Date - Thursday 20th June 2013

Time - 08:30 registration for a 09:15 start to 14:00 (Lunch included)

Venue - Ramada Plaza, 117 Milltown Road, Shaws Bridge, Belfast BT8 7XP

The conference and exhibition targets non-domestic high energy users who have the most to gain from the incentive. Delegates will include representatives from non-domestic groups such as private sector businesses, public sector organisations, schools, community groups and housing associations.

Confirmed speakers at the event include:

Michael Doran, Director, Action Renewables: ‘What is the RHI and how does it work?’

Michael Doran joined as Director of Action Renewables in 2009, from Rural Generation where he was the Business Development Director. Michael is a Chartered Surveyor, having graduated from the University of Salford in 1978. He is the RICS representative on the Board of the Society for the Environment, and is a Past Chairman of the International Environment Faculty of the RICS. He is also a Chartered Environmentalist, a qualified Project Manager and a Member of the Institute of Directors. Michael is responsible for setting the strategic direction of the company and specialises in bioenergy, renewable energy policy development, and capacity building in developing countries.

Dr John Gilliland OBE: How Biomass works – chip and pellet

John qualified with a Higher National Diploma, with Distinction and Scholarship from Royal Highland & Agriculture Society. He is currently Managing Partner, Brook Hall Estate, Non Executive Director – SRUC, formerly the Scottish Agriculture College, Director – Original Heating Ltd and Director – Resourceful Organics Ltd. He was Chair of Rural Generation Ltd between 2005 – 2012. In 2012 he was asked by Heads of EU Commission’s DG Ag Policy Units to debate with them the impending CAP Reform, the “Greening” of the CAP and what perennial energy crops could deliver. Earlier this year he participated in The Irish Institute, Boston College, USA, Study Tour on Renewables in Agriculture.

Viscount Brookeborough, Colebrooke Estate and Spa: Practical experiences of renewable heat and the RHI

Viscount Brookeborough runs a farming and tourist business at his home, Colebrooke Park, in County Fermanagh. He is President of Outward Bound NI and is a member of the Advisory Council of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme in NI.He is a Trustee of the Housing for The Homeless Fund of the Simon Community NI. He sits as an Independent Cross Bench Peer in the House of Lords.

Dr Edmund Ward, Senior Technical Adviser Ofgem: The Application Process, how it works and top tips

Edmund works within Ofgem E-Serve, which administers the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) on behalf of DETI (in Northern Ireland) and DECC (in Great Britain).  His responsibilities include approving applications made onto the scheme – for installations both large and small, and across the range of eligible renewable technologies.  Edmund also leads the technical team which reviews applications for some of the more unusual heating systems under the scheme.  Edmund has degrees in materials science and nanotechnology, and previous public and private sector experience in the energy sector.

Gaynor Hartnell, Cheif Executive, REA (Renewable Energy Association): What we can learn from the experience of the GB RHI so far, and what are the outstanding issues/next steps.

Gaynor Hartnell became the Chief Executive of the Renewable Energy Association, in February 2010, having been with the REA since its formation in 2001. Gaynor has worked in the field of renewable energy since 1995, when she joined the British Wind Energy Association as Technical and Policy Analyst. Her work with a number of trade associations in the late 1990s was what ultimately led to the formation of the REA. Prior to this she was a Research Fellow in the Environment Group at the Science Policy Research Unit, Sussex University. She has a degree in Environmental Science and a Masters in Science and Technology Policy.

Connel McMullan, Managing Director, Alternative Heat: Renewable Heat Case studies

Connel has over 13 years experience in both domestic & commercial heating systems. In the last 6 years he has concentrated solely on the development of renewable energy systems and their incorporation into conventional systems.

Prices:

Delegate rate £75 per person + VAT to attend

Exhibition rate £400 + VAT to exhibit (includes 2 complimentary tickets)

Action Renewables MCS installers £200 + VAT to exhibit (includes 2 complimentary tickets)

Action Renewables Association members £200 + VAT to exhibit (includes 2 complimentary tickets)

If you are interested in attending or exhibiting please complete the relevant booking forms; Attendee booking form / Exhibitor booking form / Booking form for Association members / Booking form for MCS registered installers and return them to rhi@actionrenewables.co.uk

For further information please contact

Neil Halliday Tel: 02890 727770, Email: neil.halliday@actionrenewables.co.uk

or Annette Herty Tel: 02890 727761, Email: Annette.herty@actionrenewables.co.uk

Click here for the conference agenda.

BioPAD (Bioenergy Proliferation and Deployment), led by Western Development Commission (Ireland), aims to develop new and effective bioenergy supply chains incorporating innovations in biomass fuels, supply chain logistics and conversion technologies.  BioPAD is funded under the ERDF  Interreg IVB  Northern Periphery Programme and has partners in Scotland (Environmental Research Institute, UHI), Northern Ireland (Action Renewables) and Finland (Finnish Forest Research Institute, METLA). They are developing products and services to stimulate the use of bioenergy in areas of northern Europe. The project aims to gain a better understanding of the current status of biomass supply chains for a range of biomass types including wood products, energy crops, and agricultural wastes.

The participants visited a range of renewable energy sites, including biomass heating for a school, a farmer co-operative running a district heating system in Gneibing, and a local entrepreneur providing heat, both for his own horticultural glasshouses and also for local houses in the village of St Martin.  Over the last 30 years Austria has transformed itself from a country reliant on imported fossil fuels into one which now generates almost 60% of its energy requirement from indigenous sources.  The BioPAD group benefitted from the opportunities to learn from the experiences gained during this transformation.

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