Scandinavia is a hotbed of innovative smart grid projects, the result of groundbreaking partnerships between energy companies, technology providers and energy experts. As the concept of smart energy continues to evolve, the traditional approach to centralised energy production and consumption is constantly challenged.

Exclusive interview with Paroshen Naidoo of Util Labs: the company that monitored the energy consumption at COP17

You were at COP17 last year, tell us about the energy monitoring you did there?
We featured at the COP17 working with the organisers of the Climate Change Response Expo (CCRE) and used this as a springboard to showcase one of our latest releases, the Consumer Consumption Console. We installed our devices at the temporary supply points at the CCR Expo which measured and stored details of the consumption per phase in real time. The area and expo was wired such that we measured the different marquees and different loads separately. This gave the organisers the power to make decisions in line with reducing peak consumption and total consumption, in turn minimising their carbon footprint as a result of electricity usage.

According to a major consumer survey, more than half of all Europeans, given the right infrastructure, would opt for an electric car as their new car. They expect the number of kilometers for a fully charged battery to be 437, although the actual needs are different: the average number of kilometers driven every day is only 52.

By Aida Mezit, Conference Manager, Synergy Events

Scandinavia is one of the pioneering regions in ‘smart energy’, with some of the highest levels of renewable power globally. It has championed smart meters and smart grid developments, with local utilities seen as the world’s leaders in innovative schemes in consumer engagement and integration of smart devices.

Smart grid is seen by many as rewriting the energy rule book, in the way energy is produced, managed and consumed and is intricately linked to the integration of large scale renewables, wind and solar in particular.

With only one week before ESCO Europe 2012 on the 25th and 26th January, London, UK, have you secured your place?

The aggressive Scandinavian energy policies ask for more electricity and more specifically, electricity from renewables. A natural resource they have in the region in abundance is wind power.
 

DONG Energy, a global pioneer in wind energy and owner of Europe’s largest wind farms, has confirmed their endorsement of Smart Utilities Scandinavia as the official Host Utility.
 

Metering International, the leading global publication on utility metering, has announced that nominations are now being accepted for the 2012 North American Metering International Excellence Awards. Winners to be honored at Metering, Billing/MDM America on March 13th in San Diego

On November 25th, The Danish Government presented its plan to secure the countries’ energy future. Titled Our Energy, the strategy presents specific measures for fulfilling the government’s goal of stimulating green growth.

Timothée Noël of the European Commission has just confirmed his involvement in ESCO Europe 2012 and will outline New Project Funding Opportunities for Energy Services, supported by the Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) programme.
These new funding opportunities will only be announced on January 24, making ESCO Europe 2012 perfectly timed for you to understand what this announcement means for your projects.

Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) offer an innovative solution for energy efficiency projects delivering you a ‘safe bet’, long term investment opportunity.
The ESCO solution is a smart and increasingly common way to implement energy efficiency improvements to building stock, delivering cost neutral energy savings to the client.

The ESCO profits from the margin between cash savings on the energy bill and the cost of improvements and their financing. For the investor/lender, this is one opportunity that monetizes energy efficiency with a guaranteed ROI.

The Metering, Billing/CRM Europe and co-located Smart Homes 2011 conference and exhibition have proved once again to be Europe's leading meeting place for smart energy professionals.

Close to 5000 people (4488 smart metering experts and 457 smart home pioneers) from 70 countries came together in Amsterdam last month, making it the largest event of its kind ever.

Energy conferences, exhibitions and publications are increasingly playing a pivotal role in connecting stakeholders in the industry to facilitate discussion, change and progress.  This is according to Devi Paulsen, Managing Director of Spintelligent, a pioneering publisher and conference organiser in the energy, utilities and water sectors, that will have a strong presence at the COP17 meeting on Climate Change which starts in Durban, South Africa on 28 November.

Greg Barker, Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change, UK has confirmed his participation as keynote speaker. The Minister will outline the UK’s commitments to climate change including the Green Deal, the Green Investment Bank and highlight the role ESCO’s can play in achieving energy efficiency targets.