The fourth Danfoss EnVisioneeringSM Symposium, “Building Global Energy-Efficient Solutions,” was held April 17, 2007, in Washington, D.C., focusing on fiscally attractive solutions, as well as emerging energy markets and the cost of raw materials. John Gaylen, president of Danfoss Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning North America, hosted the meeting.

Highlights from the symposium included:

Michael Goo, majority counsel for the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, addressed global warming and U.S. policy.  He noted that the committee has already held several hearings to help key decision-makers understand the scope and magnitude of global warming. He also predicted that the U.S. Congress will pass substantial global warming legislation over the next two to four years.

On the topic, “The Future of Power Prices,” Roger Kranenburg, director of the Edison Electric Institute, and David Shin, chief economist and director of statistics for the American Gas Association, discussed both short- and long-term trends. Shin anticipated that liquified natural gas (LNG) will help “fill the gap between demand and supply from now until 2020.”

Martin Regalia, vice president and chief economist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, noted that the economic impact of the global energy situation will be significant in coming years. Its impact will be strongly felt in the raw materials and labor markets as well as specific energy markets. “There is definitely going to be a shift away from carbon-based fuels,” he noted. “That will be a long-term trend.”

Rachael Halpern, energy and environmental industries trade specialist for the U.S. Commerce Department, and Jean Lupinacci, chief of the ENERGY STAR Commercial and Industrial Branch with the U.S. EPA, tackled the topic “Who Uses Power, and Managing Its Hidden and Future Costs.” Lupinacci noted that EPA recently joined the U.S. Department of Energy, energy regulators, utilities and other influencers to begin work on a National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency. “How to make energy efficiency the fifth fuel (is the goal),” she said.

On the topic “Selling Energy Efficiency Technology into the Developing World,” symposium attendees heard from Donald Forest, managing director of Sierra Asia, and Catherine Vial, team leader for environmental industries with the U.S. Commerce Department. Forest, who lived in China for more than seven years, said that county is trying to shift away from its reliance on coal, which accounts for two-thirds of its energy production. He predicted that, over the next five years, China will invest $150 billion to $200 billion in private and public funds to improve the environment and promote energy efficiency. “There’s a new (energy) paradigm in China,” Forest said. “China has turned the corner.”

The next symposium will be held June 5, 2007, in Long Beach, CA, on the topic, “Making Dollars and Sense of Energy Efficiency: A Focus on Conservation.” The sixth symposium, “Education and Awareness: Overcoming Communications Barriers with Regard to Energy Efficiency,” will be held on October 23 in Washington, D.C. 

For more information about the Danfoss EnVisioneeringSM Symposium, call: GSI (202) 339-6207 or visit www.envisioneering.danfoss.com/symposium.