Green and Renewable Energy Events – October & November 2010

This week brought us the excitement of The Carbon Show in London. Don’t miss another relevant event in the space again with the EcSearch events list. Here’s what’s coming up in Europe over the next couple of months;

October 2010:

Innovate 2010
12th October 2010 - London, UK
Follow @innovateuk on Twitter

Built Environment Solutions and Technologies
18th to 20th October 2010 - Birmingham, UK
Follow @BESTShow_NEC on Twitter

2nd Annual Offshore Wind Construction and Commissioning Conference
20th & 21st October 2010 - London, UK

South East Europe Renewable Energy 2010
22nd October 2010 - Istanbul, Turkey

Climate Change and Impact Assessment IAIA Special Symposium
25th & 26th October 2010 - Aalborg, Denmark

Renewable Energy in the Public Sector: Leading the way to zero carbon
26th October 2010 - London, UK

EU Biomas Forum 2010
27th to 29th October 2010 - London, UK

Green In the City: The Future of UK Onshore Wind - From ecoConnect
28th October 2010 - London, UK
Follow @ecoConnectCIC on Twitter

Big Green Home Show

29th - 31st October 2010 - Swindon, UK

Follow @BGHShow on Twitter

November 2010:

Green Mondays London
1st November 2010 - London, UK
Follow @greenmondaynews on Twitter

Green Monday Middlands
1st November 2010 - Birmingham, UK
Follow @greenmondaynews on Twitter

RenewableUK 2010
2nd to 4th November 2010 - Glasgow, Scotland

Energy Data Storage
3rd & 4th November 2010 - London, UK

Sustainability Leaders Forum
4th November 2010 - London, UK

The Sustainable Scotland Network Annual Conference 2010
4th November 2010 - Edinburgh, UK

Green Supply Chain
4th & 5th November 2010 - York, UK

Carbon Markets Masterclass
8th November 2010 - London, UK

3rd International Symposium On Energy From Biomass And Waste
8th to 11th November 2010 - Venice Italy

Green IT Expo
9th November 2010 - London, UK
Follow @GreenITExpo on Twitter

SMART GRIDS, SMART CITIES – SMART FUTURE
9th November 2010 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Climate Finance 2010
9th & 10th November 2010 - London, UK

Engaging the public on Climate Change
18th November 2010, London, UK

Oxford Energy Markets Roundtable
19th November 2010 - Oxford, UK

Energy 2010 - International Forum
22nd November 2010 - November 2010

EWEA - Grids 2010
23rd & 24th November 2010 - Berlin, Germany
Follow @EWEA on Twitter

Green Awards for Creativity in Sustainability
25th November 2010 - London, UK
Follow @GreenAwards on Twitter

Integrated Energy - The CHPA Annual Conference
25th November 2010 - London, UK

Electric Vehicle Charging and Grid Integration 2010
30th November 2010 - London, UK
Follow @ChargingEV on Twitter

If we're missing an event, feel free to leave us a note in the comments section of this post or send us a tweet or an email.

Green and Renewable Energy Events – September & October 2010

Here’s the latest Events list in the European Renewable Energy space – taking you up to the end of October 2010. We hope you find it useful. If we’ve missed an event, please let us know and we’ll make sure it’s added to the list.

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Featured Event:

4th & 5th October 2010
Business Design Centre, London

~*~*~

September 2010:

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

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

Women in Cleantech: Exploring Cleantech Policy – From ecoConnect
22nd September 2010
London, UK
Twitter: @ecoConnectCIC

Cleantech Bootcamp - From ecoConnect
27th September 2010
London, UK
Twitter: @ecoConnectCIC

UK Green Buildings Council Regional Event
27th September 2010
Manchester, UK
Twitter: @UKGBC

Biogaz Europe
29th September 2010
Lyon, France

Green in the City: Cleantech meets Biotech - From ecoConnect
30th September 2010
London, UK
Twitter: @ecoConnectCIC

October 2010:

Green Mondays – London
4th October 2010
London, UK
Twitter: @greenmondaynews

Green Mondays – Scotland
4th October 2010
London, UK
Twitter: @greenmondaynews

The Carbon Show
4th & 5th October 2010
London, UK
Twitter: @thecarbonshow

2nd Global Wind Turbine Supply Chain Conference
5th & 6th October 2010
Hamburg, Germany

Energy Solutions Expo
6th & 7th October 2010
London, UK
Twitter: @energysol_expo

All-Energy Australia
6th & 7th October
Melbourne, Australia
Twitter: @AllEnergy

European Biofuels Expo & Conference
6th & 7th October 2010
Warwickshire, UK

2nd Annual Offshore Wind Construction and Commissioning Conference
20th & 21st October 2010
London, UK

Renewable Energy in the Public Sector: Leading the way to zero carbon
26th October 2010
London, UK

EU Biomas Forum 2010
27th – 29th October 2010
London, UK

Green In the City: The Future of UK Onshore Wind - From ecoConnect
28th October 2010
London, UK
Twitter: @ecoConnectCIC

Stay tuned for another events update at the beginning of next month.

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

EcoSearch "State of the Nation" Update - April/May 2010

It seems we have a lift!

The big question is “for how long?”. I’m sensing an underlying nervousness, what will happen post summer, post election, post Greece?

For a whistle-stop tour of what else I’m seeing;

Finance & Investment in general: -

• Early stage Innovation businesses in cleantech are still suffering from lack of finance although there’s some Creative fund ideas are emerging but these are pre-fund raising and still some months away
• There is still a lack of quality investments – with all investors sticking to traditional post revenue models
• Large scale asset based projects based on “known technologies” are more appealing to investors although a switch to investing in “IP” is being detected for some areas

CRC (Carbon Reduction Commitment):

• Public sector – enquiries are up across the board but delivery is problematical
• FM – large companies gearing up internally to tackle CRC opportunity but clients showing frustration with over-layered FM business models
• Government Knowledge & Advice on procuring these products and services is sadly lacking and will affect the placement of orders

Microgeneration:

• Consumer & Business Demand is growing for product – however manufacturing problems in small wind, supply problems for inverters & Solar PV are issues
• Installer capacity to deliver projects and scale-ability will be an issue in the near term
• Renewables purchasers are frustrated with a fragmented market, product comparison is hard to action, corporate “slickness” is lacking in delivery
• The present MCS accreditation framework appears to be preventing the industry from reaching “sales” maturity
• The present sales & distribution models are problematical – especially in small wind

Business Models:

• The SME Services & Product Sector for Renewables & cleantech is suffering casualties, further casualties are expected from cash flow burn-out crisis
• Specialist & experienced installers will perhaps be prime for acquisition but managing integration will be key for any acquirer
• The Corporate & Utility sector is struggling to internally ratify traditional operating models with highly adaptive, flexible & fast moving emerging markets
• Innovation in the Corporate arena is constrained due to cash flow/focus on core business, smaller workforces & lost internal entrepreneurial ability

Disruption Technologies & Conspiracy Theories?

• … suffered from professional anti-blogging attacks? Well interestingly – now the furore of East Anglia has died down we uncover a rise in this type of activity. So who are the organisations having sufficient funds who have a vested anti-lobbying interest to procure the services of these anti blogging rings.
• And is it wrong to believe that some of those same industries are also buying up IP to shelve “disruption technologies” …
• UK Manufacturing – over-engineered & over-priced? KISS for the future – the Chinese are coming!

These are personal views. I welcome comment, debate and discussion – debby.lloyd@ecosearchglobal.com

Debby Lloyd,
Managing Director, EcoSearch

Image by Micky on Flickr

Cleantech, Renewables & Sustainability Investment - Deal Flow

It’s encouraging to see creative ideas around fund raising for Cleantech, renewable & low carbon technologies – The Founders Club for example “where dealmakers club together” ... looks good, Par Equity - is this the largest Advisory board gathering of the great and good? There’s even talk of some novel and interesting off-grid (pardon the pun) boutique social stock exchanges emerging too.

But they all want the same thing - post revenue / growth potential businesses to invest in - so supply & demand will be a problem for the smaller players wanting quick returns.
This week also saw a Government announcement about the establishment of a Green Investment Bank operating on a commercial basis and involving both public and private sector capital. £1 billion will be raised from the sale of “mature government-owned infrastructure-related assets” (will we have anything left soon – even Dover Docks appears to be up for sale?). This would be matched by £1 billion of private sector investment ... I haven’t seen the detail yet but I’m sure the latter will be a challenge given the state of Corporate businesses today – and again its targeted on investment into heavyweight large complex infrastructure projects.
So – who’s tackling investment into the start up and innovation side of emerging green technologies?

There’s an ever increasing funding gap between early stage “fresh out of the shed entrepreneurs” and “high growth” ready businesses.

Ultimately this will impact deal flow at maturing business “high growth” stage. Inevitably this will get tighter and more and more investors will be chasing fewer deals... that will be interesting as the tables may turn a little perhaps.

By Debby Lloyd
Managing Director, EcoSearch

Green & Renewable Energy Events - March 2010

Here is EcoSearch's regular Events list for March 2010. If we have missed an event in the industry, don't hesitate to let us know.

Green Mondays (2degrees)
1st March 2010 - London, UK

National Energy Foundation - Introduction to Renewable Energy
2nd March 2010 - Milton Keynes, UK

EcoBuild 2010
2nd - 24th March 2010 - London, UK

Carbon Market Insights
2nd - 4th March 2010 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Renewables East - Feed in Tariff - The real potential for renewable enregy support
3rd March 2010 - Cambridge, UK

New Energy Finance Summit 2010
3rd - 5th March 2010 - London, UK

BWEA Wave & Tidal 2010
4th March 2010 - London, UK

EnerTech World Expo' 2010
3rd - 5th March 2010 - Mumbai, India

Gulf Environment Forum
7th - 9th March 2010 - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

UK OFFSHORE WIND SUPPLY CHAIN CONFERENCE
9th March 2010 - Bristol, UK

Climate Change: How will it impact on your business?
12th March 2010 - Aberdeen, Scotland

World Biofuels Markets
15th - 17th March 2010 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

RENEWABLE HEAT INCENTIVE - WARMING UP THE MARKET
16th March 2010 - Bristol, UK

Thin Film Solar Summit Europe
17th & 18th March 2010 - Berlin, Germany

New Energy Husum 2010
18th - 21st March 2010 - Husum, Germany

National Home Building and Renovation Show
18th - 21st March 2010 - Birmingham, UK

Scottish Renewables - Annual Conference
23rd & 24th March 2010 - Glasgow, Scotland

GLOBALCON 2010
24th & 25th March 2010 - Philadelphia, USA

Offshore Wind & Transmission
30th & 31st March 2010 - Hamburg, Germany

Green and Renewable Energy Events - February 2010

Each month we aim to bring you a comprehensive list of all the events happening in the world of Renewable Energy, Clean Technology, Carbon Management and Sustainability.

If we have missed any events, just let us know and we will be happy to add to our list.

You can also see our list for January 2010 here.

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Green Mondays (2degrees)
1st February 2010 - London, UK

Offshore Wind Power
2nd & 3rd February 2010 - Philadelphia, USA

The CIBSE Low Carbon Performance Awards 2010
3rd February 2010 - London, UK
You can follow @CIBSE on Twitter

RETECH 2010
3rd - 5th February 2010 - Washington, USA

Bioenergy Expo
4th - 7th February 2010 - Verona, Italy

Scottish Energy and Environment Conference
9th February 2010 - Glasgow, Scotland

Plastic and Thin Film Photovoltaics
11th & 12th February 2010 - Barcelona, Spain

Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo
23rd - 25th February 2010 - Texas, USA
You can follow @REWorld on Twitter

Cleantech Forum San Francisco
24th - 26th February 2010 - California, USA
You can follow @cleantechgroup on Twitter

Stay tuned - we will publish a similar list for March 2010 soon.

Green and Renewable Energy Events – January 2010

Here is the first event list for 2010.

If you know of an event we have missed, please let us know and we will add it to the list. You can drop us an email or leave us a comment here on the blog. You can also view and download our full list of events for the next six months.

If there is anything else we can add to this service to make it more useful to you, just let us know.

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Green Mondays – Post Copenhagen
11th January 2010 – London, UK

Green Drinks – London
Green Drinks events are held globally – find many other events via their website.
12th January 2010 – Soho, London UK

Follow @greendrinks on Twitter

InterSOLUTION - the 1st and only solar energy trade fair in the Benelux
14th – 16th January 2010 – Belgium

World Future Energy Summit
18th – 21st January 2010 – Abu Dhabi, UAE

Solar Power Generation USA
20th & 21st January 2010 – Las Vegas, Nevada USA

Distributed Wind Interconnection Workshop
21st – 23rd January 2010 – Golden, CO USA

Climate Change: Effective Communication
22nd January 2010 – Edinburgh, Scotland

Energy from Biomass and Waste
26th & 27th January 2010 – London, UK

Wind Power Monthly Offshore Event
27th January 2010 – London, UK

Wind Power Commercial Strategies
27th – 29th January 2010 – Vienna, Austria

Course: Renewable Energy Technologies for 6* Sustainable Homes
29th January 2010 – University of Brighton, UK

Here is December 2009’s event list, and pop back or subscribe via RSS as we will be publishing a similar list for February soon.

Commercial Realism and Wind Energy

Two articles published today (Friday 13th November) have caught my attention. The first is a discussion piece by Petra Barnby in the FT EnergySource blog. The second is the press release accompanying the Institution of Mechanical Engineers latest paper Climate Change: Have we lost the Battle?

Both these articles try to depict a true and realistic story, a story which is still being written and may or may not have a happy ending. They also address different topics; the FT piece is about offshore wind and how it can contribute to energy security, and the IMechE report is about Climate Change (i.e. reducing CO2) targets. They have different goals, although possibly with common causes and shared solutions.

However, I have a few observations. The FT article is outwardly a “pro-Wind” stance. It talks about the turbines’ “serenity and peacefulness about their understated orbital business that fits in with the drab North Sea scape” and contribution that wind could make to energy generation in the UK, with offshore wind farms “powering 18.5m homes in 10 years’ time.” The author also chooses to quote members of the BWEA. Yet there is something mildly frustrating about the opening line to the piece…

They’re beautiful,’ breathed a bearded wind farm enthusiast as he spotted the shape of a turbine appear from the mist on the horizon.

I think it is the use of the word “bearded” that concerns me. Are enthusiasts of wind power still associated with bearded, sandal-wearing hippies? Can we not be black shoe wearing, clean shaven (or female!) enthusiasts who see that energy security is a commercial, economical and political necessity? Maybe the analogy is only there in my mind? Maybe the guy stood next to the journalist was bearded AND suit-wearing, and it is my own sensitivities? Or is it a sub-conscious association that the journalist still makes with renewable energy enthusiasts.

I found the IMechE’s report refreshing. Whilst it may be pessimistic about actually achieving the 2050 CO2 reduction goals that have been currently set, it is real and it addresses action. It calls for a mixture of “geo-engineering” solutions. Whilst I disagree with the need to change DECC to DECS (is an initial actually going to make the difference?), I agree with the positioning.

Let’s move away from the association with bearded, sandal wearing climate change activists with pie-in-the-sky goals, and be realistic, commercial and proactive about securitising and changing our energy sources.

By Clare Buxton

Wind Energy Sector Lead

Picture courtesy of phault

Green and Renewable Energy Events - December 2009

Here is our regular monthly events update for you.

Events are starting to slow down in the run up to the holidays but there is still a lot going on in December in the run up to the UN Climate talks in Copenhagen. You can also view November’s events list if you missed it.

If you can think of an event we have missed, please let us know and we will add it to the list. You can drop us an email or leave us a comment here on the blog. You can also view and download our full list of events for the next twelve months.

If there is anything else we can add to this service to make it more useful to you, just let us know.

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Canadian Renewable Fuels Summit
30th November - 2nd December 2009 – Vancouver, Canada

IWEA - Wind Monitoring Training Course
1st December 2009 – Osberstown, Ireland
Follow @IWEA on Twitter

Smart Energy 09
1st & 2nd December 2009 – London, UK

Small Hydro USA
1st & 2nd December 2009 – Washington DC, USA

Global Wind Turbine Supply Chain Summit

1st & 2nd December 2009 - Hamburg, Germany

EnviroAsia 2009 - the 4th International Environmental technologies Exhibition & conference
1st – 4th December 2009 - Singapore

Business Green Lecture Series: What the Copenhagen Climate Conference means for your business

2nd December - London, UK

You can follow @BusinessGreen on Twitter

IET - Green and energy efficient buildings: preparing for the challenges of Copenhagen
2nd December 2009 – London, UK
Follow @IETevents on Twitter

Enhancing your Business with Green Chemistry
2nd December 2009 – York, UK

Cleantech Forum Beijing
2nd & 3rd December 2009 – Beijing, China

You can follow @cleantechgroup on Twitter

AWEA Offshore Wind Project Workshop
2nd & 3rd December 2009 – Boston MA, USA

You can follow @AWEA on twitter

The Scottish Green Energy Awards
3rd December 2009 – Edinburgh, Scotland

IWEA - Effective Asset Management
3rd December 2009 – Dundalk, Ireland
Follow @IWEA on Twitter

Kinnarps - Think Green, Save Money

3rd December 2009 - London

GeoPower Europe
3rd & 4th December – Munich, Germany

Copenhagen Key to Climate Investment
3rd & 4th December 2009 – Copenhagen, Denmark

Think Green - 2nd Annual Eco Expo
5th December 2009 – Riviera Maya, Mexico

IWEA - Vestas V52 Turbine Training
7th December 2009 – Dundalk, Ireland

Green Mondays - Smart Grids UK

7th December 2009 - London, UK

Wind Power Turkey
7th – 9th December 2009 – Istanbul, Turkey

COP15 Copenhagen 2009 - United Nations Climate Change Conference
7th – 18th December 2009 – Copenhagen, Denmark

You can follow @COP15 on Twitter

Green Drinks – London
8th December 2009 – London, UK
(Green Drinks events happen globally, more can be found via their website)

Sustainability Now
8th & 9th December 2009 – Online, UK
Follow @sustainnow on Twitter

Power-gen International
8th – 10th December 2009 – Las Vegas, USA

Bioenergy Australia
8th – 10th December 2009 – Queensland, Australia

Energaia
9th – 12th December 2009 – Montpellier, France

Solar Turkey
10th & 11th December 2009 – Istanbul, Turkey

ecoCamp Coventry

12th December 2009 - Coventry, UK

Bright Green - in parallel with the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15)
12th – 13th December 2009 – Copenhagen, Denmark

Electricx Power 2009
12th – 15th December 2009 – Cairo, Egypt

IWEA - Vestas V52 Maintenance Training
15th December 2009 – Dundalk, Ireland
Follow @IWEA on Twitter

European Fuel Cell Technology & Applications - "Piero Lunghi Conference"
15th – 18th December 2009 – Rome, Italy

BWEA Connect - a networking evening exclusively for existing and potential members of BWEA
17th December 2009 – London, UK

We will be publishing January 2010’s list soon, so watch this space...

Our Advisory service also provides help to organisations putting on industry events. Don't hesitate to get in touch if we can be of assistance.

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.

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Featured Event:

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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

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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

Fundraising in Cleantech and Renewable Energy

Here are some sound bites from the trench this week on fundraising challenges faced by “Smallco” (the small company working in renewable energy and cleantech). This is the often forgotten £2m and under brigade – of which there are a fair few out there – comprised of both product and services companies.

Smallco in Entrepreneurland is being hindered by the lack of investor appetite for the smaller deal. As a result they are falling between the crack of “too small for the big investors” and “too big & long term to tie up angel money”.

Everyone wants to invest in green

Smallco has to kiss a lot of frogs at the moment. For the smaller businesses preparing for marathon pitching rounds, this means time away from the day job which can be painful when you still need to grow the business.

With relatively few specialists and lots of new entrants rarely are investors truly knowledgeable about the technologies and complexities of businesses operating in this space. So the fund raising process takes even more time as they grapple with the due diligence, alien concepts, opportunities, issues and longer technology development lead times, research etc.

Most people recognise that there is a lack of mature companies around and the “big deals” are rare. The smaller deal dynamics are inherently resource hungry with an owner manager driven situation, and are also a long way from maturity.

Greed and speed factor is high

It is simply not a natural fit with some of these businesses who need nurturing and mentoring as well as cash. This is not the same cycle as dot.com – there is a lot more upfront investment and a slower burn on return. That doesn’t stop the comparisons being made on the investment journey.

So, for angel style investors who wish to spread risk and become involved in a range of cleantech and renewable deals (because, let’s face it, there is risk involved), I can’t help but think there is opportunity here. A venture fund, formed by a collective pool of small-deal VCs, could work together and provide their expertise and contacts along the way. This would strengthen the likelihood of success and in return would create a natural nursery pool to spin into bigger things … plus there would be a lot of fun along the way.

If this sounds like you, call me to discuss, I’ve a number of clients who fall into this category and could be interested in connecting with you.

By Debby Lloyd.

Managing Director, EcoSearch

Image by Perrimoon

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.

Two Week Countdown to All-Energy

In just two weeks the EcoSearch team will be heading off to Aberdeen to exhibit at their third All-Energy show.

The team reflect on why it’s such a great events and so valuable to our business.

Clare Buxton: 

“All-Energy is a great opportunity to learn more about the latest developments and projects in the UK Wind Energy space. I'm hoping to catch some of the seminars focused on the Offshore Wind sector. As well, of course, as meet up with some familiar faces!”

Martin Grady:

“I am looking forward to being able to launch EcoSearch Interim and Contracting Limited. I would like to talk to any potential clients and contractors who may be interested in our services in the future.”

Debby Lloyd:

“As always All-Energy affords a chance to catch up with businesses operating across the whole spectrum of the renewable space and their operating challenges, especially given the current climate - and a chance to assess the future contenders from a ‘whose ripe for M&A activity’".

Mark Sawyer:

“Wow - All Energy 09 looks to be a belter, bigger and better than before, more technologies, more companies, better opportunities to network. I really am excited about this year's show. Having sent out invitations to a number of key industry figures/leaders who have/are seeking Ecosearch's expertise and who have responded positively, we really are going to be busy. I just hope we have time to meet new faces and contacts.”

Katharine Robinson:

“This year, I am running All-Energy’s presence on the social network Twitter. I am excited about talking to the conference goers about the service and find out who is ‘following’ the show online. I am also looking forward to using the medium to raise awareness of the conference and the exciting world of Renewable Energy.”

Steven Rogers:

“All Energy offers the opportunity for us to raise our heads, get out hands on technology and understand what the trends are in our industry. I'm looking forward to finding out what is happening within built environment and what is next for increasing energy efficiency. Also, there is a lot a noise around Carbon Capture and Storage - I'm keen to learn what is going on and if this is a viable solution for our carbon emissions. I'll be at stand E15 and always keen to talk - please feel free to come and say hello”

What are you looking forward to at All-Energy this year?

15 Online News Sources For Renewable Energy And The Carbon Markets

Our work requires us to stay ahead of the game when it comes to news in the Renewable Energy Space.

As I was putting together a list of essential news services for new employees, I thought the resource was too good not to share with everyone.

So here, in alphabetical order, are EcoSearch’s top 15 online sources for green news.

Alternative Energy – Alternative energy news and information resources about renewable energy technologies. RSS. Twitter

All-Energy – The Renewables Show, held annually in Aberdeen, aggregates all of the top new stories on its website.

BBC Science & Environment - Get the latest BBC Science and Environment News: breaking news, analysis and debate on science and nature in the UK and around the world.RSS. Twitter

Carbon Finance - A a monthly newsletter and e-mail update service providing in-depth coverage of the global markets in greenhouse gas emissions. RSS

Edie - Officially Europe's biggest environmental website, Edie combines an unparalleled directory of products and services from thousands of specialised companies with an online news service reporting on the latest environmental stories as they break. RSS. Twitter

Financial Times Energy Source Blog - The FT’s specialist writers offer their insight into energy markets, companies and policy, plus commentary on the latest market-moving news. RSS. Twitter

GreenTechMedia – A fully integrated online-media company comprised of cutting-edge news, in-depth market research, and focused industry events. RSS. Twitter

Guardian Energy - The Guardian newspaper, of which guardian.co.uk is its online presence, was founded in 1821 and has a long history of editorial and political independence. RSS.

McKinsey Quarterly (Energy, Resources and Materials) - The McKinsey Quarterly is the business journal of McKinsey & Company.RSS. Twitter

New Energy Focus - A daily news service for the UK energy sector, dedicated to the professionals working towards sustainable energy in the UK. RSS

Point Carbon - A world-leading provider of independent news, analysis and consulting services for European and global power, gas and carbon markets. Point Carbon provides market-moving information through monitoring fundamental information, key market players and business and policy developments. RSS

Renewable Energy World - RenewableEnergyWorld.com was started in 1998 by a group of Renewable Energy professionals who wanted their work to relate to their passion for renewable energy. RSS

Reuters Environment – Reuters is a world leading source of intelligent information for business and professionals. RSS. Twitter

Telegraph Earth - Earth is your source for environmental and green news, with information on global warming, pollution, green living and recycling, as well as tips on how to cut your contribution to climate change. RSS.

TreeHugger - TreeHugger is a fast-growing web magazine, dedicated to everything that has a modern aesthetic yet is environmentally responsible. Check out the latest news, reviews and recommendations for modern yet green products and services. RSS. Twitter

Do you have another source of online green news that you would recommend?

By Katharine Robinson
Research Associate, EcoSearch

Wikipedia Links: Learn more about RSS feeds and Twitter