Birmingham lures solar conference from London. Maybe soon we’ll read Valdosta lures solar conference from Atlanta.

Solar Power UK wrote 15 December 2010, Sun Shines on Birmingham’s Solar Industry:

Birmingham is to host the annual Solar Power UK Conference and Exhibitionin October 2011. Over 3000 solar industry participants, 30% of which will be overseas visitors, are due to descend on the city during the conference following sell out events in Munich and London in 2010, generating a predicted £4.15m for the city.

That’s about $6.7 million U.S. dollars.

It is the only time the event has been hosted outside of London in the UK and the first time the conference will be lighting up the city. The decision comes as Birmingham is increasingly recognised as a hub for the developing UK solar industry…

So becoming a leader in solar netted Birmingham a major conference, which brings income in addition to the jobs and energy generated directly by the solar projects.

Continuing:

…with Renewable Energies Ltd, leading project developers in solar power, establishing its first UK offices in the city. The move will create an initial 60 jobs for the region but is likely to create a further 500 over the next year as the solar industry is set to boom.

That’s 60 jobs by that one company, not counting all the others.

Who’s organizing all this?

Business Birmingham, the city’s official inward investment programme, will be partnering with Birmingham City Council to host a week long schedule of sustainable events, topped off with the pioneering Solar UK Conference and Exhibition. As the only official exhibition of the Solar Power Group, the number one trade body in the UK, the Solar UK Conference and Exhibition will feature a series of conference programmes working with solar experts REA, MicroPower Council, Praseg and EPIA.

Hm, maybe Solar Summit may meet in Valdosta some day…. For that matter, the National Solar Conference was in Raleigh, NC this year. Maybe it could come closer….

-jsq

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