2021 Highlights

Looking back at 2021, I have taken the opportunity to round up some of my highlights. This article is meant as an expression of my gratitude for the people, projects and organisations I (have) cross(ed) paths with in work, at home and across the communities I’m involved with.?

Work

This April I said a difficult goodbye to my colleagues at EA Technology, reflecting on a wonderful set of experiences in the UK and Australia. In May, I was warmly welcomed by the Cenex team. Thank you to my colleagues old and new for providing much enrichment to life.

A particular highlight has been attending my first in-person Cenex-LCV event in September. I watched the launch of ConnectMore Interactive Map, saw the Niche Vehicle Network vehicles, had a ride in a Westfield at the Milbrook Proving Ground, and spoke to many innovative companies pioneering progress in the field of sustainable transport and connected and autonomous vehicles.

As well as the fulfilling collaborations in my ‘work time’ projects (follow the Cenex LinkedIn account for more information on these), this autumn I’ve been able to network more widely by participating in two panels - TNEI Insights COP26 Edition: Why do we need a whole system approach to meet our climate goals?? - and - Solar & Storage Live, Transport Hubs: Planning for a Green and Equal Future. It is always stimulating to connect with different professional perspectives.

Home

As well as working in the sustainable energy and transport industry I like to do what I can for the planet, at home. In June I acquired my first Electric Vehicle, the Renault Zoe through Onto’s subscription service (amazing to find that this deal works out to be more cost effective than the salary sacrifice scheme). And, in August, we were able to get our gas supply capped off (thanks Octopus Energy) because we had an Air Source Heat Pump installed (thank you Magna Renewables).?

Community

Looking beyond my own home I was excited to officially join the Climate Action Frodsham Committee (formerly the Frodsham Transition Initiative) and work with the other wonderful volunteers to, among other things, plan and run a number of community events raising awareness of the issues and some of the solutions for the climate crisis.

In June I was pleased to see the launch of Sustainability Physics - a great resource for teachers, pupils and enthusiasts alike! Melissa Lord, Phil Furneaux and many others do a stellar job enthusing the next generation about STEM and I am honored to be able to help in some small way. Examples have included providing interviews (like for the initiative above), talks to pupils and, in July, presenting a filmed lecture for The PTI’s Subject Leadership Certificate at Downing College, Cambridge.

At the Women’s Engineering Society, Sally Sudworth established a Climate Emergency Group, (WES CEG), facilitating like-minded people, including myself, to come together from across the country to come together to work on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Our SDG7 sub-group delivered a webinar, How citizens, cities and countries access affordable, clean, sustainable and affordable energy for all and developed energy savings tips for social media kindly shared with Climate Action Frodsham for distribution.

I am always keen to discover ways in which I can increase my impact. Hence, when I first discovered Toastmasters (a nonprofit educational organisation that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs) just over two years ago, I signed up. I gain great energy from the diverse members who dedicate so much of their spare time on personal development and I feel privileged to have been elected as the President of Warrington Toastmasters’ club in the summer.?

It is thanks to inspiration from both Toastmasters and WES that I created a short podcast series, ‘The Future is Electrifying’. The series explores the ways in which we as individuals can green our energy use and reduce our environmental footprint in and around our homes. It features interviews with professionals in energy and engineering and those who have made the transitions to low carbon technologies (colleagues from the WES and Cenex).?

• Kat’s Green Home Journey - Kat Ibbotson has greened two of her homes, a 3-bed and more recently a 200 year old, stone 5-bed house in a conservation area. This episode talks about insulation, heat pumps, solar panels, finding suppliers and grants and more.
• Nancy Shares Sustainable Heating Solutions - If you're interested in the big picture this is the episode. Nancy Jonsson provides an overview of the solutions available now and coming soon, how they work and the considerations in their deployment. This episode mentions heating controls including smart thermostats, air source and ground source heat pumps, hydrogen boilers and more.
• Tom’s Heat Pump History - Transitioning from gas boiler to heat pump? Tom Allerton talks about how and why he made the step and shares some tips on the process of finding an installer as well as on avoiding potential pitfalls and optimising the economics. This episode covers consumer protections, equipment and energy suppliers, system operation, maintenance, bills and more.

I welcome you to listen to these, share them with your friends and family and get in touch with your feedback. Do you have ideas or requests for future episodes, topics and/or contacts for potential interviewees? The mini-series is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. And for those interested in an introduction to the topic of sustainable personal vehicles, there is an episode in which Nancy interviewed me about electric cars. We spoke about different types of electric cars, charging (refuelling) infrastructure, the vehicle range and how this varies, the costs and grants available and much more.

In 2022 I look forward to getting stuck into a great lineup of projects, ideas and initiatives already in train and to others that will develop and blossom in time.?

Wishing everyone in my network and those reading this article good health, happiness, success and fulfilment in 2022 and beyond.