What: The Energy Event
Where: The National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham
When: 9-10 September 2009
How: Go to www.theenergyevent.co.uk
 With energy efficiency and cutting carbon emissions high on almost all engineers' agendas, it's a good time to get along to this event, which couldn't be more focused on what matters, says Brian Tinham
From 9–10 September, the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham, will play host to The Energy Event, with around 100 exhibitors expected to crowd into three floors of seven exhibition rooms, and a packed conference and seminar programme.
Looking first at the Energy Insight conference, organiser Western Business Exhibitions says it intends to bring together experts and commentators spanning economics, climate change, energy policy, and security and carbon reduction. Jeremy Nicholson, director of the Energy Intensive Users Group, chairs both days' proceedings, which run from 10.00 to 11.30 am. On Wednesday, highlights include Simon Cotteroll, utilities buyer for Saint Gobain, who will give a plant user's viewpoint. On Thursday, the keynote is by Shadow Energy Minister Charles Hendry MP. He will be followed by Sudhir Junankar, associate director, Cambridge Econometrics, and Christian Korvell, from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, respectively speaking on energy and emissions prospects, and energy efficiency in buildings.
Carbon reduction
Meanwhile, ESTA (the Energy Services and Technology Association) is to present six one-hour seminars. On day one, the agenda ranges from the Carbon Reduction Commitment Directive and what's involved in an evidence pack, to site energy policy, assessments and implementing energy cost reduction programmes. Day two moves on to key techniques, with ESTA's experts outlining projects they say have the most effect. There will also be a seminar on compressed air efficiency, presented with BCAS (British Compressed Air Society) and covering plant sizing, air audits, matching air supply to demand and leak control.
It's also worth noting that MEUC (the Major Energy Users Council) is hosting afternoon sessions and promising to launch its Energy Academy, with a focus on responsible carbon management and upcoming legislation. Other seminars include: one from Envirowise and the Water Technology List, looking at how businesses can cut water bills in half; another from CIBSE (the Chartered Institute for Building Services Engineers) under the title 'Eating the Elephant', which examines a bite-size way to reach zero carbon; and an 'ask the experts' session, hosted by consultancy EIC.
Moving on to exhibitors, there's something for most plant engineers. On steam energy saving, for example, Gem says it will be exhibiting its updated range of Emerald trap sets, designed for repetitive load capacity applications where there are a lot of drip legs and trace heating systems. They now fit universal, quick fit and bolt-on connectors.
Just as useful, Atlas Copco promises not only to show its latest variable speed drive compressors (GA VSD) and next generation controls, but also to tell visitors about its free Health Check service.
Continuing the theme, visitors to the Sabien stand can find out about energy wastage in boiler plant caused by 'dry cycling' (when boilers fire to compensate for standing heat losses from the boiler, without contributing to the building's heating load). Sabien says its M2G intelligent boiler load optimisation unit can recognise the problem, is easy to retrofit and achieves savings of 10–25%.
Meanwhile, for engineers wanting to monitor energy consumption on plant, t-mac Technologies says that visitors are welcome to test drive its carbon footprint reducing technology at the show. Delegates will also be invited to enter a competition to win a t-mac system, which, according to director Lisa Wilkinson, can help shave 25% off utility bills. The prize, worth up to £10,000, also includes technical support and a custom-designed energy dashboard for a year.
Finally, don't miss Energys' new energy-efficient lighting retrofit options for quad luminaires, which, it claims, increase lighting efficiency, while reducing energy consumption. Look for the QED retrofit.
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