Uniting Industry To Support The Growth Of Solar In The Rapidly Transforming Grid

DURATION

1 hour and 30 minutes

SESSION DESCRIPTION

To support the growth of rooftop solar, the industry needs to unite to address challenges and opportunities that go beyond regulation and reform. This panel discussion will examine what is the role of distributed energy resources, interoperability and standards, new value streams and security issues that will define the future of our energy system.

SPEAKERS

CHAIR

Dr Andrew Mears

CEO, SwitchDin

Dr Andrew Mears is an engineer and entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in renewable energy and innovation management, covering APAC, Africa and Australia. He was a Chief Technical Advisor for Renewable Energy and Climate Change for the United Nations in Southern Africa and SE Asia, delivering more than 40 major assignments in 18 countries directly mobilising investment in excess of $200 million.

Andrew is the founder and CEO of SwitchDin, an energy software company that bridges the gap between energy companies, equipment manufacturers and distributed energy asset owners to help create a cleaner, more distributed electricity system.

PANELLISTS

Andrew Blaver

Program Manager, Project Symphony, Western Power

Andrew has over 25 years of experience in the construction, communications and electricity industries in Australia, South East Asia and North America.

Most recently Andrew has been active in the customer and technology driven transition of the energy sector as the Manager Energy Transition at Horizon Power working on the Broome Smart Sun and Onslow DER Projects, before joining Western Power to take on the lead role for Project Symphony.

Project Symphony is ‘orchestrating’ customer assets like rooftop solar, battery storage and major appliances to participate in the future energy market as well as provide services to the electricity network as a key to enabling greater levels of cleaner and cheaper solar penetration.

In 2019, Andrew was awarded Western Australia’s Energy Professional of the Year for outstanding leadership, enthusiasm, and innovation in the WA energy sector.

Bryn Williams

Future Network Strategy Manager, SA Power Networks

Dr Bryn Williams is responsible for SA Power Networks' Network Strategy,  a strategic blueprint for transforming the South Australian distribution network and services to double the amount of solar the network can accommodate by 2025, and to meet customers' changing energy needs as they adopt new technologies like batteries, smart devices, virtual power plants and electric vehicles.

Ryan Wavish

Simply Energy

Ryan is the General Manager of Simply Energy Solutions, an innovation incubator for Simply Energy. He oversees a portfolio of new products and solutions progressing towards a retail energy business model of the future and supporting the transition to a net zero emissions. Ryan has over 15 years experience in the Australian energy sector, working across the value chain as a consultant, before joining Simply Energy in early 2020. He has a passion for the opportunity that new energy innovation can bring to tackling the challenges of climate change and sustainability.

Carola Jones 

CEO, Everty

Carola is the CEO and founder of Everty, an electric vehicle charging network and charging station management software solution. Everty works with EV owners, businesses, utilities and other organisations to increase the uptake of EVs and integrate EV charging with the built environment and the grid.

Brian Craighead

Founder / Development Director, Energy Renaissance

With an international career spanning blue chip corporations and disruptive technology start-ups, Brian has worked in the UK, USA, Bermuda, Singapore and Australia. His skills focus on building, motivating and leading teams. Driving and managing growth. Developing and executing evidence-based strategy. Embracing and managing change, innovative and emerging disruptive technology. Establishing, negotiating and nurturing partnerships and financial management. Brian holds an unshakable conviction that battery storage is the key to unlock the mass adoption of renewable energy – and that the tipping point in technology and awareness has been reached.

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