Scan Display powered its exhibition stand at the recent Meetings Africa show with certified green power, using the Renewable Energy Certificate system. This is the first time that an individual exhibitor has used renewable energy for its stand’s lighting and electrical appliances.

Certified green power - The Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) system can be difficult to grasp. It means that, while Scan used the Sandton Convention Centre’s energy supply on its stand at the show, it bought the equivalent certified green power from a company trading renewable energy certificates. This resulted in Scan Display indirectly supporting a green power source – in this case a solar photovoltaic generator in Northern Kwazulu Natal – and having zero electricity related carbon emissions.

GreenX Energy - The Renewable Energy Certificate was supplied by GreenX Energy, a Cape-based company that pioneered the concept of RECs in the South African market during the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The REC system has been used for over a decade in Europe, the United States and Australia. It is gaining support in South Africa as the Department of Energy assists in developing the approach and local business becomes committed to green practices.

Cost - The RECs are normally denominated in 1MWh units and Scan used one REC (1MWh of energy) to power its 9m² stand for the three days of the show. One REC would have been sufficient to power 12 more identical stands for the three days of the show, but RECs are not divisible.

The REC cost Scan R350, which Scan Display’s MD, Justin Hawes, considers a nominal expense to pay for the benefit of using green power. Hawes says: “The REC system is a relatively inexpensive way of reducing the carbon emissions of your event or exhibition’s energy consumption, without having to resort to planting trees.”

In future Scan will be in a position to supply certified green power to its clients routinely and at an even lower price, pending a groundbreaking agreement with GreenX Energy.

Event Greening Forum - Scan’s MD, Justin Hawes, has a special interest in greening and sustainability. He was instrumental in the recent formation of the Event Greening Forum, a group established to promote sustainability in the South African events industry. The group’s objective is to create awareness of the need for greening in the meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions and events industries.

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