There were a disproportionate number of men in snappy suits at this week's International Sustainable Energy Forum in San Francisco.

We chalk it up to the fact the event was sponsored by the governments of the Netherlands, Canada and the United Kingdom. So the nice-dressed folk couldn't be so much mistaken for security as diplomats pushing their country's vendors.

Men in suits (L to R): Chris Major, business development, Canadian Consulate Los Angeles, Gord Lambert, VP sustainable development, Suncor Energy, Christopher Walken (as played by Charles Schwenck of Greenberg Traurig) and Randy Pollack of Greenberg Traurig >> [1]

Several hundred attendees heard from a variety of speakers - punctuated by rapid fire three-minute introductions by a handful of technology companies from each of the sponsoring countries. 

Wind Energy Solutions (WES) of the Netherlands, one of the presenting companies, had the most optimal product placement - with one of their Underwriter Labs-approved WES5 Tulipo "urban turbines" to the left of the speaker's dias. Managing director Frank Hoogers suggested the benefits of the Tulipo extend beyond just producing electricity for their agricultural or business customers, but also include serving as a very visible statement that their buyer cares for the environment.

And with a twenty-plus feet diameter, they're hard not to notice.

Frank Hoogers (L), managing director, and Johan de Leeuw (R), North American director of WES, tiptoeing in front of the Tulipo. >> [2]

The crowd was particularly impressed by the three minute presentation by HelioDynamics, a company using tracking solar concentration to supply both PV electricity and heat in the same receiver. The company's Harmony product uses inexpensive glass mirrors to focus a large area of incoming sunlight onto a relative small receiver. It can be assembled to provide either PV electricity and solar thermal together, or, if industrial grade high temperature heat is desired, heat alone at up to 300 degrees C. UK-based HelioDynamics is actively looking for more North American distributors and installers.

HelioDynamics CEO Anders Jepsen (L) sells, while Peter Duchon of solar systems integrator ASAP Power! (R) mugs for the camera. >> [3]

Native Dutch-speaking Renee Wansdronk of Wansdronk Architecktuur didn't give the most engaging presentation. But his business is exciting. Wansdronk is applying the principles of solar energy, zero emissions and material saving concepts to the design of buildings. Key to his approach are heating collectors, in the form of today's latest solar technology, and cooling collectors, which employ a new but low-tech technology. Energy circulations are based on thermosiphon instead of pumps and electricity. He also employs new lightweight prefab design to minimize materials transportation costs and on-site environmental impact during construction.

George Orbelain, founder and president of the San Francisco Global Trade Council (L) and Mykola Tochytskyi, consul general for the Ukraine (C), try to talk with Renee Wansdronk... who has apparently been distracted by the canapes. >> [4]

California-based electric transportation company ZAP was brimming with excitement about a soon-to-be-announced automotive manufacturing relationship (no, not their recent Chinese manufacturing [5] news). They wouldn't talk details, but suggested this announcement would turn the automotive world on its head.

That may well be. But be careful, ZAP! Electric car makers talkin' big can sometimes get taken down a peg or two. Movies [6] get made about them these days.

Philip Tarazi, ZAP! director of sales (L), and Sig-Britt Cox, marketing support at ZAP! (R), flash their electric (car) smiles. >> [7]

We snapped a bunch of pictures of speakers opining on their panels, of vendors vending and of diplomats being diplomatic. But, as we often find, everyone was oh so more fun with a drink in their hand.

Brent Harris, director of technology development at Sustainable Energy Technologies (L) enjoys a joke with investor Jon Erlandson (R). >> [8]

Annabelle Malins, British consul of science and technology (L), Kathy Jepsen of HelioDynamics (C) and Rachel Lawley, vice consul UK trade and investments kindly suffer a reporter's intrusion. >> [9]

Revelry aside, there was plenty of serious discussion and reflection at the event. Given that many of the presenters were from the sponsoring Netherlands, more than once it was pointed out how their low-lying country would suffer dramatically from rising oceans fueled by global warming.

Yet inasmuch as the Dutch are clearly motivated to innovate in sustainable technologies so as to save their homeland, in the astute words of presenter Renee van Hell, minister of economic affairs of the Netherlands embassy, "it's also a great opportunity to make money."

Indeed.