Penn State to host 2016 Energypath Conference

The 2016 Energypath event will be held from July 25-29 on Penn State’s main campus. There will be pre conference energy camps from July 25-27 and the Energypath conference will take place from July 28-29 according to Energypath’s website energypath.org.

            The Energypath event includes pre-conference camps that hands on experiences on energy topics such as Solar PV, Wind, and Micro Hydro. The event also includes a banquet dinner with nationally recognized experts on renewable energy technologies.  The main attraction of the event will be the Energypath conference and exhibition that would include professionals, academics and policy makers according to Energypath’s website.

            Last year the Energypath event had 373 attendees.  The event also had 31exibitors and 23 sponsors, according to Energypath’s website.

            Katie Fischer, a sophomore Earth and Environmental Studies major at Susquehanna University, was one of the attendees at the 2015 Energypath event. Fischer decided to go to the event because it was free and the event was held really close to her home.

            “I thought it would be a fun educational thing to do over the summer,” Fischer said.

            Fischer explained that the thing she enjoyed the most about going to the conference was all the people she met there.

“Everyone was easy to get along with because we had a lot in common. I met a lot of neat and eccentric people,” Fischer said.

Fischer also said that she felt the conference was what she expected and that it was really hands on. She had a piece of advice for students going to the Energypath event this year.

“Try to be very open and friendly and don’t be afraid to talk about things you’re knowledgeable about,” Fischer said.

Fischer also talked about how going to the conference benefited her.

“Going to the conference helped me to become independent,” Fisher said. “It was a really good way to spend my summer vacation.”

Jeremy Motsko, a junior Earth and Environmental Science major at Susquehanna University, is one of the students that will be attending the Energypath event in 2016.  Motsko heard about the conference through an email from his department head and his interest in the event came from his earth and environmental science major.

Motsko said that he is looking forward to getting a diversified view of the different renewable energy options. Motsko also talked about how he could use the conference to further his career.

“It would allow me to understand different renewable energies more and how they can be used in different sectors,” Motsko said.

Motsko feels that the Energypath conference is very well reputed and he expects that there will be a high level of academia there. He also expects to network with the other companies there and to gain exposure to different viewpoints.