Press Release #1
Top Innovations in Israeli Clean Energy Solutions to be showcased at 7th Eilat-Eilot Conference
Agenda to include 2016 Cleantech Open competition finals for most promising mature Israeli startups
Eilat, Israel, September 14th, 2016/Press Release/: The 7th Eilat-Eilot Renewable and Clean Energy Conference (EilatRE2016), to be held November 27-29, 2016 at the Dan Hotel in Eilat, Israel, will bring together industry leaders, government officials and sector investors to focus on the next generation technologies that will advance the global transition to renewable energy.
Hosted by the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Initiative - a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the use and development of renewable energy as a regional development catalyst – the conference provides an opportunity for global industry leaders and investors to see firsthand the disruptive technologies and game-changing innovations coming out of Israel, a world leader in clean energy startup companies per capita. Through a series of plenary sessions and panel discussions, attendees will explore the innovative solutions to the obstacles impeding the development, proliferation and adoption of renewable energy from the unique perspective of Israel’s arid south.
Noam Ilan, Co-founder of both the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Initiative and Capital Nature, a leading Israeli investment firm pioneering renewable energy technologies, said: “The sun-drenched Eilat-Eilot region serves as a premiere model of energy independence and a test bed for breakthrough solar technologies and off-grid solutions to help Israel and vulnerable areas across the world lacking access to secure energy. With over 70% of the region’s daytime energy powered by solar, an off-grid solar village in Kibbutz Ketura, and a commitment to energy independence for the southern Arava, Eilat-Eilot is a blueprint for other areas across the globe.”
This year’s keynote speaker will be Greg Wasserman, Partner at former U.S. Vice President Al Gore’s Generation Investment Management LLP, Partner at the Climate Solutions Fund, and former head of the Clinton Climate Initiative’s global solar program focusing on the international deployment of large-scale solar energy projects. Other speakers include Itamar Orlandi, Head of Applied Research at Bloomberg New Energy Finance and Dr. Griffin M. Thompson, Director of the Office of Electricity and Energy Efficiency at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources. A delegation from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), headquartered in Abu Dhabi, will also participate in the event as part of the organization’s mission to create a strategic plan for the Israeli government to help facilitate the deployment and proliferation of renewable energy in Israel.
Itamar Orlandi, Head of Applied Research at Bloomberg New Energy Finance said: “The rapid cost reductions in solar, battery storage and LED lighting are creating a pathway to provide a modern, reliable electricity supply to the 2 billion people who still do not have one. It is now up to entrepreneurs, policymakers and investors to develop the right business models and regulatory frameworks to deploy such systems at scale. The emphasis on off-grid topics at the Eilat-Eilot conference reflects a gradual shift in market interest, with investors increasingly looking at opportunities in the sector."
A highlight of the conference will be EnergyVest, which will be hosting the Cleantech Open competition, providing a platform for the most promising mature Israeli clean energy entrepreneurs to pitch their innovations to investors and for investors from across the globe to discover under-the-radar local startups and meet the creative Israeli minds behind some of the up-and-coming advances in cleantech. The conference program will be complemented by a cleantech exhibition, offering attendees from industry, academia and government a unique opportunity to exchange ideas and network with relevant companies, vendors and technologies from Israel and abroad.
Some of the cutting-edge Israeli solar, wind and smart mobility companies to participate in the conference include: SolarEdge, a partner of Tesla; AugWind; Chakratec; Brenmiller Energy; BrightSource; SolView; EnStorage; ElectRoad; and Roadix.