This week, Adam is joined by Doug Cook, Director of Strategy and Flexibility at Ohme. The pair discuss how software and flexible energy management can help balance the grid and integrate more renewable energy sources.

Doug gives his perspective on the importance of bridging information gaps in the supply and demand of electricity and using software to manage it. He highlights the big motivations for this, especially as the energy landscape shifts towards electric vehicles and heat pumps as a home’s most energy-hungry appliances. He also makes interesting observations on where the sector will get its data in the future and how to utilise it.

Alongside the software and technical considerations, Doug and Adam delve into the complexity of the energy industry and the need for simpler messaging to improve public understanding, which will drive change. Doug discusses the challenges facing both major players and smaller, innovative companies in building trust with customers and finding successful commercial models. He puts the energy industry in context with some of his unique analogies and shares his vision for the future, highlighting the importance of creative and bold thinking as part of the transition to a more sustainable future.

In this episode, Adam and Doug discuss:

• Using flexible energy management approaches to balance the grid
• The need for a maturity journey in the energy industry
• Where the innovation will come from in the sector
• Challenges in building trust and commercial models
• Setting bolder goals for the energy sector

The weekly Hypercube podcast sits down with leaders in the energy and utilities sectors to explore how data analytics can help businesses make smarter decisions and accelerate business growth.

Chapter Markers

[1:07] Grid balancing challenges and how software and flexible energy management can help.

[4:55] How local, decentralised energy assets can help with national grid challenges.

[7:38] The importance of considering the end-user when designing energy strategies.

[12:27] Changes in data collection, the limitations of smart metres, and the need for innovation.

[19:05] How Ohme has focused on building trust through transparency and customer-centric approach.

[24:18] Changing commercial models within the energy sector to build ongoing relationships with customers.

[26:58] Restrictions in how the energy industry operates that limit innovation.

[28:55] Thinking more boldly about energy, what it offers customers, and how it can be used.

This week, Jethro Browell, Professor of Statistics and Data Analytics at the University of Glasgow in the School of Maths and Statistics, joins Adam to discuss the importance of universities in nurturing the talent that will transform the energy sector.

Jethro discusses his academic journey from his mathematics background and how he is now looking at its practical application in the energy sector. He and Adam discuss the joint responsibilities of both universities and the energy industry itself to attract talent and equip individuals with the skills needed to advance in an increasingly high-profile sector.

From the role of hackathons and forecasting competitions to how universities grapple with teaching emerging technologies, the conversation covers the intersection of academia and the energy industry and why it is so key. Jethro talks about how changes in the availability of data are allowing better research to come from universities and how the evolution of models like AI weather forecasting will have a profound impact moving forward.

In this episode, Adam and Jethro cover:

• Attracting talent with the right skills to the energy industry
• The impact of forecasting competitions on innovation
• Teaching technologies that are still developing
• The development of “weather-led” energy systems
• Democratising access to accurate predictions with emerging technologies

The weekly Hypercube podcast sits down with leaders in the energy and utilities sectors to explore how data analytics can help businesses make smarter decisions and accelerate business growth.

Chapter Markers

[0:43] Introduction to Jethro, his career in academia, and what led him to focus on energy forecasting.

[2:52] Adam and Jethro explore whether universities are approaching subjects in the right way to prepare people for roles in the industry.

[5:22] What does the energy sector itself need to do to attract the best talent?

[7:14] Changes in data accessibility and the impact this has on researchers and innovation.

[10:10] Advice for researchers and those aspiring to follow in Jethro’s footsteps of academia.

[12:29] How energy forecasting and trading competitions have changed and what they do for the industry.

[19:09] The emergence of AI weather models and how they can be utilised for energy forecasting.

[20:58] Adam asks which technologies and trends will be most impactful over the next few years.

[23:15] How universities grapple with teaching emerging technologies, in particular, Large Language Models.

[25:42] Jethro explains where you can find out more about his research and upcoming University of Glasgow initiatives.

This week, Adam is joined by Robyn Lucas, Director of Data Science and Research at Modo Energy. Modo offers a platform to deliver data and analytics for the grid-scale battery market and has a huge focus on improving access to information in the energy sector.

Adam and Robyn zoom in on the UK energy sector and the real-world challenges of data science, analytics, and modelling for this market. Robyn outlines the issues with data quality and the fact that, in this space, the future does not necessarily reflect the past. They dig into how regulatory and policy decisions affect the industry and why it is essential to maintain stability through any changes to ensure ongoing financial investment.

They share their perspectives on future trends, particularly in relation to energy storage, and touch on demand-side responses for domestic users. Robyn goes on to emphasise the importance of delivering simplified, explainable insights for industry stakeholders as it moves towards net-zero.

During their conversation, Adam and Robyn cover:

• Data quality issues that make modelling a particular challenge
• Bringing more data science talent into the industry
• The importance of stability in the sector for investment
• Energy market reforms in the UK and their impact
• Maintaining precision in data models without sacrificing usability

The weekly Hypercube podcast sits down with leaders in the energy and utilities sectors to explore how data analytics can help businesses make smarter decisions and accelerate business growth.

If you enjoyed the episode with Robyn, go back and listen to our previous episode with Modo Energy CEO Quentin Scrimshire for more on how the company is focused on increasing the visibility of information within the sector.

Chapter Markers

[0:50] Robyn gives an overview of Modo Energy and her background in the energy storage sector.

[3:30] Robyn and Adam discuss the challenges of data science in the energy sector and the difficulties of building accurate models in the sector.

[5:18] Robyn touches on the difficulties of finding and developing talent for data science roles in the energy industry and offers advice for students and those looking to get into the sector.

[8:07] Robyn unpacks the key takeaways from the second consultation of REMA and the considerations around pricing structure changes

[11:37] Here, the pair discuss the need for a stable investment environment and certainty around regulation to secure the finance needed for the green transition.

[14:01] Robyn discusses the UK's CFD reforms and how they can be used to incentivise positive behaviours within the sector.

[16:55] Adam and Robyn talk through changes to the capacity market and the progress that is needed to support net-zero goals.

[20:27] Robyn predicts an increased demand for storage and flexibility in the future UK energy system, driven by wind and solar.

[24:07] Robyn gives a breakdown of Modo's work and the different levels of focus on the areas of insights, modelling, and product development

[28:37] Balancing a full and accurate reflection of the complexity of the industry with accessibility and usability when building models.

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If you want to explore how data and artificial intelligence can be used to help your organisation make smarter decisions and accelerate business growth, get in touch by visiting the Hypercube website: https://wearehypercube.com/