International. Environmental concerns, global security issues and even massive blackouts have prompted a reassessment of energy consumption. Today the need for renewable energy has become one of the most pressing obligations. All in all, this kind of energy represents only a very small portion of the North American market.This appears in a new framework in which the European Union has set itself three key objectives in the development of its energy technology: to reduce the current costs of renewable energy, to facilitate efficient use and to place European industries at the forefront of low-carbon technologies. This includes renewable energies such as wind, solar and biofuels together with sustainable coal and natural gas plants, including CO2 capture and storage, and, later, fuel cells and hydrogen and advanced fission and fusion techniques. This should be added to a better use of energy in conversion processes, in buildings, industry and transport.
The main objective of the proposed European Strategic Energy Technology Plan is to accelerate the innovation of energy technologies and subsequently to encourage European industry to transform the threat of climate change and security of supply into opportunities to increase its competitiveness. This requires a new, more strategic and fully integrative approach to European capacities in the way energy technology is developed, commercialised and used.
That is why in the next edition of Next Energy, the event dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, which will be held under the influence of the Mostra Convengo Expocomfort from March 11 to 15 at the new Fiera Milano Exhibition Centre in Italy, it will offer a complete look at the most innovative products on high efficiency and with eco-sustainable solutions, enriched with a complete program of conferences and many initiatives.
Next Energy 2008 will be the site of the second Next Energy Award, a global competition for professionals, designers, architects and engineers who have built or designed buildings that are novel in the use of energy. The winning projects will be selected by a group of experts and will be on display in a special area and will receive the prize during the exhibition.
The fair comes at the perfect time when the most important issues on the renewal of sources and the achievement of renewable energies are debated more than ever. The attention that Italians are pointing to the environment has skyrocketed in recent years in parallel with the European country's recent regulations and energy consumption certifications. "Consumers are becoming more and more interested in buying technologically advanced systems and want high-performance products in low energy consumption, therefore, energy efficiency is a vitally important issue and research in these fields should be stimulated," said Arturo Colantuoni Sanvenero, Chief Executive officer of Fiera Milano Internacional and organizer of Next Energy 2008.
