THINK 08 DEBATES ENERGY

A panel of experts will discuss future needs and models of supply and production

Think will stir up the sustainable energy debate with ‘Re-thinking Energy’, a roundtable discussion which tackles the issues around energy use in the built environment. The roundtable will be held in Dockland’s ExCeL Centre on Wednesday 7th May 2008 as part of Think’s extensive conference programme focused on embedding sustainability in the construction, property and architecture sectors.

The roundtable will focus on how future energy needs will be satisfied for buildings and developments, and whether there are any models for creating community systems and frameworks to radically change the supply and production of energy. Experts in the arena will assess everything from ESCOs (Energy Service Companies) to the affects of the growth of new renewable technologies on construction.

The recent focus on the government’s zero carbon targets for new homes, commercial properties and retail spaces, and the announcement of the UK’s first eco-town has pushed energy to the forefront of industry development, as well as capturing public consciousness.

Terminal 5 has come under intense scrutiny of late and Think 08 is pleased to announce the addition of Richard Cox, head of energy at BAA, to a panel made up of noted experts in the field. BAA has a strong sustainability focus and an overriding commitment to ‘Best Practice’, with the aim of establishing new environmental standards and solutions.

The session will be chaired by Phil Clark who edits Building and BD sustainability channels.

Joining Richard and Phil on the panel will be:

Robert Kyriakides is chief executive of solar thermal energy provider Genersys, which sells thermal solar systems used for water and space heating. He is also a partner at Kyriakides & Braier, a commercial law firm which is located in the heart of London's West End. Robert also writes a blog entitled ‘Ideas about the environment…’ which tackles issues related to the roundtable debate.

Speaking about Think 08, he said “I’m really looking forward to taking part at the Think08 conference. As a provider of thermal technology I need to understand what those involved in the construction industry are thinking and doing in relation to energy. I like the title of the event – it summarises exactly what we need to do about the supply of energy for new and existing developments.”

Angus Norman is the Managing Director Sustainable Solutions at EDF Energy. A chartered electrical, mechanical and mining engineer by trade Angus previously worked in construction and was involved in major projects like the Channel Tunnel. He is currently leading a new business unit developing decentralised energy projects with the view to provide sustainable, affordable, viable heat cooling and power to communities, whilst at the same time significantly reducing C02 levels. This included the formation of the London ESCO with the London Climate Change Agency.

Richard Shennan, founding director of Fulcrum Consulting, is responsible for company strategy with respect to the integrated delivery of sustainable solutions through infrastructure, building fabric and building services engineering. As a leading expert on underground energy storage, in 2006 he presented a paper to the triennial world conference on thermal energy storage, Ecostock. Richard’s current activities include a wide range of projects where integrated community systems are offering savings in carbon emissions and costs.

Casey Cole is Head of Sustainable Technology at low carbon distributed energy company Fontenergy. Before joining Fontenergy in 2008, Casey was senior consultant at consulting engineers XCO2. He has led teams on a wide range of innovative engineering projects from small mixed-use developments to energy masterplans and has extensive experience of low-carbon energy systems. His is a regular commentator on sustainability engineering both online and at industry events.

The full conference programme is available online at www.think08.co.uk.