The Department of Trade and Industry is holding its 5th Energy Expo on the 19th and 20th of March at the Isle of Man College.
This year’s Expo theme is 'Looking to the Future', where individuals and businesses will have a chance to consider how the ways they live, work, travel and play are likely to change in the next five to ten years due to changes needed to protect our environment.
Our lives will be affected by global factors including the need to reduce emissions; rising energy, food and commodity prices; changing consumer tastes; new government regulations; among other factors, all of which will combine, requiring new solutions and significant changes to behaviours.
The show will include many practical solutions relevant to households and businesses now, including making improvements to existing properties, new ecologically sound and sustainable methods of building, the bottom line benefits to businesses of implementing energy efficiency measures, ways of reducing transport costs, resource efficiency, biomass as a practical fuel, organic food, local produce and much more.
The DTI is working closely with the Department of Local Government and the Environment, the Department of Education, the Manx Electricity Authority, Transition Isle of Man (a local charity that promotes community self-reliance for both food and energy) and private sector exhibitors to ensure the event is thought-provoking and assists individuals and organisations to make informed choices that help them, their community and help to protect our environment.
Minister for Trade and Industry David Cretney MHK said, "I am delighted that my Department is again helping our community to tackle the environmental challenges we face effectively. This Government takes these challenges very seriously.
"I chair the Energy and Climate Change Committee which is leading a range of important initiatives. We are delivering programmes that have already helped Government, households and businesses to be more energy efficient, saving our community millions of pounds a year, and are progressing plans for onshore and offshore wind farms, which offer both energy and also valuable economic opportunities.
"We have led work to consider the roll-out of natural gas to 6,500 homes and businesses which will substantially reduce their energy bills. We are commissioning research into renewable energy to consider which technologies are relevant to our community’s needs and how and when to adopt them.
"While Government has an important role to play, all of us must play our part in meeting these challenges. This Expo will give visitors access to a wide range of information so we can all change our behaviours and so protect our Island."
Minister for Local Government and the Environment John Shimmin MHK said, "My Department is pleased to be working with the DTI to raise awareness of energy-related issues, particularly climate change and the impact on housing. Housing is responsible for more than 25% of greenhouse gas emissions and I very much believe that the best way to reduce both carbon emissions and reduce costs for homeowners is to move towards passive housing as the Island’s preferred method of construction, that is homes that require little energy for space heating or cooling.
"At this time it is difficult to find a sound argument to support building houses that waste energy due to the way they are constructed when proven methods exist, known as passive construction methods, which waste no energy at all. These houses have the double benefit of reducing energy costs for the home owner to a minimum and reduce greenhouse gas emissions thereby contributing towards the Islands efforts on climate change."
Minister for Education Anne Craine MHK added, "It is fitting that this year’s exhibition should be hosted at the Isle of Man College as it is the current generation of young people who are most keenly aware of the need for us to conserve energy as part of our contribution to a cleaner and greener environment.
"Our students are at the forefront of tackling such issues as climate change and reducing CO2 emissions and are no strangers to promoting and hosting conferences and exhibitions at the College to get their important messages across.
"The Department of Education has been pleased to take part in various initiatives including one where we tested some of our schools to see where they had heat loss which we were then able to rectify. This exercise has resulted in our being able to make substantial savings in the energy bill of the Department.
"This exhibition gives us all an opportunity to think about what measures we can take to contribute to the overall reduction of carbon emissions across the Island. Our youth are aware of the steps that can be taken and it is now time for us all to come up to speed with what we, as individuals, can do."
