RENEWABLES USA 3rd Q. 08

Welcome to the Renewables Newsletter of the German American Chambers of Commerce (GACC). The German American Chamber network promotes bilateral trade relations between the United States and Germany. With offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, and San Francisco all running programs to increase dialog and trade in the renewable energy industry, we are pleased to present our newsletter to provide updates on those programs and opportunities for U.S. and German companies. Below are details on upcoming Chamber programs and past initiatives for solar energy, wind power, bioenergy, and energy efficient building technologies.

Atlanta, Georgia -The GACC South is organizing the “International Environmental Trade Mission” in corporation with the Quebec Government Office, the Consulate General of Canada, the British American Business Group, the Atlanta Development Authority, the City of Atlanta and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. This trade mission will focus on clean water and wastewater systems, innovative waste management and cutting edge technologies for green building. It is the perfect opportunity for German companies to introduce their products and services to a targeted audience and to meet with potential business partners, both business-to-business and business-to-municipalities. Many reasons why you should attend:

• One-on-one matchmaking meetings with corporate leaders and government officials in the Metro  Atlanta Area.
• Special workshops with experts in the environmental industry to introduce German companies to the specifics of the U.S. market, e.g. LEED certification
• Meet experts of the top three universities in Atlanta (Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University) to learn about their current research. The laboratory of Georgia Institute of Technology specifically researches how to develop products that are recyclable. They are in particular working on biofuels and on reviewing different methods for conversion, mostly plant and tree life (cellulosic).
• Networking opportunities at different receptions.  

This is a business-to-business and business-to municipality expo with opportunities to attend and exhibit.

Read the full article.

Atlanta, GA - GreenBusiness Works(tm) presents Atlanta's first comprehensive environmental EXPO designed to educate corporations and municipalities about sustainability programs, services and products available to support their environmental stewardship efforts. This year's EXPO will be held at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA on October 7th and 8th and is intended for corporations, communities, and local governments seeking to develop or enhance sustainable business practices.
 

Click here for more information and to register!

Germany - The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, together with the German Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWI) and the German Office for Foreign Trade (bfai), is organizing a bioenergy delegation to Germany from October 7-9, 2008. Germany is one of the world’s leading innovators in developing new bioenergy technologies, particularly for biogas, solid biomass and combined heat and power systems, and biodiesel plants. This delegation is limited to ten US companies, who will have the opportunity to travel to Germany and participate in individually-tailored meetings, while also attending the RENEXPO trade show. Participation is open to US companies involved in:

• Engineering or construction of bioenergy systems
• Bioenergy development or management
• Production or sales of bioenergy-related systems or components.  
   

Companies will also visit several plants, such as the one of Schmack Biogas AG in Schwandorf, Bavaria, the Biomass CHP Plant in Augsburg, Bavaria, as well as a biodiesel plant. In Augsburg the delegation will also take part in the Environmental International 2008 Conference organized by the Chamber of Commerce for the Swabian Region in Germany before delegation participants will visit the 9th RENEXPO trade show, where a large spectrum of energy sources will be the focus for market leaders and industry representatives from all over the world. This is a great opportunity for US companies to see and experience Germany’s cutting edge technology in the field of renewable energy first-hand.
For further information and contact details read the full article.

Orlando, Florida - Orlando, Florida.  The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States, in conjunction with the German Renewable Energies Association and the Florida Solar Energy Industries Association SEIA as well as Enterprise Florida, is holding a one-day conference on solar energy, followed by a 2-3 day tour of companies around Florida. 
 

Keynote speakers will present the newest cutting-edge technologies from Germany and the US. Also, 8 German solar energy companies will be in attendance, with the intention of establishing business relationships with Florida’s solar companies.  This conference has been formed in response to recent regulation changes, such as profitable rebates that will stir interest in consumers.  The GACC South is inviting manufacturers, retailers, and contractors primarily involved in solar thermal systems to register for this event.  The potential relationships with the German solar energy manufacturers will enable Florida’s companies to more effectively cater to the state’s increasing solar industry demands.  The conference will be held at the Embassy Suites Orlando Downtown in Orlando, FL. 

Miami, Florida - The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern United States, in conjunction with the German American Business Chamber of Florida, is organizing a networking reception for professionals and like-minded people who are interested in the solar industry. The event is also an excellent opportunity to meet with representatives from German solar companies and representatives of the German Solar Energy Industries Association and to learn more about the success story of Germany’s solar industry.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

Berlin, Germany - From November 5th-7th, 2008 the GACC California Branch will organize its first “US Energy Efficiency Business Delegation to Germany”.

The delegation builds on the success of the GACC California’s 2007 “Solar Business Delegation to Germany” which offered 13 leading US solar companies unparalleled insight into the German solar community and on our well-received first “Energy Efficiency in Buildings Symposium” which took place in March of this year.
 

This year’s event focuses on energy efficiency in the building sector and includes a conference, B2B meetings, site visits, and plenty of networking opportunities. The delegation is financed by the German Office of Foreign Trade (bfai) and the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) with support from Invest in Germany, Berlin Partner GmbH and the Brandenburg Economic Development Board. Participation in the delegation is free of charge, but does not include flights and accommodation in Germany.
 

For further information and contact details read the full article.

Chicago, IL – The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest (GACCoM) will continue its series of green architecture events by bringing a delegation of leading green building technology suppliers to Chicago.  As part of the Export Initiative for Energy Efficiency from the German Ministry of Economics and Technology, we will select a delegation of innovative German companies that supply energy-saving technologies and expertise for commercial and residential buildings. 
 

The purpose of the event is to generate discussion and co-operations between leading German green building suppliers and their counterparts in the US, by introducing these technologies to leading architects, construction firms, and suppliers in the industry.  Incorporated in the week will be a full-day conference on November 12 with leading US and German experts, 1-on-1 partnering meetings with companies in the delegation throughout the week, a high-level roundtable discussion, and an evening networking reception together with the International Green Coalition on the evening of November 11. 

For further information and contact details read the full article.

Syracuse, NY - In today’s “clean energy” age it is common knowledge that fossil fuels are environmentally unsound, highly toxic and downright dirty. What are the alternatives? From a renewable energy standpoint, the utilization of biomass for power production has become a commercially proven option. The term “Biomass” power is describing the conversion of organic material into usable energy, either by burning it directly or by harvesting combustible gases or liquids.  U.S. community leaders and economic developers have realized the potential of biomass and are looking for optimal technological solutions to tap into this renewable energy source.

 
Against this background, the GACC NY organized the “4th German American Renewable Energy Conference: Biomass: Power, Heat, and Fuels” in Syracuse, NY, on June 24, 2008. The conference was a full-day event with 24 lectures, discussion sessions, and arranged business meetings. German companies involved in biomass as well as U.S. companies and industry associations (SUNY environmental Science and Forestry, NYSERDA, Cornell University, New England Wood Pellet among others) gave presentations to an audience of 250 attendees.

Read the full article, page 13, German American Trade magazine September issue.

Midwest -- Over 20 industry experts from both sides of the Atlantic presented at three different locations throughout the Midwest during GACCoM's Renewables Roadshow this past June. GACCoM's Roadshow stopped in Detroit, Chicago, and Minneapolis, where speakers and presenters focused on several different topics from the Renewable Energy field pertinent to the local industries. Each stop along the roadshow featured an afternoon conference, followed by a networking reception. The Roadshow was highlighted by a number of keynote speakers, including Dr. Konrad Bauer, Project Director Renewable Energies at the German energy Agency (dena); Gene Hugoson, Commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture; Mike Walsh, Senior Vice President of the Chicago Climate Exchange; and Dr. Subhendu Guha, Chairman of United Solar Ovonic. The event would not have been possible without our sponsors and supporters throughout the Midwest, most notably the lead sponsor, Bosch Rexroth.
 
June 24th — Detroit, Michigan:  Supply Chains in the Renewable Energy Industry, Energy Effiency in Industry 
June 25th — Chicago, Illinois:  Sustainable Development, Green Architecture: Residential & Commercial Energy Efficiency
June 26th — Minneapolis, Minnesota:  Wind Energy, BioEnergy 
 

We are currently planning next year’s Roadshow, so please note the week of March 16-20, 2009 in your calendars. We welcome additional supporters and speaker suggestions in making this event a success once again in 2009.  More details will follow soon.
 
Read the full article.

San Francisco, CA - The German American Chamber of Commerce Inc., California Branch (GACC), held its first “Solar Symposium” at the Hotel Intercontinental in San Francisco on Monday, July 14th, 2008. The venue for the GACC “Solar Symposium”, the first event of its kind, was filled to capacity with a high-level, international crowd. Highlights of the day were the expert panel discussion and the closing keynote speech by John Garamendi, Lieutenant Governor of California, about the future of the Californian and US energy market.
 

“We have got to push stop signs and speed bumps aside and get the various agencies aligned. They are all part of the puzzle to transition our energy market to renewables,” said Lieutenant Governor of California, John Garamendi, continuing on the theme of the day and noting the urgency to get a working system in place to transition the US energy market to renewables. Both California and Germany have taken a leadership role and have set examples in the solar power industry.

For further information read the full article.

Houston, Texas - The German American Chambers of Commerce in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York and San Francisco along with the Canadian German Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the German Solar Energy Industries Association, and the Canadian and American Solar Energy Industries Associations, organized a one-day market-entry event in Berlin, Germany, entitled „Solar Energy Boom North America USA and Canada.“  American and German industry experts introduced the current solar energy boom in North America and identified the business opportunities there for the German photovoltaic and solar thermal sectors. This was the first event organized by all 6 chambers of commerce and with an attendance of well over 100 attendees from Germany and the US, the event was a great success. 
 

The event took place on September 16, 2008 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Ludwig Erhard Haus, Fasanenstraße 85, 10623 Berlin, Germany. 

For the presentations as well as pictures click here.

Midwest – From September 16-19, a select group of leading experts from Germany and the US presented a week of “Green Building Innovation Seminars” at leading Midwest universities, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Graduate School at School of the Art Institute in Chicago, and the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.  Overall, over 600 students and professors attended the seminars.  

These “Green Building Innovation Seminars” were sponsored by the German Ministry of Economics and Technology in order to inspire the next generation of architects, construction engineers and facilities managers. The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, as part of their “Training the Future” efforts, presented developments of innovative German green building technologies.  

  
Keynote speakers included David Cook, Partner at Behnisch Architekten in Stuttgart, Germany and Dr. Ing. Robert Himmler, Managing Partner at energydesign asia in Stuttgart, Germany. The speakers also had in-depth discussions with professors and toured significant new projects that have incorporated German technology and expertise, most notably  a low income housing project built to passive house standards in Urbana, Illinois. The next Passive House Institute US project will demonstrate passive house construction techniques in a 48-unit project for low income housing in Urbana, Illinois.  

For further information and to download presentations from the seminars, please click here.