When: 10.30am-5pm, Friday 4th November 2016
Where: Great Hall, Sackville Street Building (former UMIST Campus), University of Manchester

Booking a ticket is essential for attendance.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hacking-the-energy-system-conference-tickets-28248817975

Discounts are available for early bird orders and individuals and community energy organisations. To request a bursary contact: info@carbon.coop

Keywords: energy efficiency, battery storage, aggregation, demand side response, Community Owned Aggregation, smart meters, open source, smart grid, smart cities
Attendance from: Local Authorities, Energy Retail Companies, Community Energy organisations, academics, grid organisations, start ups, technology startup companies

The energy system is changing fast, with traditional roles starting to blend, mix and reshape; driven by:

* Ever more ambitious carbon reduction targets
* Increasing amounts of distributed generation
* New technologies in the fields of battery storage, electric vehicles, local generation, electrified heat, smart meters and grid
* A proliferation of new entrants in to energy retailing including municipal energy companies
* A broad based community energy sector, increasingly looking for new business models including direct supply to local people

Against this backdrop the governance and regulatory environment has been slow to change in particular in the fields of generation and energy efficiency.

Convened by community energy organisation Carbon Co-op in collaboration with the University of Manchester, this one day conference is an opportunity for key players within energy system to discuss the change, challenges and opportunities ahead. The aim of the conference is to share knowledge and experience, catalyse new collaborations and document keys ‘asks’ from the sector around regulatory change.

The event will be followed by the Manchester launch of Nobel Grid, a European-wide smart grids project of which Carbon Co-op and University of Manchester are partners.

Agenda

Confirmed speakers listed – more to follow

Introduction to the day & Nobel Grid
* Jonathan Atkinson, Carbon Co-op
* Teresa Chilton, Manchester Energy: University of Manchester

10-11am Challenges and opportunities ahead: setting the scene
* Matt Fawcett, Carbon Co-op
* Electricity North West

11.15-12.45 New business models within the energy system
* Mark Atherton, Greater Manchester Low Carbon Hub, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
* Simon Minett, Managing Director, Challoch Energy
* Ben Aylott, Carbon Co-op

11.15-12.45 UK Energy Policy – where are we heading?
* Marianne Heaslip, architect, URBED
* Mary Gillie, Energy Local
* Emilia Mellville, Buro Happold

12.45-13.45 LUNCH

13.45-15.00 Technological change and the energy system – opportunities and challenges
* Steve Cox, Electricity North West
* Mary Gillie, Energy Local

13.45-15.00 Democratising of the energy system – municipal and community energy
* Julian Packer, Low Carbon Investment Director, Greater Manchester Combined Authority
* Alan Simpson, Independent Advisor on Energy and Climate Change
* Emma Bridge, Community Energy England

15.15-16.30 Plenary session: what lies ahead for the UK energy system?
* Steve Cox, Electricity North West
* Matt Fawcett, Carbon Co-op
* Alan Simpson, Independent Advisor on Energy and Climate Change

—Conference Ends—

17.00 Nobel Grid Manchester Test Site – Public Launch reception