A change of venue highlights the importance of energy efficiency

Taking place on 13th-14th September, this year’s Energy Event will once again be one of the key energy exhibitions in the calender. It will be supported by many of the leading industry associations and organisations and will be sponsored by British Independent Utilities (BIU), a systems-based utility consultancy that specialises in large multi-location portfolios. Other co-sponsors for this year’s event include E.ON, powerPerfector and UX Energy Services, as well as an array of event partners that reflect the wide spectrum of industries that are relevant to the event such as EIC, the Energy Services & Technology Association (ESTA), the Major Energy Users’ Council (MEUC), BCIA, CIBSE and the Energy Institute.

The Energy Insight Conference

Always a popular feature of the exhibition, the Energy Insight Conference will provide a forum for debate and discussion on the biggest issues affecting energy pricing, risk, and the reduction of carbon. Energy Insight, will bring together leading experts and commentators in the fields of economics, climate change, energy policy and security, the nuclear industry, demand management and carbon reduction.

Day one of the conference will be chaired by BBC Radio 4’s Today programme presenter, John Humphrys, who, during his career as an award winning journalist, is no stranger to the global issues debated on energy. Using an informal, ‘chat show’ format, Humphrys will chair discussions with key European energy industry figures on topics such as electricity market reform, energy pricing and the prospects for nuclear energy.

Also on day one, leading UK business woman Karren Brady will join as guest speaker on the topic of ‘Effecting Change’ in business. This presentation will look at how to positively influence organisational change, beginning at boardroom level, in relation to energy management.

Guest speaker on day two of the Energy Insight Conference is Lord Digby Jones, author of the recently published book ‘Fixing Britain’ and who is known as the ‘face’ of UK business. Lord Jones’ presentation titled ‘Putting Britain at the heart of global change’ will discuss the need for UK business to promote a culture of innovation and readiness in order to adapt to the changes required in the move towards a low carbon society.

Following recent events in Japan, the presentation from event sponsor, BIU, titled ‘The prospects for Nuclear – where does the future lie and how will it affect your organisation?’, on day one of the Energy Insight Conference, has never been more topical or relevant. Energy trader at BIU, Andrew Anderson-Shepherd, believes the presentation will encourage heads of industry to put pressure on the government to act on finalising plans for the construction of more nuclear power plants, by giving them a clear understanding of the current energy situation and how it will develop in the not too distant future.

Other speakers in the line up for the Energy Insight Conference include Volker Beckers, CEO, RWE npower, who will give a presentation on day one titled, ‘Addressing the energy gap – which fuels will become prevalent and how will carbon taxes affect this mix?’, and Sara Vaughan, director of Regulation and Energy Policy, E.ON, who, also on day one of the conference, will talk about ‘Cleaner and better energy’. On day two, Dr Craig Lowrey, consultant for The Utilities Exchange will discuss ‘Peak oil – and the correlation to energy pricing. How will shale gas affect the UK?’

The Energy Information Theatre

The second conference stream at the event is the Energy Information Theatre, which offers an opportunity for energy professionals to hear case studies and reports from peers. Supported by key industry associations and organisations, the sessions are practical, learning-based and provide insights into the best practices and techniques, focussing on specific needs within the sector.

On day two, independent energy management consultant, Vilnis Vesma, will give a seminar titled, ‘Not saving but drowning – product neutral strategies for filtering huge volumes of monitoring data’, which is suitable for anyone charged with saving energy in the workplace. The presentation will demonstrate strategies for extracting information from energy data with a view to identifying hidden, avoidable, excess consumption as a routine weekly management task. It will show a simple time saving trick for prioritising exceptions and novel ways of presenting overviews of large volumes of automatic meter readings.

Speaking on the topic of monitoring energy data, Vesma said that for most companies monitoring energy data and then being overwhelmed with filtering and interpreting it into valuable and usable information is a prevalent problem. “Suppliers of automatic meter reading solutions often have not thought it through and assume that users will patiently leaf through dozens or hundreds of charts every day. Most companies also simply do not appreciate what can be inferred with the appropriate analysis and many struggle to make sense of the data through the use of inappropriate and misleading analysis and reporting methods.”

Over 150 exhibitors

At this year’s Energy Event, 25% of the exhibitors are completely new, giving visitors the opportunity to meet with suppliers of products and services that have never been available at previous Energy Events. In addition to the content provided through the conference streams, visitors are also given access to the leading organisations and associations in the industry, thus helping visitors to choose the right energy strategy for their business, and glean information on reducing energy costs and improving efficiency. Amongst the exhibitors, core disciplines such as heating, compressed air, motors, drives, ventilation, air conditioning and lighting are well represented as are other technologies including voltage optimisation, thermography, and water softeners. Exhibitors specialising in energy monitoring and targeting, energy procurement, consultancy and purchasing are also present.

Event partner, EIC, provider of outsourced energy procurement and risk management, will be present at the event and their managing director, Simon Butterfield, believes that one of the key energy issues for UK business is cost.

“Increasingly, energy users are turning to flexible energy supply contracts with the aim of delivering more competitive prices – whatever the market conditions. Negotiating and managing a flexible energy contract demands expert advice and support. At the Energy Event, visitors can meet with experts from consultancies like EIC to talk through their options. Meeting the requirements of carbon legislation, such as the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), can also be a daunting task. Attending the Energy Event can help businesses to minimise any financial penalties associated with non-compliance.”

Haven Power, also an event partner at this year’s event, echoed EIC’s recognition of the pressures that energy costs present, and sales and marketing director, Richard Robey, pointed out some of the further energy issues facing the UK sector.

“As businesses have come under more pressure to cut their carbon output, as well as costs, energy suppliers have to offer more renewable energy options at competitive prices. This is something we are very aware of and are pleased to offer customers a renewable energy option at no extra cost. Another key issue is the importance of customer service and the high expectations that companies have from energy suppliers. We understand how important it is to have a dedicated support team so we have named points of contact for all customers, and we strive to get the basics right first time, every time.”

Join the debate, keep up to date

The Energy Event group on LinkedIn is designed with industry professionals in mind where members are able to view the latest news, read the latest opinions from thought leaders in the energy space and join in the debate on topics such as energy security in the UK, Feed-in-Tariffs (FiTs), renewable heat incentives (RHIs) and nuclear, amongst others.

The Energy Event is also on Twitter and its Twitter feed delivers bite-size news updates on the event itself (confirmed speakers, latest seminars, and new exhibitors) and links to exhibitor and relevant industry news and opinions. To register your interest for The Energy Event and the seminar programmes at the Energy Insight Conference and Energy Information Theatre, visit the event website.

Finally, The Energy Event’s approach to event management sees the continuation of the five year agreement with the carbon management company Carbon Clear. This involves gathering information on things such as the gas and electricity consumption, visitor travel, and how the waste is handled. Carbon Clear then offsets the event’s footprint using carbon offsets.

Stands to visit at The Energy Event

t-mac Technologies – Stand 2842: Energy management solutions company, t-mac Technologies, provide wired and wireless BMS and real time metering systems used by businesses to manage and control energy consumption, carbon and ultimately reduce costs. With t-mac, businesses can achieve a 12-18 month ROI with a typical 15-30% energy savings.

www.t-mac.co.uk T: 01246 233 632

powerPerfector – Stand 2812: Recently named the UK’s fastest growing green company, powerPerfector’s Voltage Power Optimisation technology gives energy, cost and carbon savings by efficiently optimising a site’s supply voltage, whilst improving the power supply on-site.

www.powerperfector.com T: 0845 601 4723

Danfoss – Stand 2808: Danfoss is a manufacturer of frequency converters dedicated to the control of pumps and fans in HVAC applications. Included on the Danfoss stand will be the new EC+ concept that ensures the optimisation of system efficiency in these applications.

www.danfoss.co.uk/vlt T: 01270 757 584