Judges
National Energy Efficiency Awards 2019
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Mark Dallen
Former Consortium & Stakeholder Manager: ECO
Mark has been in the energy industry for over 36 years and more recently in the energy efficiency obligation area for over 16 years. He has extensive experience of working with stakeholders on the planning and implementation of numerous energy efficiency projects throughout the UK. In particular, Mark has worked closely with ECO installation partners and local authorities on ECO funded and Warm Homes funded schemes to deliver energy efficiency measures to vulnerable customers in community based schemes regionally and nationally. Mark has always been a strong supporter for many years of the Regional and National Energy Efficiency Awards, as this is the ideal high profile event to showcase and support the very best practices and projects that improves people’s lives within the energy efficiency industry.
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Dr K T Tan
Technical Director, Viridian Solar
Dr KT Tan is the Technical Director at Viridian Solar, a UK company based in Cambridge with their renowned innovative Clearline Fusion products. He has been devoting his professional life for over a decade to developing products and technologies for the renewable sector. He started to work with solar thermal well before the PV became a mainstream renewable solution. As a Chartered Engineer, he specialises in solar PV new technologies with a particular interest in roof-integrated systems, advanced cell technologies and innovative mounting solutions. He is a member of the Industrial Advisory Panel of the Centre for Doctoral Training in New and Sustainable PV, and a member of the GEL/82 Standards Policy and Strategy Committee for PV Systems. He is also the Chair of the MCS Solar PV Technical Working Group. He graduated with an Engineering PhD from University of Cambridge.
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Gary Spiers
Construction Project manager, E.On Energy Solutions
Gary Spiers career spans over 22 years, covering all aspects of management, auditing, and Installations measures within the industry.
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Dani Putney
Quality & Risk Officer, Certsure LLP
Dani Putney has over 14 years’ experience in the Building Engineering Services Sector, working within a leading Certification Body providing UKAS accredited certification services. She has held several positions within Certsure (NICEIC and ELECSA) and is currently responsible for ensuring that accreditation is maintained for the Group’s activities.
She represents Certsure (NICEIC and ELECSA) at various industry committees including Chair of the MCS Competency Working Group, member of PAS2030 Steering Committee and participating in the Each Home Counts Work streams -
Rachel Jones
Chair, West Midlands Association of Local Energy Officers
Rachel Jones is the Chair of West Midlands Association of Local Energy Officers which is a not-for-profit organisation supporting local government officers and housing professionals with a remit for reducing all aspects of the UK’s domestic-sector carbon footprint and tackling energy poverty. Rachel is an experienced energy professional specialising in the delivery of energy efficiency measures across communities and working with UK home energy policy to achieve this. Rachel has worked with numerous local authorities and other organisations to develop and embed energy and energy efficiency into their strategic plans with a focus on home energy. Rachel has been working in the energy sector for over 15 years and is CEO of Act on Energy.
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Neil Whitfield
Consultant
Neil has been in the Construction, Training and Education sector for over 40 years and has built a reputation of setting and maintaining high standards.
As the founder of OSCAR-onsite he continues to work with Certification Bodies, Awarding Bodies and National Occupational Standards in developing formal NVQ Qualifications further raising standards, this ensures that installers achieve the recognition for their skills and produce high quality installations.
Cavity Wall Extraction has been of particular interest as this is key along with property condition to ensure that the insulation performs to its optimum.
Now working as an independent consultant and a Lecturer in Further Education providing expert advice on all matters of training and development within Energy Efficiency Measures and the wider Construction methodologies.
Neil has been in the Construction, Training and Education sector for over 40 years and has built a reputation of setting and maintaining high standards.
As the founder of OSCAR-onsite he continues to work with Certification Bodies, Awarding Bodies and National Occupational Standards in developing formal NVQ Qualifications further raising standards, this ensures that installers achieve the recognition for their skills and produce high quality installations.
Cavity Wall Extraction has been of particular interest as this is key along with property condition to ensure that the insulation performs to its optimum.
Now working as an independent consultant and a Lecturer in Further Education providing expert advice on all matters of training and development within Energy Efficiency Measures and the wider Construction methodologies. -
Andy Merrin
Commercial Director, Enerlyze Consulting
Andy is a Chartered Environmentalist and has worked in the domestic and commercial property sectors for over 20 years focusing on the energy performance of buildings and implementing strategies to decarbonise homes and offices. Prior to this Andy worked in the rail and aviation sectors in the UK and Middle East overseeing environmental mitigation programmes on major infrastructure projects such as High Speed 1 and New Doha International Airport.
Having worked with Bechtel, Arup, ENGIE and now United Living Andy has a wealth of knowledge across a wide range of energy, low carbon and environmental related topics. Andy currently leads on the delivery of low carbon housing retrofit strategies for United Living Property Services. -
Elinor Rice
Technical Director, Quidos
Elinor was employed by City Energy after completing a Master's degree in Business Economics with Finance. Elinor has been with the company as it first started utilising the Green Deal Finance Company and accessing ECO Funding. As Compliance Manager, Elinor ensures that City Energy adheres to the changing rules and regulations. She has recently become Technical Director for City Energy
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James Higgins
Partner, Ecuity Consulting LLP
As Co-Founder and partner of Ecuity, James leads on Ecuity's Insight and Strategy service which helps the organisations we work with understand and manage risk and opportunity within the energy policy environment.
A strategic thinker, James encourages business leaders to consider political issues from a commercial angle, assists in the determination of objectives and delivery of cut-through communications. An experienced campaigner James also works hands-on with clients and the Ecuity consulting team to develop persuasive narratives supported by technical and economic analysis. James's clients include market leaders across the renewable, heating and energy efficiency sectors. James has previously worked as a Parliamentary specialist for the UK's water industry regulator Ofwat. He holds a First Class Honours in Politics from Liverpool University and in 2012 graduated from the Global Energy MBA programme at Warwick Business School, the world's first energy industry focused MBA. -
Ian Naismith
1A Naismith Energy Assessors
After working for 14 years at Glasgow City Council as an inspector of privately let properties in multiple occupation, I decided to make use of this experience and expertise in property and energy assessment. I became a fully qualified domestic and commercial energy assessor and set up the Ian Naismith Energy Assessor business in April 2009.
Also in 2009, I became a distributor for the Utility Warehouse Discount Club, a logical extension to my main business.
Local Surveyors Direct
The Institute of Domestic Energy Assessors (IDEA)
A member of BNI Glasgow Alba Chapter
A member of Synergy Business Services Club
And when I get some time off, I’m a member of Strathaven Golf Club
And of course, I’m a member of 4Networking in Glasgow. -
Karl Drage, CEng, MEng, MIMechE, DMS, ACGI, MIOD
Chief Executive Officer, Coefficient Renewable Heating Solutions Limited
Karl Drage has overseen the installation of over 1000 ground source heat pumps, ranging from small installations to some of the largest installations in Europe. This includes a number of multi-megawatt schemes, the largest of which is a 5.4MW Hospital scheme, one of the largest renewable heat systems in Europe. He has delivered funded solutions for blue chip clients under an ESCO arrangement over a 25 year term, installed sustainable district heating systems for local authority social housing clients and constructed multivalent systems for some of the highest profile building and infrastructure developments in London and with a number of leading University clients. His Maintenance and Service business continues to work with - and remote energy monitor - installations over the life of their buildings. He established a team in the US that has gone on to complete some of the leading Sustainable Energy systems in North America and developed a business in Spain in partnership with a leading Utility Company and National Contractors.
Karl is a member of the Council of the Ground Source Heat Pump Association and previously spent four years as its inaugural Chair Person, establishing the association and influencing the early formation of the industry. Karl has been involved in the development of the MCS standard for Heat Pumps, and continues to work to develop both the market and the professional standards of the industry. -
Carl Harvey
Director, My Home Survey Ltd
Carl Harvey works as an independent retrofit coordinator at My Home Survey Ltd, a business that Carl established in 2006 and now delivers a full suite of retrofit coordination services including Pulse air permeability testing, and as the senior retrofit coordinator at Osmosis ACD Ltd overseeing the PAS 2035 process within the business and promoting best practice in the industry.
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Clint Walker
Fidura Consulting
Clint is the Founder and Director of Fidura Consulting Ltd, supporting businesses across the energy efficiency, retrofit and net zero sectors with partnerships, commercial growth and strategic direction.
Having worked across operational, commercial and partnership roles within the sector, Clint set up Fidura to offer businesses experienced support without the need to appoint a full-time senior hire. His work is focused on helping his clients build the right relationships, develop new opportunities, improve their proposition and navigate a fast-changing market.
Clint’s approach is practical, straightforward and built around understanding how businesses actually operate, not just how they look on paper -
Gregory Elliott
Independent
Gregory Elliott is Property Services Director for Vibrant Energy Matters, the largest EPC supplier in the UK carrying out over 160K instructions per year. He hass been involved in the EPC industry from conception, with over 10 years in the property sector and overseen many changes. The most exciting has being within the energy sector, having worked with Birmingham Council with the first go early EPC scheme in 2007 to one of the first Green Deal Advise Reports. Experience gained from working with most of the Big Six energy companies on several ECO projects has given him both insight and an understanding on the opportunity that ECO and the Green Deal brings to the industry.
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Audrey Gallacher
Director of Policy, Energy UK
Audrey Gallacher is Director of Policy at Energy UK, the trade association for suppliers and generators.
Audrey has an extensive background in the energy sector - initially working for the regulator Ofgem as Head of Consumer Affairs in Scotland. She moved into energy consumer advocacy in 2000 when she became National Director in Scotland for energywatch, before moving to lead its work on company performance, research and advice. More recently she has held Director of Energy positions with the statutory watchdog, Consumer Futures and at the charity Citizens Advice. -
Bryn Kewley
Political Advisor on Energy and Climate Change to the Shadow Secretary of State for BEIS., BEIS
Bryn Kewley is a Political Advisor on Energy and Climate Change to the Shadow Secretary of State for BEIS. He works with Rebecca Long-Bailey, writing for, briefing and representing her on issues surrounding energy and climate change. Labour's Industrial Strategy includes a mission to source 60% of our power and heat from low carbon sources and Bryn has been establishing policies to fulfil this pledge. Previously he worked for the think tank E3G campaigning to make energy efficiency an infrastructure priority. An keen adventurist he's raced across the Atlantic, ridden horses in Afghanistan and driven a motorbike from the UK to SE Asia.
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Claire Curtis-Thomas, PhD(Hon), C.Eng FIMechE FIET
Chief Executive, British Board of Agrement
Claire Curtis-Thomas became Chief Executive of The British Board of Agrement (BBA) in May 2013. Her industry experience was gained with Shell UK and Birmingham City Council Laboratories before becoming Dean of the Engineering and Business Department of the University of Wales, Newport.Until 2010 Claire was the elected Member of Parliament for Crosby, and was Chief Executive of The Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM) prior to joining the BBA.
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Craig Anderson
Director , ACL Planning & Development
Craig is an architect/town planner with over 30 years experience in area regeneration and job creation. This has involved large-scale redevelopment of both housing , commercial and industrial areas across his native Scotland and then Wales and England where he operated at Director-level for local government and prior to that with the Scottish Development Agency.
Craig is former CEO of Warm Wales Cymru Gynnes, the first UK Community Interest Company specialising in relief of Fuel Poverty which he led until 2017. Since its inception WW~CG has delivered 60,000 house upgrades and has pioneered mass retrofit through both the Welsh Government Arbed Programme and more recently the Solcer Retrofit programme of buildings-as-powerstations led by the Cardiff University Welsh School of Architecture . This has involved whole house insulation combined with the latest mechanical ventilation and solar renewables low-carbon technologies linked to battery storage.
Since 2015, Craig has pioneered the FRESH Vulnerability Mapping system as an aid for local authorities working with utility providers and third sector local agencies to target resources towards the most vulnerable households. This initiative has received national awards and recognition and is being progressively rolled out throughout Welsh Local Government. It is also being used in the UK Government ECO-Flex Pathfinder in Cornwall.
A key focus for Craig now is helping homeless partnerships in attracting investment for housing-first to address the growing UK-wide rough sleeping and homelessness crisis.
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David Brierley
Managing Director, Evolve Partnership Limited
David Brierley is the founder and Managing Director of Evolve Partnership Limited, which has been supplying EPCs and other services to the property industry on a nationwide basis since 2007 and GDARs since 2012.
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Frank Harris
Director, HD Services Ltd
A qualified Civil and Mechanical Engineer, Frank founded HD Services in 1984. A member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a fellow of the Geological Survey he has twice been chairman of the Well Drilling Association (WDA).
H.D. Services Ltd are an award-winning, family run company operating throughout the Southeast of England. Involved in the renewables industry since 2009, H.D. Services Ltd are one of only a handful of companies installing Open-Loop heating options for the domestic market and are specialists in their field. Recently recognised for their Pioneering work utilising groundwater as a heat source for the domestic market, Frank and his team focus on encouraging those in suitable areas to use the water in the ground under their properties sustainably, providing them with additional options such as potable supplies and grey water uses. -
Katie Searle
Senior Project Manager, Energy Saving Trust
Katie joined the Energy Saving Trust in 2007 and has an in-depth knowledge of product assurance and certification across a broad range of product categories including insulation, glazing and heating products. She graduated from the University of Greenwich with a degree in Environmental Science and began her career in insurance. Katie has previously been responsible for the set up and management of an accredited Green Deal Installer certification scheme and more recently is leading project co-ordination of a three year European funded programme developing digital tools to better inform consumer buying choices of energy efficient products.
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Lesley Rudd, CIMA CIPR
Chief Executive, Sustainable Energy Association (SEA)
Lesley is currently Chief Executive at the Sustainable Energy Association (SEA). She draws on 30 years in the energy industry. She has worked on a range of energy policy issues, across the whole energy supply chain from upstream to downstream and in a number of countries. Positions Lesley has held include; Government and Stakeholder Relations Manager, Trading Manager , and Communications Manager at BG Group; Public Affairs Manager at Microgen; and Commercial Negotiator, Commercial Manger and Audit Manager at British Gas . Lesley has a track record in leading successful campaigns for policy and regularity changes in Brussels and UK. The SEA advocates 'wrap then heat' because increasing the energy efficiency of the building fabric helps to maximise the gain from efficient heating solutions. To address one without the other leads to sub-optimal results for homeowners, investors and Government.
Lesley has a degree in Business Studies with Politics, is an Accountant (CIMA accredited) and is a member of CIPR. -
Lisa Sims
ECO Business Development Manager, E.On Energy Solutions
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Maria Wardrobe, BSc
Director of External Affairs, National Energy Action (NEA)
Maria is currently Director of External Affairs with national fuel poverty charity NEA, responsible for a team which develops and delivers NEA's Policy Services, Research, Campaigns and Public Affairs, Fundraising and Sponsorship, Publicity, Marketing, Media, Events and Membership services within the organisation.Maria has extensive experience of campaigning at a national level, organising and speaking at regional and national events and broadcasting on local and national radio and TV. She is responsible for the Secretariat for the All-Party Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency Group (FPEEG) and is Chair of the Age Action Alliance Safe Warm Homes Working Group.
Maria has worked for NEA for 20 years. She is also a Trustee of the British Gas Energy Trust.
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Mark Weaver
Head of Business Development, Alsecco
Mark has worked in senior Sales and Marketing roles within the Construction Products sector for the past thirty years. Mark is now Head of Business Development for Alsecco, a major supplier of facades solutions and part of the International DAW Group. Mark has been actively involved for many years in the Energy Efficiency and Retrofit sector and was Chair of SWIGA, the solid wall industry guarantee scheme during its inception. Mark is presently acting Vice-Chair of INCA, the leading External Wall Insulation trade association. Cycling, football and his family are what keep Mark sane out of working hours.
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Michael Morrall
Ciga Council Member & Head of Retail, Dyson Energy Services
Michael's journey in the energy efficiency industry has been very much hands on and varied from Building Surveying, On-site Technical Monitoring and Quality Supervision, Senior Operations Management and most recently Business Development. Michael has a proven track record in the development and delivery of large scale Insulation, Heating, Renewable and Energy Assessment projects in partnership with Energy Companies, Local Authorities, Social and Private Landlords. Michael has developed some long standing relationships with Local Authorities nationwide for community based schemes delivering energy efficiency measures to those whom are most vulnerable. His primary focus in the immediate is to continue the nationwide development of existing and new partnerships for ECO & LA Flex supported measures as well as the expansion of the Merchant Distribution and Retail divisions of Dyson Energy Services.
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Patrick Allcorn
Head of Local Energy, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
The local energy team has been created to help DECC support and develop energy solutions at a local level. From the community through local authority to the Local Enterprise partnerships - sharing best practice supporting strategic and project development and delivery
Previously he has been responsible for the design and implementation of the Domestic RHI. He joined that team in early 2012. Prior to this appointment he was responsibility for community energy. He set up the LEAF project that enabled over 200 communities to set up local energy schemes in 2012. Before joining DECC, Patrick worked for Transport for London and the London Borough of Croydon as well as time working as a journalist and a sustainability consultant. -
Simon Ayers
Chief Executive Officer, Each Home Counts (TrustMark)
Having worked across a number of energy sectors over the course of his career, Simon Ayers has witnessed (and participated in) the evolution of Energy Efficiency as a concept.
Now as Chief Executive of TrustMark, Simon is actively involved in helping consumers find competent, local tradespeople to carry out energy-efficient installations in and around their homes.
Deeply committed to the continual raising of standards of energy efficiency, Simon is keen to recognise and champion organisations demonstrating excellence in this field, without sacrificing their corporate values and commercial success.
As such it is with delight that Simon is involved as a judge at this years Energy Efficiency Awards, and he looks forward to celebrating the achievements of those leading the field in this sector.