Energy Efficiency Rotation

In July 2009, McKinsey & Company published a report which stated “… the U.S. economy has the potential to reduce annual non-transportation energy consumption by roughly 23 percent by 2020, eliminating more than $1.2 trillion in waste.” Energy efficiency and energy conservation practices are underutilized assets in the US arsenal that, if used effectively, can combat carbon emissions and reduce 1.1 gigatons of greenhouse gases annually.

The Energy Efficiency Rotation will offer insights and perspectives from key players in the energy industry including utilities managers, efficiency consultants and ESCO managers. Topics of discussion will include the importance of energy audits, new developments in building monitoring technologies, understanding rebates and incentives, and what businesses can do today to decrease energy consumption and lower their power bills.

The format for the EER session will be different from the traditional conference panel: each speaker(s) will address one section of the audience for 15-20 minutes, including Q+A, before rotating to another section. The goal is to create a more intimate environment, where speakers can talk to fewer people at a time and where audience members can more easily ask questions. Time management is the name of the game and moderators will facilitate the rotation.

NECEC Fellow’s  Rountable

The New England Clean Energy Council launched its Fellowship Program in 2008, with the simple goal of transitioning top entrepreneurial talent into the clean energy sector. Now in its third year, the program has graduated over 35 Fellows, who in turn have created numerous cleantech ventures. Nick d’Arbeloff, President of the Council, will be joined by a group of successful Fellows in a roundtable discussion about venture creation in the cleantech sector, pursuit of financing and how this entrepreneurial challenge differs from that of “classic tech.”

Understanding The Ecology of Business: “Built to Last or Designed to Die?”

Private goods and public costs – what to do? Razor and razorblade models guide strategy for so many companies – can we maintain profitability and repeat customers without the waste that disposables generate? By understanding the extended nature of products, from design to disposal, we can see larger patterns that reflect more than the traditional linear supply chain. This discussion on product stewardship will introduce attendees to the concept of ‘cradle-to-cradle’ thinking and how it affects all companies. Representatives from the worlds of design, architecture, manufacturing and recycling will play key roles in an interactive conversation led by Professor Marty Anderson of Babson College. This session is the epitome of Babson’s tradition: entrepreneurial thought in action. Questions are encouraged throughout the session.