▲ Professor Lee Seung-hoon delivers his Keynote Speech at IEVE 2015, outlining the energy-storing potential of EVs through Vehicle to Grid (V2G) systems. Photo courtesy Jeju Sori

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As the fourth of 10 EV-packed days dawned at IEVE 2015 on Monday, March 9, it was the turn of the innovators and researchers to share their visions of our electric futures as the conference opened at 2pm in Halla Hall, ICC Jeju.

As many as 80,000 people are projected to attend IEVE 2015 and the five-day conference, a series of workshops and seminars involving 13 institutions running March 9 to March 13 (as part of the expo itself which runs March 6 to March 15), is one of the biggest draws.

In his opening remarks Kim Pil-soo, chairman of the Korea Electric Vehicle Leaders Association, called it the “core brain of the expo.”

It was only on Friday that Jeju governor Won Hee-ryong had called for more “aggressive” progress, with environmentalist-cum-entrepreneur Moon Kook Hyun urging the industry to be “more determined,” and today experts in the field did more proselytizing for the EV and carbon-free lifestyles.

Governor Won again reiterated the island’s bid to be completely carbon-free by 2030, and he emphasized that the province would continue leading EV growth, stating that comprehensive charging infrastructure will be in place by 2017 courtesy of private investment.

“This is no longer a dream, but a detailed implementation plan,” he said.

▲ Won Hee-ryong reiterates his support for EVs at the IEVE 2015 conference opening. Photo courtesy Jeju Sori

We need only look to the fervent public interest, he said, pointing to the eagerness with which applications were received for the subsidized EV prize draw.

“Competition is incredibly high, probably even higher than that for the university entrance exam,” he joked.

Following the introductions the Keynote Speech was given by Professor Lee Seung-hoon of Seoul National University, also co-chairman of the Presidential Committee on Green Growth.

Lee spoke of the need for not only significant growth in Korean renewables, but also of the need for improved Energy Storage Systems (ESS) to facilitate increased EV use. He laid out his vision of a Vehicle to Grid (V2G) system through which parked cars would plug into the smart grid, doubling the current installed energy capacity to 160gW.

Lee stated that Jeju Island is the ideal testbed for these technologies and that village-level tests would be expanded to eventually cover the whole nation, again putting Jeju in the vanguard.

Two Special Speeches then followed, first from Robert Catell, chairman of New York State Smart Grid Consortium. Catell stressed the need for coordination across many fields, highlighting New York State Smart Grid Consortium’s work alongside Jeju Smart Grid Testbed. He also emphasized the need for robust public policy and incentives to push people toward EV use.

▲ (IEVE 2015 Organizing Committee Chairman Kim Dae-hwan, Professor Lee Seung-hoon and Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong show their appreciation at IEVE 2015. Photo courtesy Jeju Sori

Professor Hyun Young-suk of Hannam University then followed with a comprehensive look at the EV industry’s potential for fueling green growth, and the relationships between innovation, product cost and sales.

Following the conference opening the first sessions will start on Tuesday, March 10, at 10am with “EV Global Policy for Systems and Standards” hosted by the Korea Transport Institute in Samda Hall. Concurrently in Rm401, the “Climate and Energy Business Forum” will be hosted by Green Leaders Network and Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning.

These kick off a total of 16 sessions to be held by Friday, each with various hosts and organizers and ranging in structure from presentations and panel discussions over a couple of hours, to day-long mini conferences with sub-sessions.

The conference opening was hosted by the Ministry of the Environment, Congressional Renewable Energy Policy Research Forum and Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. It was organized by the Korea Electric Vehicle Leaders Association and the IEVE 2015 Organizing Committee.

For more information about conference content and the schedule for the rest of IEVE 2015 visit ievexpo.org.