Birmingham leading the way on solar power

Birmingham will host a prestigious conference and exhibition on solar power later this month.

Held at the world-class International Convention Centre (ICC) from October 26-28, Solar Power UK brings together all aspects of the solar industry, with the conference expected to attract more than 600 delegates from the photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal sectors.

There will be several key-note speakers at the event, including Energy and Climate Change Minister Greg Barker, with other members of the Department of Energy and Climate Changed (DECC) also attending the conference. The event will be supported by Business Birmingham, the city’s official inward investment programme, which will be hosting five local businesses on a stand at the exhibition.

Birmingham is already a pioneer in the use of solar technology and boasts one of the largest domestic PV programmes in the UK, which is delivered by the Birmingham Energy Savers initiative. The project is a Birmingham City Council and Birmingham Environmental partnership which works with organisations across the city. The aim is to help the people of Birmingham become more energy efficient while protecting the environment through the installation and use of PV panels.

Birmingham City Council has already commenced plans to install solar panels on the 10,000 council rooftops.

Martyn Mangan, investment manager at Business Birmingham, says: “It’s only fitting that Solar Power UK has relocated to Birmingham, which already leads the way as a sustainable, future-proof city and is committed to using green technologies.

“The recently-published report by Cushman & Wakefield  supports this claim, which saw Birmingham rise from 27^th to 22^nd position for ‘best cities in terms of freedom of pollution’. This ranking highlights how the city continues to drive forward innovation within this sector. We look forward to welcoming over 160 solar power companies to the ICC for the event.”

Solar Power UK comprises a full three-day exhibition, at least four specialised conferences and additional training sessions and educational seminars. This year’s comprehensive main conference will explore government policy, the industry supply chain, and key themes to support a sustainable solar future in the UK.

For more information please visit www.businessbirmingham.com or call 0121 202 5022.