Green future on agenda at energy summit and our business awards

A well-known South Devon music venue is hosting a mini-'summit' for local renewable energy firms and rural businesses.

The get together on May 1 is to explore how farmers can exploit renewable technology and innovative peer-to-peer energy networking to grow their bottom line.

The Barrel House Ballroom at Totnes – a music venue that routinely hosts local and international touring acts – will welcome local solar, wind, heat pump and other sustainable energy providers to talk about the Bloom Renewable Energy Network - a trading network for farms and rural businesses in the South West - with local business owners, farmers and curious members of the public over drinks and nibbles. 

Above: The Barrel House Ballroom at Totnes

Event chief and local businessman Mark Bloomfield  hopes the event will demonstrate how farmers can diversify income streams through renewable energy without sacrificing productivity, addressing the critical challenge of rural economic resilience while supporting climate goals.

He says: "There are so many worthwhile initiatives happening with solar and wind. We can show ways that energy generated on farmland can be used to lower energy bills, and generate higher returns for farmers than if their power was just sold back to the grid. 

"This event is a chance to have a chat about what’s possible, over a pint, in a warm and convivial environment. It’s not just about ‘saving the world’. It’s about sharing opportunities for businesses to make smart commercial decisions.”

Totnes solar energy company Bloom Renewables, a solar PV & battery supplier in Totnes of which Mark is founder and CEO, will chair the event.

Mark says: "We’re excited at the chance to meet folks from the farming and local business community, listen to their perspective, and maybe help them with some products or services they weren’t fully aware of before."

Sustainable businesses represented will include: Bloom Renewables,, Torbay Renewables, The Apricot Centre and Naturesave Insurance. 

Guests will enjoy a bar and free locally-farmed food, with guest DJs providing background musical accompaniment. 

* The Green Agenda features heavily in the Torbay Weekly Naturally Inspiring Business Awards.

Above: Stagecoach MD Peter Knight (far left) with last year's Torbay Business Awards Greener Futures category winners QLM. Image: WRPhotography

Bus Stagecoach have been the sponsors of the awards' Greener Futures category since it was launched. Managing director Peter Knight was at the Riviera International Centre in Torquay last year to present winners QLM with their award.

Their new type of quantum-technology-based laser-radar, or lidar, acts like a ‘security camera’ for methane leaks. Their lidar can sensitively detect methane gas, make a 3D picture of a gas plume to locate the source of a leak and measure its size to tell just how big a leak is.  And all of this happens fully autonomously.

Chris Wardle, Chief Manufacturing Officer at QLM, received the prize and said: “Stopping methane is one of the most important things we can do to protect the planet and reduce global warming.  We’re well placed to tackle methane as we have technology that can do something that no one else in the world can do.”

Entries are already flowing for this year's awards  - and we are determined make it as easy as possible for businesses to enter or to be nominated.

Wednesday, June 11, has  already been confirmed for the glittering finals night at the Riviera International Centre.

The awards have grown in size and stature since being launched three years ago. Now we are keen for even more businesses and their people to be saluted and recognised.

As before, you can enter a category as a business yourself.  But now you can also nominate a business —  and we will do the work for them. You nominate them  and a member of the Torbay Weekly  team will make contact with them to help with the application process. Just go online to  torbaybusinessawards.co.uk to enter or nominate.

To enter, go online to the website  torbaybusinessawards.co.uk where you will find out how to enter or how to nominate businesses for the awards, the categories and their criteria. Entries will close at midnight on Friday, April 25. A judging panel will sit to choose the shortlisted finalists of each category. The finalists will be announced online and in paper on Thursday, May 15. They will go forward to the finals night.

This year’s sponsors

Torbay Council (headline sponsors and Overall Winner); Wollens (Best New Business); Newton Abbot Racecourse (Best Marketing Initiative); Stagecoach (Greener Futures award); English Riviera Bid Company (Tourism Company of Year); Princess Theatre (Rising Star Award); South Devon College (Inspiring Employer of Year); Police and Crime Commissioner  Alison Hernandez (Commissioner's Business Community Champion);  Torbay Business Forum (Small Business of Year); Majestic Holidays (The James Wright Award for Inspirational Leadership, or ‘Jimmy Award’); Sally Allen (Innovation); Inter-Line (Apprentice of the Year); Torquay United FC (Sport and Health and Wellbeing Business of the Year).

 The Torbay Weekly Lifetime Achievement awards for contribution to business and the community will be announced on the final's night. The Overall Business of the Year will be chosen from across the category winners on the finals night and is not a category for entries.