Smart energy expo in Wellington a first for New Zealand
NEWS RELEASE
30 August 2012
Smart energy expo in Wellington a first for New Zealand
Using your smart phone to manage household appliances when you’re away from home is just one of the technology options that will be on show at New Zealand’s first Smart Energy Expo to be held in Wellington later this year.
The Sustainable Electricity Association of New Zealand (SEANZ) and Wellington City Council are teaming up with the Association for the Promotion of Electric Vehicles (APEV) to hold the expo.
As well as being a showcase for renewable clean energy technology – including solar, wind and hydro – the expo will give consumers and businesses the chance to attend practical workshops and seminars on managing energy use, how smart technologies work and how they can contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable environment.
Mayor Celia Wade-Brown says the expo is a very exciting event for Wellington.
“The Smart Energy Expo is a great opportunity for Wellingtonians to see for themselves what is possible. New technologies can help save energy and money while keeping people warm and comfortable.
“Using smart and clean technology is a focus of our long-term vision, Wellington Towards 2040: Smart Capital, for Wellington to become an eco-city, and as a compact capital, we are well placed to encourage uptake of new ideas and pilot programmes.”
The Smart Energy Expo will feature exhibitors from New Zealand and international companies, demonstrating how the various technologies work, examining current trends and best practice, and providing opportunities to talk directly with suppliers and installers.
New electric vehicles will also be on display in one central venue, with panel sessions on electric vehicle technology to 2020 and seminars on electric vehicle conversion.
SEANZ Chair Brendan Winitana says one of the reasons the expo is being held is to show consumers that there are alternatives.
“The risks of electricity costs increasing under a partial private ownership model are high. If consumers can see and try out some of this technology, and understand the benefits and how it can improve their lives, they’ll be better informed to make good decisions on whether it will work for them.
“It’s great to see Wellington City Council showing leadership and getting behind this premier eco event.”
The Executive Director of APEV, Rob McEwen, says that in addition to running several workshops on electric vehicles, they are aiming to have cars available for test drives.
“We’ve worked with Wellington City Council to identify an appropriate route, we have Holden on board with their Holden Volt, as well as electric bikes and scooters, and we’re hoping to have electric vehicles from Mitsubishi and Nissan. I believe that getting people into these cars and giving them the chance to take a test drive is the best way to encourage uptake of this technology in New Zealand.”
The Smart Energy Expo is being held in the Wellington Town Hall on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 November 2012, preceded by the SEANZ conference on Thursday 22 November.
To find out more about the expo or to
register for the conference, go to
www.smartenergyexpo.org.nz
ends