In late April a full house convened in Fredericton for the fifth Energizing Efficiency Conference. Our annual conference gathers those committed to energy efficiency, clean energy and climate action for a dynamic two days of speakers, targeted breakout sessions, networking, and learning. Here are three key takeaways from this year’s inspiring conference.  

  1. Adopt Values Thinking to Influence Efficiency Behaviour 

    • Keynote speaker David Allison said our values unite us.  According to Mr. Allison, values shape all human decisions. Using his “Valuegraphics” understanding of human behaviour, Mr. Allison gave his take on how to guide New Brunswickers to more eco-friendly behaviours by putting our shared values at the heart of marketing and communications activities. Compelling and innovative, this values presentation remained top of mind for many throughout the rest of the conference.   

      Efficience conference keynote speaker Tonya Leach

  2. Keep People at the Centre of the Strategy 

    • Our second keynote speaker was Tonya Leach, Executive Director of QUEST Canada. She helped attendees connect the dots between energy efficiency and social challenges. And she weaved net-zero goals to climate action at the community level. Her challenge to the audience: remain people-focused and move beyond “carbon tunnel vision”.  

  3. The Future is Here: Efficiency possibilities in action 

    • With over 30 breakout sessions across the spectrum of trending energy topics, attendees had ample opportunity for learning. Sessions offered insight on advances in energy efficiency, active community energy programs, First Nations commercial energy projects, the future of EV charging, and more. Attendees heard first-hand from energy leaders moving forward with ambitious energy projects.  
    • Test-lab projects, including on-site tours of NB Power’s testing lab, gave attendees a look under the hood of advancements coming down the pike, from smart water heaters to wireless EV charging.  
    • Other presenters shared real-world projects that take energy efficiency advancements beyond theoretical possibilities. Viewing data-driven results that are tracking towards ambitious climate goals revealed how, in many ways, the future of efficiency is already here. 

Key takeaways for Energizing Efficiency 2024: opportunities to collaborate

Have we reached the energy efficiency tipping point? 

In celebration of the five-year milestone for our conference, all presenters were asked to look five years out in their topic area. Where is the future of energy efficiency headed? In five years, we’ll be a year away from significant 2030 climate goals. Given the range of initiatives showcased at Energizing Efficiency 2024, the possibility of transformational change is more real than ever.  

Ready to be inspired?  

Next year’s Energizing Efficiency conference will take place May 7 & 8, 2025 at the Fredericton Convention Centre in downtown Fredericton, New Brunswick. Mark your calendars!