AGRION

With the plethora of renewable energy technologies hitting the market and their steady decrease in price, more corporations and businesses are beginning to consider on-site renewable energy generation. Companies of all sizes, with varied electricity needs, can tailor one or a combination of several renewable energy installations to fit the needs of the enterprise. There are multiple technologies to consider during the evaluation process and an in-depth cost/benefit analysis should be performed. Post-installation requires ongoing monitoring and maintenance, and thoughtful publicity to capitalize on the environmental and social benefits of the project.

08:30am:    Reception, Networking and Continental Breakfast

08:50am:    Welcome and Introduction

09:00am:    Panel Discussion Begins

1.    Pre-Installation: Studies, Evaluation, Decision and Planning

• How does a business begin the process of considering a renewable energy solution on site? Are there independent third party consultants or should service providers be called upon directly to submit proposals? Are there any Scenario Modeling tools or applications available for independent analyses?
• Are energy efficiency upgrades within the operation a necessary early step in this process? If the low-hanging fruits have already been addressed, does it make financial sense to invest in more costly upgrades to reduce use or move forward with generation on the current baseline?
• Follow the numbers: what should a cost/benefit analysis look like in order to move forward with an installation?

2.    Post-Installation: Monitoring, Maintenance and PR

• What level of monitoring is required for a renewable energy installation and who is responsible for it? What technology exists to this end?
• Should operations staff be trained to perform regular maintenance or should ongoing contracts be purchased from equipment providers?
• What are the expected ROIs for a solar and fuel cell installation? Are current installations on track to meet those returns? Can anything be done to boost an ROI that is falling short of its projection?
• What are some of the most effective strategies for communicating to customers and the general public about the renewable energy installation?

3.    Beyond the Kilowatts: Exports, RECs, Tax Credits, Environmental Reporting

• Is it more cost-effective to export all of the renewable energy generated on site to utilities at a premium rate and buy back electricity on-demand? Or, use all that is generated on site and sell the excess through net-metering?
• What environmental reporting and community outreach is required for which renewable energy installations?
• What is the most beneficial manner of handling RECs (renewable energy credits)?
• What tax credits and incentives are applicable to which renewable energy installations?

10:30am:    End of Panel Discussion: Q&A, Networking

11:30am:    End of Conference

Speakers:

Adobe Systems, Michael Bangs, PE, Director of Global Facilities
Bloom Energy, Asim Hussain, Director of Product Marketing
HelioPower, Ty Jagerson, Executive Vice President of Commercial Sales

Moderator:

AltaTerra Research Network, Jon Guice, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Research

Download the Agenda

Location and Directions:

Garden Court Hotel @ 520 Cowper St. in Palo Alto, CA

Driving: From 101 (North or South): Exit University Avenue, go west. Make a left onto Cowper Street. Hotel is on the right-hand side on the first block.
From 280 (North or South): Exit Sand Hill Road, head east. Turn right onto Arboretum Road. Make a left onto Palm, which turns into University Avenue. Turn right onto Cowper Street. Hotel is on the right side on the first block.

Public Transit:Take Caltrain to the Palo Alto stop. Upon leaving the train station follow University Avenue 0.4 miles (6 blocks) to Cowper St. and turn right. The Garden Court is half of a block down on the right hand side.

Registration:

Log in to www.agrion.org or create a new profile.  Register directly by clicking the "Register" button above.

Please contact jennifer.jackson@agrion.org for any further questions.