Canadian Wind Energy Conference Program announced: One-Stop Education Opportunity for North American Investors

The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) and Hannover Fairs USA have announced the formal conference program for CanWEA’s annual exhibition to be held from October 27-29, 2014, in Montreal, Quebec. The 2014 conference program 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.

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.

“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”, says Robert Hornung, CanWEA President. “Visitors to CanWEA 2014 will gain insights into the new investment opportunities that are now emerging in provinces across Canada.”

Sessions—Climate Change, Global Investment and More

This year’s conference will include a celebration of the association’s 30^th anniversary and multiple educational sessions, including:

• 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

“CanWEA offers an incredible education opportunity for wind energy investors,” said Larry Turner, CEO of Hannover Fairs USA, the U.S. subsidiary of trade event organizer Deutsche Messe and CanWEA exhibition partner. “Canada is the 9th largest wind energy market in the world and 5^th in new installations. It’s also considered an entry point to the U.S. and a hedge against the ups and downs of the U.S. market. In addition, Canadian clean energy exports can play a role in North American efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change.”

Conference exhibitors include leading international wind energy companies that have invested in Canada, such as: EDF EN Canada, Enercon, GE Power & Water, Senvion, Siemens, Vestas, and more.

To learn more about CanWEA 2014 and the opportunity to gain deep knowledge of the Canadian wind energy market, visit the CanWEA 2014 conference web site at http://canwea2014.ca/.