The 2014 CanWEA conference programme will focus on a wide range of topics of interest to Canadian and international wind energy investors, including Canadian market growth and investment opportunities, wind energy project development and operations, wind energy integration and storage, and wind energy as a solution to climate change and other electricity system challenges.
This year's conference will include a celebration of the association's 30th anniversary and multiple educational sessions, including:
Sessions—Climate Change, Global Investment and More
- Global Opportunities for New Wind Energy Investment
- Operations and Maintenance Leaders Panel
- Taxes, Ethics, Acquisition, and Technical Review through a Finance Lens
- Current Best Practices to Responding to Common Concerns
Operations and maintenance will have a dedicated session track, responding to the service market projection of $5 billion by 2020 in the Americas (source: North American Windpower). Senior leaders from Suzlon, Boralex, and Kruger Energy will provide key operational insights along with owners, OEM and third party service providers.
Another key focus will be advances in energy storage capacity, which is critical to scaling up worldwide renewables by integrating remote generation sites into the grid. Senior representatives of Energy Storage Ontario, the Wind Energy Institute of Canada, and Hatch Consulting will provide their perspectives on storage, as well as battery technology developments and utility scale applications.
New—Innovation Zone
CanWEA 2014 also offers a new “Innovation Zone.” This new platform provides a showcase for cutting-edge technologies in partnership with the research community, industry leaders and the start-up scene. Visitors to the area can learn about energy storage and smart grid technology, hybrid generation (wind-diesel, wind-solar, wind-natural gas) and solutions for operations in cold climate.
North American Export and Investment Opportunities
Conference networking events and sessions provide an opportunity for potential investors to explore expansion planned by provincial Canadian governments, including:
- Investment in projects currently contracted to be built or in development for future procurement opportunities
- Manufacturing needs, especially in Ontario and Quebec
- Providing construction and consulting services
“Canada is one of the world’s leading wind energy markets and has installed, on average, more than 1,000 MW of new wind energy capacity annually over the last five years,” said Robert Hornung, CanWEA president. “Visitors to CanWEA 2014 will gain insights into the new investment opportunities that are now emerging in provinces across Canada.”
Larry Turner, CEO of Hannover Fairs USA — the U.S. subsidiary of trade event organizer Deutsche Messe and CanWEA exhibition partner — agreed. “CanWEA offers an incredible education opportunity for wind energy investors,” he said. “Canada is the 9th largest wind energy market in the world and 5th in new installations.”
Often called the one-stop shop to learn everything about the
Canadian wind energy market, the CanWEA 2014 conference is the country's largest annual wind energy educational and networking event. It brings together approximately 1,500 industry experts and 150 exhibitors in Canada's wind energy market to discuss growth opportunities, policy and technology developments and to facilitate networking.