Delegates tested their endurance over six days of exhibition, conference and social events at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre for both the combined Clean Energy Council’s National Conference and Appropriate Technology Retailers Association of Australia (ATRAA) Conference.

The exhibition hall was filled to a host of renewable energy technologies, including wind, solar, bioenergy, energy efficiency and ocean power, as well as other emerging emissions-free technologies and services.

Dominating the Clean Energy Week conversation was the political debate on a carbon pricing mechanism and its role in promoting the future of Australian renewable energy technologies.

Highlights

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A key objective of Clean Energy Council and its conference is to act as fulcrum of knowledge between the industry and the public, and to educate the wider community on the public benefits of clean energy. Acting on this, throughout the week the conference played host to over 1,000 schoolchildren, who were both entertained by exhibitors and educated about renewable energy and emissions-free technology.

Topics covered throughout the conference by notable international industry figures were clean energy business and policy, carbon price setting around the world, financing clean energy and the future of the renewable energy industry.

At a more local level, ATRAA conference attendees were offered a raft of professional development and workshop sessions in business and policy initiatives, current Australian policy and legislation, new technology sessions and small business development.

Social events

Attendees at Monday’s Gala Dinner were entertained by Dinner Speaker Martin O’Shannessy, Chief Executive of Newspoll, who outlined the Australian public’s positively-polled responses on the topics of renewable energy and transitioning to a low-carbon future.

Throughout the week, various clean energy companies, including BP Solar, Trina Solar, REC Solar and the wind industry hosted networking drinks across various parts of Melbourne in an effort to make the conference as social as it could be.

The ATRAA Formal Dinner, sponsored by Lightway Australia, proved a fitting finish to a very social conference. Held at the Flemington Racecourse, attendees enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere, musical and comedic entertainment and a celebratory conclusion to the Melbourne event.