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2014 Conference - Wind: A Safe Future

The NZ Wind Energy Conference and Exhibition is the annual event for New Zealand’s wind energy industry. It is the premier industry-organised wind event in Australasia and the Pacific, and the only event where all industry participants gather in one place to share their experience and expertise in wind energy.

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2014 Conference

Wind energy is a vital and mature part of the electricity mix. The industry is now targeting efficiencies while continuing to innovate. In NZ, wind energy is diversifying and taking on an international focus. The 2014 conference is your chance to explore the opportunities in fulfilling wind energy’s potential, nationally and internationally.

The conference and exhibition will open on the evening of Monday 14 April and run until Wednesday 16 April 2014. It will be held at Te Papa Tongarewa: Museum of New Zealand, on Wellington’s beautiful waterfront.

Headlining the conference are:

  • Michael T Eckhart, Managing Director of Citi Corporate and Investment Banking, who will speak about 'Global Investment in Renewable Energy',
  • Dr Jenny Riesz, from the Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets at the University of New South Wales who will present ‘Wind as the New Baseload’,
  • Chris Karamea Insley, from the Climate Change Iwi Leadership Group, who will discuss ‘Renewable Energy, Climate Change and Maori Development’, and
  • Manuela Huso, from the US Geological Survey who will examine ‘The Impact of Wind Energy on Wildlife’.
  • Kobad Bhavnagri, Head of Australia at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, who will speak about ‘Change on its way - the future of the global energy sector’.
  • Tom McDaniel, Global Manager Zero Harm and Human Performance for Siemens, who will examine ‘Enhancing Safety, Quality, and Reliability, while Achieving Measurable Results’.

You can find out more about the keynote speakers here.

In addition, the conference will:

  • take a strategic look at finance, risk, and investment in the wind industry,
  • include a specialist one-day wind and wildlife stream,
  • examine new technology, business drivers, and opportunities,
  • have a strong health and safety focus, and
  • bring together politicians from all major parties to discuss the future of the electricity sector, renewables and wind energy in NZ.

Innovation in the wind sector worldwide moves quickly. The NZ industry has recognized the huge potential to develop, streamline and target efficiencies in procedures, data analytics, forecasting, training, and maintenance. The industry is also broadening out to become more diversified and internationally focused. NZ-based companies are taking advantage of the skills and expertise developed here to meet opportunities in large scale installations overseas. as well as medium-scale development and lower wind speed turbines in NZ.

The 2014 conference is the industry’s chance to explore the opportunities and challenges in growing the local renewables sector to 90% of generation by 2025.

The conference programme is now available...