Electric vehicles (EVs) took the spotlight at this year’s Clean Energy Asia Expo, which opened on Tuesday. The annual trade fair featured a new Sustainable Mobility Pavilion with state-of-the art EVs that might hit the roads of Asia soon.
Together with other innovative energy efficiency products and solutions, six EVs will be on display at the three-day event held at Suntec Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Exhibitor EV Hub, a one-year-old start-up that converts existing cars to electric ones, showcases a snazzy red Porsche and a sleek grey BMW – both fully “electrified”.
“Both cars match the performance of the original cars before modifications,” said EV Hub’s development manager Terence Kok. If the fleet of EV cars is approved for sale by the Land Transport Authority, the S$250,000-300,000 Porsche will be made available to the consumer market within the next few years, he added.
Industry experts predict that clean energy investments may double and reach US$70 billion in 2010. More than half of the world’s wind and solar energy equipment is currently manufactured in Asia.
This year’s clean energy trade fair, organised by Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore and German firm Koelnmesse, has a strong focus on solar and wind energy projects, featuring the innovations of major industry players such as Norway’s Renewable Energy Corp, Singapore-based Phoenix Solar, Sanyo Asia, and wind company Cygnuspower Pte Ltd.
This year’s exhibition space has doubled and there has been a 30 percent increase in the number of participants, said Koelnmesse.
Among the many cutting-edge solar and wind energy projects is Sing Yue Technologies’s CherWind Compressed Wind Turbine, which leverages on low wind speeds and boosts wind velocity to produce more energy.
With close to 60 percent of the world’s population residing in Asia, the region is also looking for other solutions, such as grid power, to reduce pressure upon its energy resources.
According to a report by research firm Zpryme, the world market for smart grid is expected to surge from US$69.3 billion in 2009 to US$171.4 billion by 2014. China alone is expected to spend over US$100 billion upgrading its power distribution over the next 10 years.
Toyota Tsusho Corporation, one of the exhibitors, offers micro grid solutions that encourage the use of EV and key equipment for EV to create a smart grid city.
It is currently running a pilot test of its energy efficient solution in Toyata City, near Nagoya, with the Japanese government.
“We like to find good partners at this exhibition and work together using our solutions to improve energy efficiency,” said Toyota Tsusho’s strategic planning executive, Chika Nishijima, who hopes the micro grid model in Toyata City could be implemented in other parts of Asia as well.
This year’s clean energy trade fair hosts eight country pavilions. The Japanese pavilion is the largest exhibition, occupying over 250 square meters of exhibition space and featuring energy-related products and solutions of 16 Japanese companies.
Participating for the first time at the event is the New Zealand Pavilion showcasing New Zealand’s technology and innovations in the clean tech space, including green building solutions and energy efficient motors for air-conditioners.
“Close to 70 percent of New Zealand’s energy comes from renewables,” said trade commissioner of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Ziena Jalil.
“We’ve got a history of hydrothermal and wind power. Coming to this event raises our profile as a player in the clean energy sector and is a very good chance for us to build connections,” she continued.
The Clean Energy Expo is part of the Singapore International Energy Week and brings together energy-industry experts and policymakers to address key issues in the areas of sustainable energy in the Asia-Pacific region.
The three-day conference has attracted 170 exhibitors and 5,000 participants from over 40 countries.
Eco-Business.com’s coverage of the Clean Energy Expo Asia 2010 is brought to you by Conchubar Capital Management.
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