Keynote Address on Bringing Retrofit to Market

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About this Event

23 Sep 2011 @ 9:00

Bringing Retrofit to Market Conference, Dublin, Ireland 23 Sep 2011

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Speech Title: Keynote Address

Pat Rabbitte T.D. is Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources. Minister Rabbitte has been a full-time T.D. for Dublin South West since he was first elected to Dail Eireann in 1989. He has served in a number of different portfolios in opposition and was Justice Spokesperson in the last Dáil. He was the Dáil's longest serving member of the Public Accounts Committee and was a prominent member of the DIRT Inquiry into tax evasion. He was Leader of the Labour Party from 2002 to 2007. He served as Minister of State to the Government 1994 -1997 and Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment with responsibility for Commerce, Science and Technology.

About the Conference:

Government has identified the need to improve the energy performance of one million Irish buildings through retrofit by 2020, creating thousands of jobs in the process. The evolution of the retrofit industry is at a critical juncture with the launch of Better Energy in May 2011 by Minister Pat Rabbitte T.D. This initiative begins the transition from a grant-based to a more market-driven approach to promoting retrofit activity in Ireland.

As the government begins phasing out grants over the coming years, stimulating the provision of attractive loan offerings to consumers will be a critical factor in driving deeper and wider retrofit activity.

This, the 2nd Annual Retrofit Conference, will provide a progress report on the development of a retrofit industry in Ireland. It will highlight the opportunities arising from the transition to a more market based approach to retrofit and address some key themes, such as:

        * Progress report on Irish National Retrofit Programme

        * Introducing Better Energy and the new government’s plans for the Irish retrofit industry

        * Introducing models for financing energy efficiency, based on international best practice - what suits Ireland’s circumstances?

        * What are the implications of the UK Green Deal for Ireland?

        * Where is the money coming from?

        * How to do a retrofit to the highest standards? What products and services are key?

       * What are the implications of the obligation on energy suppliers to reduce energy consumption among consumers for the development of retrofit in Ireland?

        * What role can the financial services sector play?

        * Which market segments should be targeted, and how can energy efficiency be sold to businesses and residential energy users?

        * How do consumers think about energy efficiency investments?

        * What are the key emerging opportunities in the retrofit sector?

Whatever solution is developed for Ireland, energy service companies, financial institutions, energy suppliers, and innovative product and service providers will play an increasingly prominent role in a rapidly expanding industry in the coming years. The IIEA's 2nd Annual Retrofit Conference is an un-missable opportunity for those in the industry to gain insight into the latest industry developments, nationally and internationally, as well as an unrivaled networking opportunity. Those who should attend include: energy assessors, contractors, builders, engineers, architects, product suppliers and product manufacturers, the policy making community, energy suppliers, the financial services sector, retrofit companies, training institutions, ESCos, community based organisations, housing authorities, and others working in the area.