Business Impacts of Networking Charging Reform Seminar Speakers
Dr Gavin Catto
Director, Green Cat Renewables
Founder and principal shareholder of the Green Cat group of companies. Gavin is a Chartered Electrical Engineer with over 25 years of experience in the renewables industry. The Green Cat group of companies cover Consultancy, Project Development, Civil and Electrical Contracting and more recently Hydrogen production in both the UK and North America. Prior to setting up Green Cat he headed the renewable energy team at the multi-disciplinary consultancy Entec. Prior to that he held positions at AEA Technology, ETSU and GEC Alsthom Large Generators. Gavin’s PhD is in generator design for wind turbine applications. Grid connection and integration has been a common theme throughout his career.
Joe Dunn
Grid & Regulation Manager, ScottishPower Renewables
Joe has been involved in the electricity industry for nearly 30 years covering roles from Engineering Operations to Regulatory Consultant. Having spent much time in transmission charging pre-BETTA and then during the transition of National Grid’s ICRP modelling covering GB (introducing into Scotland) at BETTA, Joe has extensive experience of Grid charging. Now as Grid and Regulation Manager with SP Renewables, Joe is responsible for the regulatory and commercial interface with Ofgem and distribution and transmission network operators and any associated changes or reform that affects those areas and the risks these could present to the future of renewable development and deployment.
Catherine Falconer
Commercial Manager, Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks
Cathy has worked in the electricity industry since 1987 and has been involved in various technical, planning and policy roles now predominantly concerned with new connections: new housing, major demand and generation and alternative provider projects. She is an Edinburgh University Electrical Engineering graduate, Chartered Engineer and Member of the IET. The teams of Commercial Contract Managers for Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks Distribution licences in both Scotland and England are managed by Cathy as well as the Incentive on Connections Engagement (ICE) team. Her teams provided key account management to large distributed generation and demand customers focused on providing a single point of contact for clients throughout the application process up to and beyond energization. They are also responsible for gathering and then ensuring the delivery of significant improvement Commitments for SSENs new connections customers under ICE.
Claire Mack
Chief Executive, Scottish Renewables
Claire has been Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, the representative voice of Scotland’s renewable energy industry, since October 2017. She is responsible for leading the organisation’s work to grow Scotland’s renewables sector and sustain its position at the forefront of the global clean energy industry.
Claire is a member of the First Minister’s Energy Advisory Board and the Renewables Industry Advisory Group, co-chaired by Scotland’s Energy Minister.
Before joining Scottish Renewables, Claire was Director of Policy and Place at the Scottish Council for Development. She has previously worked in various roles at Ofcom in Scotland, focusing on economic regulation of telecoms, radio spectrum and the mail market while also looking at developing digital participation of individuals and businesses.
Prior to this Claire worked in retail and the construction industry as well as on regulation of regional broadcasting in the Borders and North East of England.
Nicola Percival
Policy & Regulations Manager, innogy Renewables UK
Nicola has worked in the renewable energy sector for 5 years. She is in the Policy & Regulations team at innogy, having previously worked at Ofgem for 2.5 years working on the RHI and RO schemes. Nicola’s main focus areas are on the policies for grid connections and use of system charges. She believes that the next 12-18 months are a crucial time for renewable energy technologies and disruptors as the Ofgem-led charging reviews present an opportunity for Ofgem, government and National Grid to work with industry stakeholders to re-shape governance and set policies which enable the transition to a smart, flexible system for the benefit of energy consumers and to meet UK carbon targets. Nicola is also a member of the Scottish Renewables Board of Directors having been co-opted in April 2018. She identifies as a feminist and is keen to see the energy industry embrace strategies for greater diversity in the energy industry at all levels and work to achieve intersectional equality.
Marc Smeed
Principal Consultant, Xero Energy
Grid Specialist, Chartered Electrical Engineer and Principal Consultant at Xero Energy Ltd in Glasgow. Marc has spent the last decade helping to manage grid risks and costs across many renewable energy and energy storage projects. Marc has a strong working knowledge of transmission and distribution systems, technical design, grid connection, grid access and charging, network services, commercial strategy and regulatory policy. Marc’s role at Xero Energy includes business development, management and leadership with specific responsibilities for work on energy storage, ancillary services and flexibility solutions. Recently, Marc has been helping Scottish Renewables and RenewableUK to engage with the wave of regulatory development that is making its way across the electricity industry - including the ENA's Open Networks project and Ofgem's Charging Futures Forum.
