Speaker case studies and sessions
Sonya Bedford: Stephens Scown LLP and Zero Carbon Wedmore
Sonya’s session will unravel the legal requirements around renewable energy projects. She’ll cover how to look at title to land for sites, contracts that are needed for different types of projects and regulatory issues which might need to be dealt with, including provision of precedent documents for use in future projects.
Nick Parsons: Retrofit case study
Nick will present a case study of a high standard retrofit of a 1960s detached house. He’ll explore details from insulation and energy efficiency to materials and environmental impact.
Liz Warren: Frome Renewable Energy Co-op and District Heating Divas
No single organisation can tackle climate change alone. Even the smallest community energy project will involve local stakeholders, whether it’s the town or parish council, other local authorities, landowners, schools or your friends and neighbours. Presenting case studies from Frome Renewable Energy Co-op and District Heating Divas, Liz’s session will help you think about who to involve, why they matter to your project and how you might reach and engage them.
Tim Brewer: Bro Dyfi Community Renewables Ltd
Tim will present the case study of Bro Dyfi Community Renewables, situated in the Dyfi Valley alongside CAT. He’ll cover how the group started back in 1999, outlining the company structure and ethos and how they identified suitable projects and technologies. He’ll also offer details on raising project finance/capital, project planning and ‘financial closure’ and project completion/commissioning.
Felix Wight: Repowering London
Felix will present Repowering’s journey, from a local community energy project to helping Londoners transition to zero carbon.
Kayla Ente: Brighton & Hove Energy Services Co-operative (BHESCo)
Kayla’s session will review the renewable heat projects they have installed at sites across Sussex, varying from biomass heat network and SunAmp heat storage to heat pumps, both ground source and air source. She will discuss the financial, technical and social practicalities of developing local, clean and affordable renewable heat projects.
Amanda Smith: Former Head Teacher and CAT’s Zero Carbon Britain Training Manager
A clear and effective action plan is an essential component to effectively manage and deliver any project. Using the Four Directions approach outlined in the Zero Carbon Britain report, this session will explore how to identify the next steps in your energy project.
Breaks, Q&As and networking
Across the day there will be timetabled discussion and reflection sessions, Q&As, networking and offline breaks to keep the online format refreshing and engaging.
Liz Bridge, an attendee on our Zero Carbon Britain: Live online course in November 2020, said of the online format:
“Having a background in learning and development I am always interested to learn from the approach of other organisations.
It was a fantastic combination of expert sessions, fabulously managed Q&A, and breakout group chats punctuated by ‘temperature check’ polls. Quickly broke the ice and the clever re-engineering of the breakout groups meant we probably connected with far more people than if we had been in a face to face session.”
Meet your tutors
Paul Allen
Paul is Knowledge and Outreach Coordinator for Zero Carbon Britain. He has been a member of the Wales Science Advisory Council (2010), board member of the International Forum for Sustainable Energy (2008) and a Climate Change Commissioner for Wales (2007). He holds an Honours degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering and has been at CAT since 1988.
Amanda Smith
Amanda is the Training Manager in our Zero Carbon Britain team. She has over 20 years experience in teaching, school leadership, adult training and organisational improvement. Amanda is a highly qualified, competent and experienced educator, with Qualified Teacher status, National Professional Qualification for Head Teachers and a Specialist Leader of Education.
Prior to joining the Centre for Alternative Technology Amanda was a Head Teacher, she also worked in an advisory capacity for the Local Education Authority from 2003, working with schools and other organisations in challenging circumstances to enable them to develop effective action plans and bring organisational change and improvement as a result.
Sonya Bedford
Sonya graduated from CAT’s renewable energy MSc in 2018 and is currently Head of Energy at Stephens Scown LLP. Sonya leads a team of solicitors specialising in energy policy and law. She advises industry on legal requirements for large scale renewable energy developments, including grid, infrastructure, policy, licensing and supply issues. She was awarded an MBE for services to community energy, along with a number of other environmental awards.
In 2020 Sonya was appointed to the CAT Board of trustees. She also sits on the board of five community energy groups and is one of the founders of the innovative and ambitious Zero Carbon Wedmore group.
Liz Warren
Liz is a Director of SE2, which helps organisations, communities and individuals build their capacity to tackle climate change. She is also a Director of Frome Renewable Energy Co-op and a Trustee of sustainability education charity SEEd. Liz has worked with local authorities across the UK helping them develop carbon reduction plans, engage schools on climate change and develop low carbon heat networks, always through the lens of stakeholder engagement and participation.
She has coordinated everything from primary school assemblies on water efficiency to international conferences on the future of the energy system. She is one of the founders of the District Heating Divas, a network supporting women working within the heat network sector, and an Associate Member of the ADE.
Tim Brewer
Tim has worked in the renewable energy sector for 25 years, primarily in wind, solar and hydro technologies. Over the years he has contributed to both the ‘hands on’ operation and maintenance and project management of renewable energy installations.
He has been involved with Bro Dyfi Community Renewables Ltd since 1999 and has helped this community owned and funded renewable energy company install and operate two wind turbines in the Dyfi Valley, mid Wales.
He also teaches on the short course program at CAT, primarily in wind and solar technologies.
Felix Wight
Felix is the Technical Director at Repowering, leading on technical development and emerging business models for community energy projects. Felix has a strong understanding of smart grid and energy storage opportunities for community projects, and has led a number of community smart grid field trials.
Prior to joining Repowering, Felix was Head of Development at Community Energy Scotland and has experience of developing over 10MW of community owned wind and hydro generation capacity.
Nick Parsons
Nick Parsons has 25 years experience as an energy surveyor, consultant and tutor, based in Sheffield and concentrating mainly on retrofit. He previously ran a community-sector project in Sheffield, promoting and demonstrating all aspects of sustainable building, based in an eco-refurbished terraced house.
Kayla Ente
Kayla is the Founder and CEO of BHESCo, a rising star in the community energy movement. She has been working in the energy industry for 25 years, first in the Netherlands, overseeing the financial engineering of large scale wind, hydro and solar PV projects for the first energy supplier in Europe to offer a green energy tariff.
BHESCo was established to address the consumer barriers to the uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency systems. BHESCo’s strategy is based on the proliferation of clean, local, affordable energy solutions in an energy service business model, combining energy efficiency with generation to deliver the best value for money outcome to its customers. BHESCo is working on developing microgrids in rural communities, looking to partner with any organisation that embraces the idea that we can only tackle the climate crisis by working together to optimise our respective skills and talents for the benefit of our communities.
