Regen SW

Renewable Futures is Regen SW's annual conference and trade show, and the biggest renewable energy event in the south west of England.  This year it will focus on how, in the south west, we can not only recognise and be realistic about the challenges that sustainable energy businesses are facing, but also how we can look ahead beyond the recession and focus on powering up for growth.

The Renewable Futures 2009: Power for Growth exhibition and conference will be held over two days – with the South West Green Energy awards in between.  All details below are subject to change.

Day one - 10 nOV 

It will kick off in the afternoon with a plenary and an Any Questions style forum, hosted by the BBC’s Jonathan Dimbleby and a panel of four experts to debate the questions.  Four months after the government’s Renewable Energy Strategy is launched, this session will bring together leading policymakers and business leaders for a high-level debate on whether the strategy has put the sustainable energy sector on track for the dramatic growth we need.  Day one’s provisional format is:

Green Energy Awards Dinner

18.30   Drinks reception

19.15   Call for dinner

19.30   Welcome from host

19.35   Starter

           Main course

20.45   Speaker and awards ceremony  

21.15   Dessert and Coffee  

21.30   Awards ceremony

22.30   Closing remarks from host

           Bar closes

Day two - 11 nOV

Day two will pick up where the previous day’s theme left off, beginning with an exhibition and breakfast networking forums in morning, followed by a series of in-depth, targeted seminars.

DRAFT PROGRAMME

09.00   Registration, networking and exhibition 

10.00   Regen SW AGM (for Regen SW Members only)

10.30   Break

11.00   Session one:

Renewable heat – warming to the opportunity: The Energy Act 2008 announced the intention to implement a renewable heat incentive (RHI).  This seminar will explore the opportunities and issues presented by the RHI, and the transition arrangements from the current grant-aided approach.  A panel of speakers from different areas of the bioheat sector will lead the debate.

Speakers
Jim Rosseinsky, Western Daily Press (Chair)
Mark Summers, RCH NHS Trust
Angela Duignan, Head of Wood Fuel Implementation - Forestry Commission
Nick Barker, AEA Technology
Richard Bridle, RES/Wood Energy
Stewart Boyle, Marketing Development Manager - Balcas
Chetan Lad, Strategy Manager - British Gas New Energy

Energy efficiency – save and prosper:  New legislation and rising energy costs mean that pressure is mounting on all organisations to reduce energy consumption. This seminar will provide an update on the various policy initiatives that are having an impact on the energy efficiency sector, including the government's Carbon Reduction Commitment. We will hear from companies based in the south west that have undertaken major energy efficiency initiatives to understand the challenges and benefits of adopting low carbon policies. We will also hear from public sector organisations that are at the forefront of this drive for efficiency, not only to achieve low carbon development targets but also to reduce public sector spending.

Speakers

Alastair Brown, Waste Manager - SWRDA
Jane Wildblood, Corporate Sustainability Manager - BANES
Alan Burgess, Energy Manager - South West Water
Rob Habgood, Senior Environmental Consultant - EEF
Martin Holley, Senior Project Manager for the Our Big Energy Challenge project, CSE
Chris Farrell, Managing Director, Zenex Technologies Ltd
Tim Loe, Energy Efficiency Analyst, Regen SW

Access to capital: This seminar reviews the low-carbon investment market and looks at how it is responding to the current economic climate.  It also assesses options and opportunities for sustainable energy professionals and businesses to obtain capital funding.

Speakers
Mark Heuff – Senior Executive, Ernst & Young
Ben Lundie, Commercial Director Pure Energy Ventures

12.30   Lunch, networking and exhibition

13.30   Session two:

Large-scale low-carbon development - from inception to delivery:  Despite the economic backdrop, large-scale low-carbon development is pushing ahead.  This seminar's topics include the benefits of a pro-active approach to planning low-carbon development, a case-study on how to establish ESCos, the role of the public sector in delivering low-carbon new developments, delivering low-carbon energy infrastructure, and a case study of low-carbon developments that are building out. 

Speakers
Tony Norton, Head Low Carbon Development, Regen SW
Alistair Macpherson, Environmental Plannning Co-ordinator, Plymouth City Council
Fliss Morey, Projects Director, Exeter and East Devon New Growth Point
David Morgan, Head PFI, eon
Stephen Ward, Regional Director Sustainability, AECOM 

Offshore Opportunities: The growth of wave, tidal and offshore wind represents a tremendous economic opportunity for the UK. The seminar will bring together a number of different players in the offshore renewable sector; a utility company engaged in offshore wind farm development, a technology developer currently working on the next generation of wave energy devices, a successful marine operations company heavily involved in the deployment of wind, wave and tidal technologies and a regional development agency which has already committed several million pounds to support the development of the marine energy sector.

Speakers
Robert Thornhill, RWE npower renewables
Richard Parkinson, Mojo Maritime
Ned Minns, Project Engineer, ITPower
Des Crampton, Chief Executive, Checkmate, Seaenergy

Building a low carbon economy: A review of innovation/commercialisation support in the region and beyond, and how it can assist businesses to power up for growth in the current economic climate.  It will also look to assess the options and opportunities for sustainable energy professionals and businesses to drive their organisations forward through innovative opportunities and knowledge transfer.

Speakers

Candida Whitmill, Business and Innovation Consultant, Oxford Innovation
John Boult, Director Product First and Design Council
Colin Harper, Key Account Manager Energy and Environment, QinetiQ

14.45   Break

15.15   Session three:

Microgeneration futures: The arrival of consistent long-term policy for microgeneration makes the sector poised for growth. This seminar gives updates on progress with the feed-in tariff and renewable heat incentive, examines the role for microgeneration in whole-house solutions, and gives a regional take on the key issues of training and accreditation.

Speakers
Tony Norton, Head Low Carbon Development, Regen SW
Mat Colmer, Development Manager Housing, EST
Steve Rhodes, Nu-Heat's Training Centre manager, Nu-Heat
T Simmons, Sustainable Construction Manager, SCAT
Philip Wolfe, Director, Ownergy

Do communities hold the key?  Communities in the region could hold the key to a largely untapped and what could be highly profitable renewable energy resource. Come along to this session to explore how communities are increasingly getting involved in renewable energy, how the business case for community wind is evolving and how communities in this region could help us harness its natural resources in a way that is appropriate to the regions landscape and environment.

Speakers


Cheryl Hiles, Director of Sustainable Energy Delivery - Regen SW
Peter Capener, Independent Consultant, Transition Bath
Jake Burnyeat, Green Trust Wind CIC
Mike Blanch, Associate Director, BVG Associates
Jack Mason, Wiltshire Community Wind Energy
Kevin Dickson, Development Manager, Community Energy Scotland

16.30   Close 

EXHIBITION

Last year, the exhibition was oversubscribed, with 28 companies exhibiting and many more missing out on the opportunity.  Despite more space being available this year – with capacity for 35 exhibitors – companies are still encouraged to sign up early to avoid missing out. 

To see a sample of the organisations that attended last year’s event, click here

As Renewable Futures will run over two days this year, exhibitors will get a better opportunity than ever before to show what they have to offer to the south west’s sustainable energy sector.

Exhibitor’s tickets include:   

·       one 2.5m stand including one table

·       half day exhibition on day one to debate and plenary delegates and other invited parties

·       full day exhibition to conference delegates on day two

·       two delegates passes to day two of the conferences

·       refreshments during breaks on day one and two and lunch on day two