Breakout Session A1 – Wind

This session will focus on the wind energy business to date and where it is headed. Speakers will discuss new technologies and processes in achieving better, more cost efficient equipment and materials. The reason some traditional fossil fuel energy companies have now diversified into wind and other renewable energy projects ((Moderator - Doug Willett, Advisor, Global Midwest Alliance & Principal, Professional Environmental and Energy Services) .

• Kevin Borgia, Director, Wind for Illinois

• Carsten Westergaard, PhD., Global Technology Director, Vestas Technology R&D, Americas, Inc.

• Larry Pfafflin, General Manager and Business Development Manager, Tempest Wind Energy 

Breakout Session A2 – Smart Homes & Appliances

This session will provide current information on the status of Smart Home Technology. Three distinct presentations will provide an overview of the state of the Connected Home Market as well as insights into the Smart Home and Smart Appliance industries. (Moderator - Tom Hacker, President, C&L Supreme)

·  Alex Detre, Research Director, Continental Automated Buildings, Canada

·   Carol Priefert, Senior Global Product Development Manager, Whirlpool Corporation

• Scott Stewart, Director-Business & Product Development, Canada, Direct Energy

Breakout Session A3 – Agriculture

Sustainable ways of feeding the world - With a world population that will increase to 9 billion by 2050, food production will have to double. Production needs to be increased while minimizing the impact on the environment. Modern agricultural tools like biotechnology are allowing farmers to increase yields while minimizing their environmental impact. Biotechnology farmers have reduced pesticide applications, reduced tillage, reduced soil erosion, improved water quality, and become more efficient (Moderator - Bill Bodine, Illinois Farm Bureau)

• Paul Sebesta, PhD., Director, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research

• Steven Brody, Director of Government Affairs and Industry Relations,  Pioneer Hi Bred, a DuPont subsidiary

• Sid Parks, Manager, Precision Farming, GROWMARK Inc

Monday Luncheon

• Introduction of Keynote Speakers - James Naughton, Partner Brinks, Hofer, Gilson & Lione, LLP,  Head of Green Practice

Keynote Speakers

• David Weisberg, Executive Director, Friends of the Arava Institute

• Ori Sivan, Green Entrepreneur and Sustainability Consultant, Green Depot Chicago

Breakout Session B1 –Solar

How have we harvested the sun so far and where will the next opportunities for using solar energy to heat our homes, businesses, schools, and plants come from or look like? What is the next generation technology and how will it be implemented? What’s in it for you? These are some of the questions that will be explored and discussed Moderator - Doug Willett, Advisor, Global Midwest Alliance & Principal, Professional Environmental and Energy Services).

• Mark Burger, Principal, Kestral Development Co. & Director of Illinois Solar Energy Association

• Jeffrey  Elam, Chemist, Argonne National Laboratory

•  Tim Oien, President, Creative Solar Structures

• Michael Gurin, CEO, Sol Xorce LLC & Chaiman, reXorce

Breakout Session B2 – Green Buildings

This panel will initially look at Green Building trends nationally, and the role and impact of the U.S. Green Buildings Council and the internationally accepted “Leadership in Energy and Environmental” (LEED) building certification program as the benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings with a focus on national and Chicagoland trends. The panel will shift to the role of Smart micro-grids to efficiently power one or more buildings. Finally, the panel will take a look at the next generation of green buildings, “living buildings” that are carbon neutral and promote the well-being of all inhabitants as part of a healthy ecosystem (Moderator -  Michael Rosen , Sr. Vice-President, New Business Development Forest City Science + Technology Group)

• Doug Widener, Executive Director, U.S. Green Building Council – Chicago Chapter

• Charles Smith, Principal, OWPP – Cannon Design

• John Kelly, Deputy Director, Galvin Electricity Initiative

Plenary Session 3

How in the World Can I Do This? - Global Perspectives

The Global Perspectives session will highlight the U.S. Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration's programs and services that help American environmental and energy companies identify and open new markets overseas.  Hear from a local company in the wastewater treatment technology sector that is rapidly and successfully expanding its business into foreign markets using federal and private sector resources (Moderator - Monica Toporkiewicz, International Trade Specialist, US Department of Commerce )

• Catherine Vial, Environmental Industries Team Leader, US Department of Commerce

• Bernice Valantinas, Vice President, ProMark Associates, Inc.

• Joumana Asso, Senior Private Sector Development Specialist Climate Investment Funds, World Bank Group

Breakout Session C2 –  Lighting

The days of the 'Edison' bulb are fading quickly, with numerous high-efficiency lighting technologies making their way into the market. Between light-emitting diodes, plasma lighting, OLEDs, and advanced fluorescents, there is no more exciting time than the present to be involved in lighting. This session will examine several lighting technologies and strategies to see how advanced lighting technology will help consumers save on costs and energy, while providing an opportunity to re-think the ways we design with light (Moderator - Chad Bulman, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance)

• Derry Berrigan, DBPowerof3

• Pieter de Haan, CEO, Phillips Lighting Electronics, N.A.

• Gerald Rea, Stray Light Optical Technologies

Breakout Session C3 – Battery & Hybrid Vehicles

This session is focused on advanced electric drive vehicles, including plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles, as the next generation of transportation systems – Transportation 2.0. Such vehicles enable cleaner, greener, and more affordable domestic electricity to replace imported petroleum as the primary fuel source for the transportation sector. A sustainable US energy policy should include: (1) integrating the transportation industry with the electric power industry through a smart grid; and (2) generating electricity from carbon-free and renewable energy sources. This paradigm shift in transportation is evolving, accelerating our progress toward clean, safe, renewable, and affordable domestic energy (Moderator -  Dan Marselle, Director, University Technology Park at Illinois Institute of Technology).

• Said Al-Hallaj, PhD., Chairman/CEO All Cell Technologies

• Ali Emadi, PhD., Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology & President, Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technologies

• Matt Stewart, Senior Automotive Equipment Analyst, City of Chicago Department of Fleet Management

Breakout Session D1 –Energy Storage

Energy Storage Panel: "Is lithium ion the battery technology of the future?" This expert panel of leaders in energy storage will discuss the current state of the energy storage industry, the attributes and applications of existing and future storage technologies, as well as opportunities and barriers to commercialization. (Moderator - Steve Frenkel, Chief Policy Advisor, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency)

• Mil Ovan, Senior VP & Founder, Firefly Energy Inc.

• Dan Girard, Director of Renewable Energy and Major Projects, S&C Electric

Breakout Session D2 – Alternative Fuels/Biofuels

In the Alternative Fuels/Biofuels breakout we are going to hear about new technologies and challenges in the field of renewable fuels. Specifically, we are going to hear about a new plasma-arc solid waste disposal technology, a biomass technology used to produce energy cubes, and from VC CEO and patent attorney each with a broad range of experience in biofuels ((Moderator - David Fournier, Partner, K&L Gates)

·   Jamie Boyd, Senior Vice President, Cascadia Capital

·   Chuck Holland, Partner, K&L Gates

·  Jim Mennell, President, renewaFuel

·  Kellogg Fairbank, President & CEO, Environmental Solutions World Wide

Tuesday Luncheon Keynote Speaker