The Energy Event 2010

Here, Government Business summarises what the event has to offer for those working in the public sector and is amazed by the diversity of educational information which is freely available at the event .  In what is becoming a busy sector we preview the one UK event which truly covers every aspect of energy procurement, management and efficiency.

If you were so inclined you could, quite possibly, spend a few days each week of the year attending an exhibition,/conference,/seminar with energy as its central theme. The plethora of information and the vehicles to deliver it are dizzying and that’s only looking at the UK! It is possible though to condense your precious time, travel and capacity to absorb information and meet all your educational, technical and specification needs all under one roof in one go. The Energy Event, acknowledged as the foremost event in the UK, is one of Europe’s largest exhibitions and conferences focusing on energy procurement, management and efficiency.  The event addresses the most current issues through its seminar programme as well as offering the chance for visitors to meet the biggest players representing all sectors of the industry at the exhibition.

The seminar programme provides discussions that are both relevant and authoritative on issues that really matter to those working in the public sector.  The conference program is defined with two key groups: Firstly, there are the seminars delivered by the trade organisations; the Energy Services & Technology Association (ESTA), the Major Energy Users Council (MEUC), and the Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers (CIBSE).  npower, who is hosting their own zone, will also run a seminar.

And secondly, there is a series of seminars that fall under the Energy Insight conference banner, which consists of two half day sessions and provides directors, energy procurement specialists and those at major energy user organisations with an insight into the UK energy market. It brings together leading experts and commentators in the fields of economics, climate change, energy policy and security, the nuclear industry, demand management and carbon reduction.

Chaired on both days by director of the Energy Intensive Users’ Group (EIUG) Jeremy Nicholson, the headline topic on the first day of the Energy Insight conference is ‘The Energy Retail Agenda’ which will discuss energy generation and consumption and assist with understanding energy policy, combating volatility and creating market opportunities.

To illustrate this, director of Network Operations for National Grid, Chris Train will present a paper entitled: ‘Concerns over the security of supply – A burden of the times or not as bad as everyone makes out?’ This paper will cover how energy generation and storage capacity across the UK has changed over the last decade and whether Liquefied Natural Gas is a global solution for capacity constraints.

Another paper of great interest is entitled ‘Procurement and you: Credit risk and market constraints’ and will cover trading opportunities in the energy retail market and life as an energy retailer, looking at cost, competition and consumers.
The headline topic for the second day of the Energy Insight conference is ‘The Climate Agenda’. As well as asking if government targets, business compliance and a healthier environment are realistically achievable, a keynote speech will be delivered by Chairman of Shell UK Ltd and President of the Energy Institute, James Smith, which is entitled ‘Stepping up to the Energy Challenge’.

This will be supplemented with a presentation from a Emma Wild, a Senior Policy Advisor on Climate Change for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), on ‘Implementing initiatives: Costs and benefits of carbon reduction programmes’.

The sessions on both days are brought to a close with a case study presented by a practitioner from within a well known, major energy user organisation. On the first day the case study will demonstrate what tools and support the energy procurement professional of the 21st Century needs while on day two the case study will look at integrating climate policy into an overall business energy strategy.

One of the major attractions of The Energy Event is that employees at any level within an organisation can benefit from a visit, as the education element covers the theoretical to the practical. This is demonstrated by the breadth of subjects covered in the seminars and conferences delivered by the major energy industry trade associations and industry bodies.

 The MEUC will be presenting an afternoon session on both days of the event with the seminar on the first day entitled Take control of your energy future. Among the topics being discussed during the afternoon is: Are you ready for the tough times ahead? Where The Director General of the Major Energy Users’ Council, Andrew Buckley, examines the dark clouds looming in the next 12 months. Plus Ben Murray, Managing Director, Carbon Smart asks Do your green credentials stack up or are you just paying lip service?

The seminar on the second day is headlined Forecasting your energy prices and carbon costs and amongst the presentations are:  The Outlook for Wholesale Gas and Electricity Prices from Evariste Nyouki, Head of Economic Research, Gaselys and The UK Industrial & Commercial Market – The Supplier’s Perspective which will be presented by Franck Neel, Retail Director, GDF Suez Energy UK. Each session commences with lunch at 1pm and finishes with your opportunity to ask questions on the seminar content that you have heard during the session, followed by tea and networking.

On the second day of the event (Thursday 9th September), CIBSE will present an afternoon seminar entitled: ‘Who you going to call? Heat Busters!’ The seminar will cover ways to control and manage heat whilst regulating carbon emissions, BSEN16002 – The new Energy Management Systems Register, and an interactive session called ‘What’s wrong with your AC?’.

Working alongside CIBSE for one of its sessions is ESTA which is presenting its Energy Management - Expert Hub. This takes the form of 6 one-hours seminars that provide application material and expertise for delegates at all stages of knowledge and involvement.  This includes: the ABC of Energy Management, giving those new to this discipline an understanding of how to go about developing an energy policy, energy audits and gaining management and staff support; Key legislation covering the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme and the Building Regulations [in conjunction with CIBSE] and the Implementation of technologies including metering and aM&T, energy controls, compressed air and lighting.

New at the event for 2010 will be the npower zone, an interactive area for visitors, and the npower seminar theatre.  npower’s seminars will provide detailed guidance on developing an integrated energy policy including input and opinion from its own experts and customers.

With the CRC now live and uncertainty returning to the wholesale energy markets, now is the ideal time to review your energy management, both on the supply and demand side.  npower has the tools and services to help you do this. npower's ‘m3’ programme has been designed to guide businesses on an ‘energy management journey’ focused on cost, energy and CO2 savings.

This includes ‘encompass professional’, a monitoring tool that analyses energy in detail and combines this with company production levels and weather patterns to calculate possible future usage.  This information is then used to devise strategies to reduce consumption, costs and carbon. npower’s latest tool, CRC Assist, has been introduced to specifically help businesses with their CRC strategy.

npower’s r3 service provides the tools to better manage energy purchasing and help businesses make more informed decisions to minimise energy risks.  This includes ‘Risk Navigator’, a web-based service providing accurate and timely market information, and ‘Policy Shaper’, a tool to help formulate a bespoke purchasing strategy based on your company’s risk profile. Together the m3 and r3 services provide a complete solution to manage energy use supply and demand side.

Also hosting daily seminars in the Kirkmichael Suite between 1pm and 2.30pm is EIC. Its ‘Ask the Experts’ sessions will feature EIC experts passing on a wealth of knowledge about the energy markets, risk management and current carbon legislation. Delegates will also have the opportunity to raise specific energy issues at informal one-to-one breakout sessions over drinks and canapés. Entry to ‘Ask the Experts’ is by invitation only, so to register your interest please email theenergyevent@eic.co.uk. 

In addition to the seminar programme some of the biggest names in energy generation, energy procurement and all manner of energy management technology and service providers are exhibiting. Amongst the 120 exhibitors, core disciplines such as heating, compressed air, motors, drives, ventilating, 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

For more information
If you want to know what to expect at The Energy Event then you can view a video including actual visitor feedback, at www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsYJEJY6jJo . The Energy Event is free to enter, has free parking and I would highly recommend that visitors to the event register in advance for entry tickets and especially for seminar places as these are extremely popular. 

To register, and for more information on exhibitors and the seminar programme, visit our new website www.theenergyevent.com .