International and Romanian experts met at the International Fair Trade and Conference for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient Construction and Renovation with Passive and Low Energy Houses RENEXPO South-East Europe in order to exchange know-how, present experiences from their practice and offer advice gained through research and development while also ensuring this knowledge is quickly transferred into action.

Several studies show that Romania has a huge potential in transforming biomass into energy. The vegetal and wood waste could ensure over 60% of the renewable energy needed for the whole country. The potential of wind energy is at the present being developed. The use of geothermal and solar energy have been mostly used to generate heat for private households but there are plans for their implementation at a macro level (apartment buildings and entire neighborhoods).

Renexpo conferences took place during the last three days (November 11-13) and focused on:

• Bioenergy
• Small Hydropower
• Passive House
• Wind Power
• Cogeneration
• Waste to Energy Workshop in Romania

Incredibly or not, rumors say that the classic real estate business (which is currently in a free fall here) is soon to be replaced by new business channels that rely on renewable energies. In the last years the number of European companies from the energy sector have grown fast, and investments in the renewable energy set records every year. There are more and more entrepreneurs that want to build hydropower stations, wind turbines, fields of solar panels or biomass factories. This tendency and the country’s energy potential offered by each area attract the attention upon Romania.

As member of the European Union, Romania has to adopt the energy efficiency law passed by the European Parliament: a 2019 deadline is set for all new buildings that have to produce the energy they consume. For the public buildings the deadline is 2016. Through implementing energy efficiency measures, the energy security will improve, emissions of greenhouse gases will be reduced, technological development will be encouraged and new working places will be created.

Sounds pretty ambitious in theory. I only hope the practice part will not get stuck into some rusty pipes.

*The conferences were held in Bucharest & I couldn't go, but I may have just got some pics from the event for you. When/if I get them, I'll update this post.