The 6th edition of the Beirut Energy Forum is taking place on the 9th, 10th and 11th of September, 2015. It is the leading energy event in Lebanon and the Arab World dedicated to energy efficiency, renewable energy and green buildings. It is held under the patronage of the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water. The event does not solely focus on the technical aspect of clean energy, but also discusses the advantages and drawbacks of each technology on the socio-economic and environmental setting, hence a wide range of experts, be it engineers, technicians, consultants, academics and bankers, can participate and benefit from the event.
The event witnesses the participation of main players in the energy sector such as the League of Arab States (LAS), the European Union (EU), the Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI), and the Order of Engineers and Architects in Beirut (OEA). Beirut Energy Forum is organized by MCE GROUP for Congresses and Exhibition (MCE Group) in collaboration with "EnR, salon des Energies Renouvelables", the Ashrae Lebanon Chapter, the Lebanese Solar Energy Society (LSES), the Lebanon Green Building Council (LGBC), and the EU-funded project MED-ENEC. The Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC) is the strategic partner of the event.
This year, iBEF is going international with the participation of the World Energy Council (WEC) during which international and continental experts from around the globe will gather to share insights, challenges, and solutions to the MENA's energy sector, with special focus on potential regional projects.
Moreover, on September 10, a special awareness raising session by the MED-DESIRE project will be held as part of the iBEF side events. The theme of the session is about updating schools curricula through the integration of energy efficiency and renewable energy. The session will have many presentations done by energy experts and schools representatives in the presence of 50 participants in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE).
Being noticeably active on different social media sites, the MED-DESIRE booth at the iBEF will also have an awareness-raising event; where participants will be committing to energy saving on social media (using the hashtag #TheSunForYou #iBEF2015) and will have their photos printed instantly at the booth. In addition, participants will have the chance to win solar gadgets as well at the end of the day.
Furthermore, MED-DESIRE will have several interventions in the conference such as the presentation on “Solar Ordinances: Best Practices and Potential of Application in the Mediterranean Area” within the session 2A entitled “The European Union Tools to Support Sustainable Energy in Lebanon”. This session will be held on the first day of the event and will be presented by Mr. Franco D’Amore, Technical Expert, MED-DESIRE Project, ARTI Puglia, Italy. Mr. D'Amore will give an overview of solar obligations around the world and will present the proposed schemes for Lebanon that are being developed within the MED-DESIRE Project.
Session 2B "Roundtable Discussion on Financing Sustainable Energy Projects" will be discussing the proposed financed mechanism for local authorities developed by the local consultants of the MED-DESIRE project. The session also includes a discussion on a study to adapt the existing NEEREA financing mechanism to the rest of the Arab countries.