ICPE-ICIE International Conference on “Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving Technology” successfully concluded

On Friday, 15 November 2013, ICPE in cooperation with International Congress of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ICIE) organised an International conference on the topic “Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving Technology: the Present and the Future”.

The conference aimed to attract participants from different countries of Eurasia in order to exchange experience in the areas where public-private partnership is successfully applied and the countries where such financial models are not widely represented, or where the interested parties lack the knowledge and experience to resolve the issues inherently present in PPP projects on the policy or practical levels.

Welcome addresses were delivered by Mr Victor Glukhikh, President of the ICIE and Mr Janez Podobnik, Acting Director General of the ICPE. Mr Janez Podobnik emphasized the importance of ICPE in continuation of the well-established cooperation with the international organisations, notably also with the conference co-organizer, ICIE. Acting Director General also stressed that ICPE is staying active in the business field and development topics as also wishes to offer its platform of an intergovernmental institution for active networking of business subject.

The keynote address was carried out by Mr Bojan Kumer, State Secretary for Energy at Ministry of Infrastructure and Spatial Planning of the Republic of Slovenia.

Mr Janez Podobnik, ICPE Acting Director General

Mr Victor Glukhikh, President of the ICIE

Mr Bojan Kumer, State Secretary for Energy at Ministry of Infrastructure and Spatial Planning of the Republic of Slovenia

The conference continued with two Panel Discussions. First panel was committed to the business culture of energy efficiency, presentations of advanced energy efficiency technology cases, energy efficiency in general and financing of energy efficiency projects in less mature markets. The panel was chaired by Mr Oleg Berezovoy, ICIE Vice-President.

1st Panel Discussion Group

The second panel discussion, moderated by Mr Borut Potočnik, founder of BPMC and president at Association of Management Consulting of Slovenia, focused on energy performance contracting and presentations of advanced energy efficiency technology cases from Slovenia and Russia. Below please find a short introduction to the second panel discussion by Mr Borut Potočnik:

"Only a couple of decades ago on this Planet energy was simply a component of our activities. Environment responsibility was at first just a sort of higher, idealistic value or vision, now the romantic story is over and it became cross dependent with inavoidable economic calculation. Very quickly energy became emerging issue to industry, state governments and even every single household. Every business, social and private process is more and more interconnected by energy issues and environment responsibility. The story of this development is not over yet. The inter-connection betwen countries will become stronger. Like in every emerging sector the share of interest requires more and more advanced contracting systems. Higher technology features are extremely quickly replacing those less efficient."

2nd Panel Discussion Group

International conference brought together participants from many countries in the world in order to share the knowledge and to established new contacts. All speakers stressed the importance of constant gaining of a new knowledge in the different business models, the importance of understanding costumer needs as well as more friendly use of the existing technology. A joint working body will be established to pursue the idea of the energy efficiency in the present as also in the future.

Please find the link to the photo gallery HERE.