Glasgow is set to host All-Energy, The UK’s biggest renewable event, as it
comes to the SECC on May 6th and 7th
THERE is something majestic about the sight of a forest of giant white
turbines. And nowhere in the UK is there a more impressive array than at
Whitelee, on Eaglesham Moor – the UK’s largest onshore wind farm. The
rolling hills topped with synchronised blades illustrate the impressive and
swift growth of the renewables sector in the UK and beyond.
Scotland, and Glasgow, are at the heart of the revolution: the Scottish
Government says that our seas have the potential to provide up to 25 per
cent of Europe’s tidal power and 10 per cent of its wave power, plus 25 per
cent of its offshore wind resource.
So it’s fitting that All-Energy, the UK’s largest renewable and sustainable
energy event has been held in Scotland for the past 14 years. After a
continuous period of growth and visibility, the event moves this year from
Aberdeen to the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in Glasgow and
will be held on Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 May.
“Over the two days we offer an experience where visitors can connect with
industry peers and like-minded businesses,” said Judith Patten MBE who
created the event, first held in 2001.
“The move to Glasgow has been greeted with huge enthusiasm and we are
really looking forward to meeting the organisations in the city to help
them understand how to manage their energy, save money and reduce their
carbon footprint.”
Government targets include renewable sources that will generate the
equivalent of 100 per cent of Scotland’s gross annual electricity
consumption by 2020 and they affect businesses of all sizes, from SMEs to
multinationals. This provides opportunities for those in the renewable
energy industry and will help business of all sizes.
Generating energy from renewable sources can help businesses save money and
reduce their carbon footprint. It may seem like a daunting proposition –
but companies looking for a central hub for information, advice and
networking will find the All-Energy event next month offers a unique
opportunity to hear expert speakers, engage in specialist seminars and take
part in wider networking. It can help them add renewable generation and
energy efficiency into the energy mix.
Jonathan Heastie, All-Energy’s Event Director takes up the story: “This
year we will have over 450 exhibiting companies from 20 countries,
including a number from close to home such as SSE, Sustainable Glasgow,
City Building Glasgow and Scottish Enterprise, with ScottishPower
Renewables and Gaia Wind as enthusiastic sponsors.”
“We will have some 7,000 people attending from up to 50 countries with 440
speakers in an amazing programme, really world class, and incorporating
sustainable cities – including energy efficiency of the organisations in
those cities – which is part of the rationale for moving to Glasgow.
“The city is having its first Green Year to promote its drive to become one
of the most sustainable cities in Europe.”
The dedicated Sustainable Cities Visitor Trail, one of 15 sector specific
trails to help visitors find stands that showcase what they are looking
for, will highlight sustainable city solutions in onsite and
microgeneration, recycled heat, energy-efficient lighting and urban energy
storage .
The event, organised by Reed Exhibitions, deals with all sources of
renewable energy generation and the challenges and opportunities facing the
industry and covers other key components including the grid, finance and
funding, carbon capture and storage, district heating, sustainable
transport and business energy efficiency – which will appeal to the many
businesses in Glasgow and central Scotland.
Added to that is a series of quick-fire seminars, back to back 10-minute
sessions devoted to wave and tidal power plus community energy and business
energy efficiency and a “Meet the Buyers” Share Fair. The All-Energy Giant
Networking Evening at the Glasgow Science Museum is proving a major draw,
with more than 1000 professionals from across the sector signed up for the
event.
Small and medium-sized enterprises will be able to find out how they can
save money on energy bills – and reduce their carbon footprint while
companies already in the renewables sector in Glasgow and beyond can
discover through keynote speeches and networking how to identify the best
sources of professional advice. “The Glasgow event has enabled us to
include new features and expand on somepopular ones,” says Heastie.
“These include the introduction of a Sustainable Cities conference track;
our Offshore Wind conference stream will take place on the show floor and
the “Arrive and Drive” event will return.”
Councillor Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council said: “Glasgow
is the perfect home for the UK’s largest renewable energy event. We are
home to the £50 million Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult at the
University of Strathclyde, which is accelerating the commercialisation of
green technologies; Europe’s first Power Networks Demonstration Centre,
which will drive the adoption of ‘smart’ technologies and the Centres of
Excellence for Scottish & Southern Energy, ScottishPower Renewables and Gamesa.”
0 Comments