Conference to reveal latest energy efficiency smarts

30 October 2019

Conference to reveal latest energy efficiency smarts out of Germany

Kiwi businesses interested in leading-edge energy-efficiency developments for urban infrastructure will get an opportunity to hear about the best technology coming out of Germany at an event in Auckland next week (5 November).

The German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (GNZCC) is running a one-day conference featuring keynote speakers from the Dresden University of Technology and the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, along with four German companies specialising in energy management technology. Also presenting at the conference will be speakers from the NZ Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), the ProClima Education Hub, Auckland University of Technology and Massey University’s Business School.

GNZCC Chief Executive Officer Monique Surges says the conference is being run to update businesses interested in achieving greater energy savings on the best new developments coming out of Germany, along with current thinking around the topic in the New Zealand environment.

Ms Surges says Germany is widely seen as a leader in energy efficiency in areas such as insulation systems and glazing, and heating and cooling technologies. She says the energy efficiency industry in Germany earns around $US67 billion ($NZ97 billion) a year from innovative technologies to save energy – and New Zealand is already benefitting strongly, with more than 30 German companies involved in energy-efficiency technologies active here, in partnership with New Zealand firms.

The importance to New Zealand of energy efficiency was also highlighted recently by EECA, which estimated that one-third of the average New Zealand home’s power bill was spent on space heating. EECA has also predicted that energy-efficient practices and technologies could save New Zealanders up to NZ$2.3 billion a year by 2035.

The German keynote speakers at the one-day conference, which is being held at Jet Park Hotel in Mangere, are Dresden University of Technology Lecturer Dr Ulrike Stopka and Hamburg Chamber of Commerce Deputy Director Tobias Knahl. Dr Stopka will present on “Integrated Smart Mobility in Urban Areas under Environmental and Energy Aspects”, while Mr Knahl will talk about energy efficiency and urban infrastructure, drawing experiences and examples from Hamburg and Northern Germany.

The four German companies presenting their specific energy solutions at the conference are adKor, Netlinked, GeoClimaDesign and Steinel. AdKor specialises in energy storage through fuel-cell technology as well as renewable energy through photovoltaic technology. Energy management specialist Netlinked provides energy metering, control and evaluation services. GeoClimaDesign will talk about its innovative Bluemat capillary tube technology for intelligent heating and cooling of commercial spaces. Steinel specialises in heating and lighting controls and will feature its intelligent-sensor light system for indoor and outdoor purposes.

The visiting companies will also be spending time in New Zealand meeting with local businesses with a view to forming partnerships to bring the new technologies into New Zealand.

Bringing the NZ perspective to the conference will be EECA Programme Manager Pramesh Maharaj, ProClima NZ Ltd Education Manager Matthew Cutler-Welsh, Energy and Climate Change Lecturer Dr Anna Berka from Massey University Business School, and AUT Programme Director Dr Ali GhaffarianHoseini.

The conference is funded by the German Energy Solutions Initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, in association with the GNZCC.

For further information and to register for the event go to the GNZCC website:

https://neuseeland.ahk.de/en/events/event-details-nz/business-conference-energy-efficient-solutions-for-urban-infrastructure/

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