Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation: Recent Episodes
David James
The energy and transport revolution is upon us. Midlands Energy and Transport Innovation helps business leaders understand and succeed in the changing landscape ahead.
Micromobility has the potential to revolutionise the way people move around the UK. From electric scooters to electric bikes, micromobility solutions can provide convenient sustainable transport for last-mile journeys, significantly reducing traffic congestion and air pollution. In this episode of Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation I'm talking to John Fox. https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/research/cav/humanfactors/projects/micromobility/ (https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/research/cav/humanfactors/projects/micromobility/) http://meti.org.uk/ (http://meti.org.uk/)
Zubera is a Research Fellow at the Faraday Institution and is working to improve the process of separating the recovering the precious metals from recycled lithium ion batteries. Be a guest on the show, subscribe, get us to make you a video: http://meti.org.uk/ (http://meti.org.uk/) Find Zubera on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zuberaiqbal/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/zuberaiqbal/)
Energy Systems Catapult was set up to accelerate the transformation of the UK’s energy system and ensure UK businesses and consumers capture the opportunities of clean growth. The Catapult is an independent, not-for-profit centre of excellence that bridges the gap between industry, government, academia and research. They take a whole-systems view of the energy sector, helping them to identify and address innovation priorities and market barriers, in order to decarbonise the energy system at the lowest cost. https://es.catapult.org.uk/ (https://es.catapult.org.uk/) Be a guest on Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation or have us make a video about your innovation or project http://meti.org.uk/ (http://meti.org.uk/) Get LinkedIn with David James https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamescommunications/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamescommunications/)
In this episode of Midlands Energy and Transport Innovation we’re talking to Jordan Brompton, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at MyEnergi. We talk about what it takes to start and grow a successful manufacturing business in the energy revolution. Why skills and component manufacturing are two areas the Midlands needs to get better at to capitalise on the opportunities ahead. We hear about MyEnergi’s sponsorship of one of the Extreme-E racing teams and the trials and tribulations of going from two person start up to 150 plus staff with international sales and rapidly expanding manufacturing facilities. If you would like to be a guest or you’d like us to produce a video about your MIdlands based innovative energy or transport business you can get in touch via our website; METI.org.uk https://myenergi.com/ (https://myenergi.com/)
So why did Elon Musk set up the Boring Company? The story goes that he just wanted to set up the company because the name was funny…. However the Boring Company has set out to solve an interesting and serious set of problems. If you listened to the last episode of Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation you will have heard from John Fox that the issue with autonomous vehicles is the complexity of the Operational Design Domain. If you put vehicles in a tunnel where there are no pedestrians, birds, plastic bags blowing in the wind, cattle grids or junctions, self driving becomes viable and safe with the technology we have right now. The other problem you solve is you can power the vehicle from a rail so less need for so many lithium batteries which are going to become a major bottle neck for the roll out of battery electric vehicles. If you depressurise the tunnel and add a magnetic rail you create a hyperloop which can allow underground travel at speeds over 700 miles an hour. You also don’t need to bulldoze pristine countryside or houses to create new inter and intra city transportation. So there’s lots of reasons why tunnels are a really great idea for the future or transport. What Elon has discovered the hard way is digging tunnels is slow, expensive and complicated. So how does someone like Elon solve a boring problem? He holds a boring competition and gets teams from around the world to come up with the fastest, cheapest and more accurate way to dig tunnels. My name is David James and in this episode of Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation I’m talking to Sanzhar Taizhan and Tanner Hatzmann of Warwick Boring, a team from Warwick University who have reached the finals of Elon Musk’s Boring Competition. Support Warwick Boring with their fund raising here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/warwick-boring?member=8974482&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer (https://www.gofundme.com/f/warwick-boring?member=8974482&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer) Find out more: http://www.warwickboring.com/ (http://www.warwickboring.com/) Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation: http://meti.org.uk/ (http://meti.org.uk/)
The cars we drive are going to become ever smarter with more and more driver assistance technology and self driving options. At the forefront of this £60 billion autonomy revolution is Midlands Future Mobility a partnership of academia, industry and government. My name is David James and in the this episode of Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation I’m talking to John Fox the Director of Midlands Future Mobility. MFM have the facilities to test a whole range of connected and automated mobiity in simulators and on the public highways in the world's most advanced test bed. Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation is made by a team of former TV news professionals. If you would like us to make a video about your energy and transport innovations please get in touch via the website; METI.org.uk https://midlandsfuturemobility.co.uk/ (midlandsfuturemobility.co.uk) https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamescommunications/ (David on LinkedIn)
In this episode of Midlands Energy and Transport Innovation we’re learning all about solar panels. My name is David James and I’m talking to Euan Anson the Sales Manager at Trina Solar. Trina Solar are one of the most experienced and largest solar panel manufacturers in the world and they have their UK headquarters right here in the Midlands. To subscribe to the podcast and get connected please do go to METI.org.uk and put your name and email address in the sign up box on the front page. https://www.linkedin.com/in/euan-anson-69288840/ (Euan on LinkedIn) https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamescommunications/ (David on LinkedIn) https://www.trinasolar.com/us (https://www.trinasolar.com/us)
Vehicle to grid charging is a process where your house or even the electricity grid could use your electric vehicle battery as an energy source to draw on at times of peak demand or low generation. This new technology could prove vital for the development of a smart electricity network that can cope with intermittent energy production from wind and solar. Whilst at the same time as coping with the expected 400% increase in demand for electricity as we move away from fossil fuels. My name is David James and in this episode of Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation I’m talking to Greg Payne of Cenex about the world leading Project Sciurus vehicle to grid research project. Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation is made by a team of former TV news professionals. If you would like us to make a video about your energy and transport innovations please get in touch via the website; METI.org.uk https://www.cenex.co.uk/projects-case-studies/sciurus/ (https://www.cenex.co.uk/projects-case-studies/sciurus/) Go to the Project Sciurus webinar 25 Mar 2021, 10am https://www.cenex.co.uk/events/ (https://www.cenex.co.uk/events/) David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamescommunications/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamescommunications/) Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-payne-gp/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-payne-gp/)
Britain is world famous for our inventions and innovations. But sometimes it’s hard for inventors to turn a great idea into a great business. If you’re working on an automotive innovation and need some help turning it into a commercial success help is at hand. The Advanced Propulsion Centre’s Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP) supports ambitious micro, small and medium-sized companies develop innovative automotive technology, products and services. My name is David James and in this episode of Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation I’m talking to Josh Denne of the Advanced Propulsion Centre to find out more about their TDAP programme and to hear of some of the success stories they have been involved with. Applications for the 5th wave of TDAP are currently open and close on 14th April 2021 so do head over to the Advanced Propulsion Centre website which is APCUK.CO.UK and follow the links to TDAP. If you miss wave 5 you can always get in touch with Josh and find out details about wave 6. Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation is made by a team of former TV news professionals. If you would like us to make a video about your energy and transport innovations please get in touch via the website; METI.org.uk
The demand for electric batteries is going to increase dramatically over the next decade. But what are we going to do with all those electric vehicle and power wall batteries when they come to the end of their working life? Well if it’s an Aceleron battery it’ll be serviced and put straight back to use as part of their innovative circular economy battery solution. My name is David James and in this episode of Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation I’m talking to Dr Amrit Chandan the co-Founder and CEO of Aceleron. To subscribe to the podcast and find out about our upcoming events visit METI.org.uk. http://meti.org.uk/ (http://meti.org.uk/) https://www.aceleronenergy.com/ (https://www.aceleronenergy.com/) https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamescommunications/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamescommunications/) https://www.linkedin.com/in/amritchandan/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amritchandan/)
Could cars be powered entirely by the solar energy they absorb whilst in motion? I’m not talking about charging your EV battery using solar panels at home and then driving until you need another charge. I’m talking about being able to drive your car using only the power of the sun. Well the answer is an emphatic yes. The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge is a 2,000 mile race across Australia that takes place every year where the vehicles are powered entirely by the onboard solar panels. My name is David James and in this episode of Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation I’m talking to Professor Pat Wheeler of the University of Nottingham who will be leading the university’s team in this year’s World Solar Challenge. To get every episode of Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation podcast straight to your inbox and to find out about our upcoming events go to METI.org.uk and put your name and email address in the sign up box on the front page. Useful links: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/research-areas/energy-technologies/news-and-events/news/racing-to-accelerate-research-into-solar-powered-cars.aspx https://www.worldsolarchallenge.org/ http://meti.org.uk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamescommunications/
As the number of electric vehicles increases rapidly over the next decade there will be greater demand for EV charging at home, at work and on the go. So what challenges and opportunities will this create? My name is David James and in this episode of Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation I’m talking to Chris Rimmer of Cenex to find out. Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation is here to tell the stories of the innovators, entrepreneurs and organisations that are making the ambition to reach Net Zero a reality. Visit METI.org.uk to find out more. http://meti.org.uk/ David James on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamescommunications/ Chris Rimmer on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-rimmer-58468233/ Links related to some of the topics we talk about: DynaCoV - https://www.cenex.co.uk/projects-case-studies/dynacov-dynamic-charging-of-vehicles/ (https://www.cenex.co.uk/projects-case-studies/dynacov-dynamic-charging-of-vehicles/) Wireless charging of taxis in Nottingham https://www.cenex.co.uk/announcement/electric-taxis-to-go-wireless-thanks-to-new-charging-tech-trial/ (https://www.cenex.co.uk/announcement/electric-taxis-to-go-wireless-thanks-to-new-charging-tech-trial/) NIO EV battery swapping https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTXptUuKGrc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTXptUuKGrc) Gridserve EV charging forecourt in Braintree - https://www.gridserve.com/2020/12/06/gridserve-opens-uks-first-electric-forecourt/ (https://www.gridserve.com/2020/12/06/gridserve-opens-uks-first-electric-forecourt/) ZapMap - map of electric vehicle charge points https://www.zap-map.com/live/ (https://www.zap-map.com/live/) FlexPower Project Amsterdam https://www.elaad.nl/projects/flexpower-amsterdam/ (https://www.elaad.nl/projects/flexpower-amsterdam/) Cenex LCV Event https://www.cenex-lcv.co.uk/ (https://www.cenex-lcv.co.uk/)
In episode 2 of Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation we heard from Paul Jewell about how data is the key to unlocking Western Power Distribution’s ambition to build a smarter and better energy network. My name is David James and in this episode I’m talking to Jake Verma of Energy Systems Catapult. We talk about the work the Catapult is doing to bring energy stakeholders together to standardise data, create open data processes and enable the energy revolution. There’s no way to overstate the importance of data for the energy transition and their are huge opportunities for those organisations that can help energy companies, local government and major energy users unlock its power. To subscribe to the podcast and get connected please do go to http://meti.org.uk/ (METI.org.uk) and put your name and email address in the sign up box on the front page. https://es.catapult.org.uk/ (Energy Systems Catapult) https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamescommunications/ (David James on LinkedIn) https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakeverma/ (Jake Verma on LinkedIn)
The energy and transport revolution is well underway. The debate is over. Change is upon us. But where will this change take us? Some of the organisations that are going to be impacted the most are the energy networks and suppliers. Particularly the gas networks. If the government is legislating to phase out carbon from our heating and power generation what does that mean for our gas suppliers? Existential change. My name is David James and in this episode of Midlands Energy & Transport Innovation (METI) I’m talking to Andy Sinclair of Price Waterhouse Cooper who is helping a number of energy suppliers and networks re-risk their future. Andy talks about the importance of strategy, data and technology and how the political, economic, social and technological stars have aligned to create huge disruption and opportunities for all. Subscribe and join the conversation: http://meti.org.uk/ PwC in the Midlands: https://www.pwc.co.uk/who-we-are/regional-sites/midlands.html Andy Sinclair on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-sinclair-71b1b95/ David James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamescommunications/
The energy and transport revolution is already well underway. If you are involved in the supply chain in these sectors get ready for some serious disruption. Let’s be very clear, business as usual is not an option. The electrification and decarbonisation of heating and transport is going to have a huge impact on the electricity distribution system. Demand will go up. So will the usage of less predictable and controllable wind and solar power generation. Right in the middle of this revolutionary upheaval is Western Power Distribution whose job it is, along with the National Grid, to keep our lights on. The solution to the problem of coping with four times the demand for electricity will be the development of smart grids, electricity storage solutions and rapid signaling of requests for energy to be stored or released into the grid with price incentives. My name is David James and in this episode of Midlands Energy and Transport Innovation I’m talking once again to Paul Jewell, the DSO Development Manager and Electric Vehicle Lead at Western Power Distribution. He explains that there are lots of stakeholders, many systems and heaps of complexity in the development of a smart grid and the key to it all is data.
There’s a revolution taking place in the energy and transport sectors. By 2050 the UK will be a carbon neutral economy. By 2030 there will be no more sales of diesel or electric cars. By the end of 2021 PWC predict most of the UK’s energy will come from renewable sources and 1 in 8 new cars will be electric. Of all the regions on the world the Midlands has potentially the most to gain but also to lose in this revolution. We are home to some of the world’s most famous and respected fossil fuel based transportation companies including Rolls Royce, Jaguar Landrover and Triumph. Derby is home to the world’s biggest cluster of rail companies. East Midlands Airport is the UK’s busiest freight cargo airport. We are also home to the Energy Systems Catapult, the Energy Research Accelerator and one of the world’s most advanced autonomous vehicle test beds. There is no hiding from the energy revolution, change is coming and the Midlands economy has everything at stake. Right now the world’s biggest brands and economies are positioning and competing to be the winners in this once in a generation opportunity. Whatever business you are in, how the Midlands comes together to grasp the opportunities that this revolution represents wil have a huge impact on your future success or failure. Nothing is going to stay the same so we need to get agile, connected and innovation focused. Welcome to Midlands Energy and Transport Innovation, the brand new podcast designed to help business leaders in the Midlands understand and succeed in the unfolding energy revolution. My name is David James and in this pilot episode I’m talking to Paul Jewell the DSO development manager and electric vehicle lead at Western Power Distribution. Paul talks about the impact the energy and transport revolution is going to have on WPDs network. If you imagine that each new electric car adds the equivalent of another house to the demands on the grid. And each household having on average two cars you can see the impact that the 2030 ban on diesel and electric car sales is going to have on the network. Add to that the move to decarbonised heating which is going to see houses heated by electric powered ground source heat pumps you can see WPD is expecting three or four times more demand for electricity over the years ahead. Paul explains how Western Power Distribution is preparing to cope with this huge surge in demand and the role that artificial intelligence, the internet of things, big data, solar, storage and the development of a smart grid will play. By listening to this episode you will begin to understand where the strategic opportunities lie in a future that is fast approaching. To find out more and to subscribe to this podcast and learn about our upcoming events visit METI.org.uk and put your email in the sign up box on the front page.