future, and we must not be distracted by our short term commercial and political interests—even in tough times.

Image by nick_russill

Darling Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is!

Alistair Darling, Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced the new 2009 Budget on Wednesday 22nd April.

Whilst taxes have been toughened on the usual suspects – cigarettes, alcohol, fuel – and increased significantly for those earning at the higher end of the market (£150k plus now being taxed 50% and pension loop holes closed up), the overall message towards the green and low carbon sectors was very positive: Brown and Darling are making it clear that they are serious about their commitment to Renewable Energy and Low Carbon initiatives. They have stated that the UK will become the first country to commit to legally binding targets for reducing CO2 (34% reduction by 2020).

Here is a summary of the financial investment into the Low Carbon and Renewable Energy sectors:

• £525m to be invested into the development of Offshore Wind farm development between 2011 and 2014. The money will be raised through the Renewable Obligation. Darling’s money is going behind Offshore Wind because it is the closest to generation. Nuclear will take significant time to build; tidal is still in early stages; geothermal opportunity in UK is limited.
  
• Review of ROC (Renewable Obligation Certificate) scheme – Electricity companies will receive 2 ROCs for every MWh of energy they buy from an offshore wind farm (increased from 1.5 ROC) for the financial year 2009-2010. This will fall back to 1.75 ROCs 2010-2011.
  
• Opportunity to benefit from up to £4bn of investment into renewable infrastructure projects from the European Investment Bank (EIB). This could translate to £1bn of development in the UK.
  
• £375m to support energy efficiency initiatives in businesses, public buildings and homes in the UK through various schemes including £100m of funding for low cost loans delivered through the Carbon Trust. 
  
• £70m of investment into micro-generation or small scale renewables. 
  
• £405m of investment to go into developing “low-carbon energy and advanced green manufacturing" in the UK. This will focus on opening up a “green” supply chain in the UK to aid the development of low carbon technologies in the UK.
  

The government also reaffirmed its support of CHP (Combined Heat and Power) with its long term strategy being announced later this year. 

Adam Bruce of the BWEA said: 

"This package of measures deserves a welcome from our industry, and is in line with proposals that we have been working through with government. It addresses the short-term economic hurdles we faced due to the fall of the £ against the €, and the post-Lehman collapse in project finance.
It also restates the Government's long-term commitment to the renewable energy sector, and should enable us to unlock up to £10bn of private sector investment in wind and marine energy projects over the coming few years."

Overall it looks like Darling’s Budget will receive a warm welcome from the Renewables community. Is this enough?

As always, I would be very interested in hear your views directly.

Leave your comments below or find me via twitter, LinkedIn or directly by email.

Clare Buxton
Wind Sector Lead

Image by John-Morgan

RSPB changes sides!

The Wind Energy sector gained another supporter today, and one that had previously been protesting against it.

I was surprised to read this morning on the BBC news and then the Times (just to reassure myself it was true!) that the RSPB have significantly changed their tune with regards to their attitude to Wind Farms, and are now calling on the government to set firm targets for developing wind energy and saying that it would be “disastrous” if wind power in the UK was wasted. The RSPB commissioned a report from the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), which found the UK lagging far behind in the drive for wind power.

The ornithologists, who previously campaigned against Wind Farms because they believed they could interfere with migration routes and be dangerous, have been obstructive to Wind Farms (the RSPB led the campaign to prevent the construction of a wind farm on the Isle of Lewis). They now believe that the UK is behind its targets and that wind energy projects should be pushed. They still want areas to be mapped out to avoid certain habitats, but now recognise that climate change is a more dangerous threat to many species – the rising temperatures will drive many birds, and other wildlife, away from their current homes.

It looks like wind energy may have earned itself a significant ally.

By Clare Buxton
Sector Lead for Wind Energy, EcoSearch

Is the UK being left behind in the Cleantech race?

Britain has stated, and repeatedly so, that it will lead the way in developing clean technology. Our Government has promised to “lead the world” on its spending path out of economic slump – but it is failing.

One of the most comprehensive studies of green stimuli been introduced across the globe puts Britain near the bottom of the international trade league. China, for example, has devoted well over a hundred times as much money to recession-beating environmental measures, despite being castigated as an international laggard in tackling pollution.

This sort of information will embarrass Gordon Brown, who has said the UK will spark “a low carbon economy.” And it contradicts his repeated insistence that green measures are "imperative" as a "key driver" of future economic growth. He returned to the theme a couple of days ago in his speech to the Labour Party's National Policy Forum. And a policy document published to complement his address calls for Britain "to lead the world in building the low carbon society with a low carbon economy".

The report (published by HSBC) reveals that Britain has, so far, devoted only $2.1bn (£1.5bn) to a green stimulus, less than a third of France's $7.2bn and less than a sixth of Germany's $13.8bn. China's spending, at $221.3bn, is more than 110 times that of the UK.

This makes no mention of the sudden appearance of the US on the clean tech spending scene. The Administration’s plan of spending $83 billion (out of $787 billion) on clean technology is phenomenal for a country that also only just admitted there is a climate change issue.

My concern is the UK government is all talk and no trousers when it comes to clean technology. We are in danger of being rapidly overtaken by other nations, which in 20 – 30 years time may mean that to implement clean technology we have to import the technology.

Let’s get to the front of this space and become the technology exporter for a change!

Other Articles that may interest you:
America is open for Green Business - next stop Carbon Valley - ghgblog.com
Government timetable slip means fossil fuels will trump renewable energy, says CLA - FarmingUK.com
UK needs to invest billions to secure power-study - iii.co.uk

By Steven Rogers
Sector Lead for Carbon & Renewable Energy Engineering