Smart Energy Marketplace is a unique showcase of the emerging smart, decentralised energy system of the future – a radical shift in the way we power our lives that is creating huge opportunities. The largest energy event in the south west.
This leading conference offered valuable industry insights, and looked at the latest and upcoming policy changes and how these are affecting businesses in the UK.
Programme:
10:00 Session one: Policy and regulation for a smart and flexible energy system
The government is committed to changing the policy and regulatory framework to enable new flexible energy business models to develop. This session brought together leading policy makers, regulators and system operators to set out the emerging new policy landscape and the impact on the market.
11:00 Session two: Business models for utility scale storage
The success of battery storage in the Capacity Market and Enhanced Frequency Response auctions make this perhaps the fastest growing sector in the energy market. This session brought together business leaders to examine the emerging business models for large storage projects.
12:00 Session three: Local energy markets
Balancing supply and demand at a local level is key to a decentralised and flexible energy system. This session examined how microgrids, virtual power plants and local balancing could unlock the development of local energy markets.
14:00 Session four: Electric vehicle trends and the future of the electricity grid
Electric vehicles are growing exponentially and have the potential to transform the way we use energy every day. This session examined EV growth trends, the impact on electricity demand and prices and ask whether we will be powering our houses with our cars or our cars with our houses?
15:00 Session five: Renewable energy business models in a changing energy market
What we see going forward is nothing less than a revolution in the provision of our energy,” Cordi O’Hara, Director of the UK System Operator.
Over £10 billion has been invested in renewable energy in the past five years leading to remarkable growth. This session brought together market leaders to examine where the opportunities to generate value are now in a rapidly changing energy market including: maximising revenues from assets, flexibility and post subsidy development opportunities.
Talks
Delegates attended from a wide range of sectors; including manufacturers, utilities, energy generators, landowners and farmers, construction, tourism providers, local government and community energy groups.
As well as a leading exhibition we had a full talks programme.
Programme:
11.00 Options for supplying your energy locally
There is huge interest from businesses and communities in buying clean energy generated locally – potentially reducing costs. This session examined the lessons from trials of new local supply models and the options now available.
11.00 The future of heating
The government has announced a revamp of the Renewable Heat Incentive creating new opportunities for heat networks, heat pumps, biomass boilers and Anaerobic Digestion, to transform how we heat our homes and businesses. How will the electrification of heat and the green gas market develop? This session examined what models of renewable heat are due to prosper in the future.
12.00 Opportunities for smart and flexible energy for landowners
Battery storage is opening up new opportunities for landowners and farmers to maximise the value of electricity they generate and to earn attractive returns by leasing land. This session looked at how to make the most of the latest energy generation and storage technologies to cut bills and earn revenues – and the pitfalls to avoid.
12.00 Introduction to demand side response
Businesses who can shift energy demand can earn revenues from helping balance the grid – and the market for ‘demand side response’ is growing. This session examined who this works for in practice and the revenues available – we heard from leading companies who ‘aggregate’ shifts in energy demand to sell to National Grid and other customers.
13:00 Cornwall local energy supply
Cornwall Council and Regen are exploring new local supply models for community energy options. The goal is to run a replicable pilot that helps localise the economic benefits of local generation and enable them to be shared with the local community. Delegates came along to this informal session to find out more about the project and opportunities to get involved in the pilot.
14.00 Transforming our housing
Cold, expensive to heat homes are still driving up energy bills and carbon emissions. This session looked at a new approach emerging to revamping houses so they are net zero energy users, without subsidy.
14.00 Engaging communities in network innovation
Community energy groups are widely regarded as trusted intermediaries when it comes to engaging the general public, yet we all struggle to get the levels of participation we’d like. This session explored the tactics that work and offered up fresh and exciting ideas to get more people involved in energy. We found out about Regen’s experience of the Sunshine Tariff project, and Carbon Co-op’s Nobel Grid project where they are developing tools for community smart grids.
15.00 Storage – The commercial business case
This session looked in more detail at emerging business models and benefit streams for storage systems – whether standalone, co-located with generation or ‘behind the meter’, alongside a high energy user.
15.00 Heat networks
The government is investing hundreds of millions in developing heat networks. Exeter is one of the leading cities in developing this key new infrastructure. And there are also opportunities for smaller scale projects.
Photos from the event can be found on Flickr HERE
You can view our Storify board of the event HERE
