Pioneers into Practice 2013 Pioneer Profile Overview June 2013

1. Pioneers into Practice 2013Pioneer Profile Overview June 2013

2. Alan Maguire I'm based at Birmingham Science park Aston , innovation campus as LEDenergysave. My domestic placement was at Wolverhampton University with the BECCI project, business solutions working on the BECCI project (Built Environment Climate Change Innovations) specifically on forming a thematic group in ultra-efficient lighting , also an observer to the overall project giving feedback. This experience has given me first hand insight on how academic institutes can work better with businesses to create a better understanding between both in implementing projects and innovation. The placement with the BECCI project proved beneficial to both myself as a pioneer in seeing and been involved in a project that is at the forefront of supporting businesses and bringing together relevant actors within sustainability and carbon reduction. From what i am told by the BECCI team , they have gained insight from my own points of view and input from a business and wide renewable energy / sustainability expertise point of view . Most of what i have left with the BECCI team will be a fresh way of looking at how businesses and relevant actors within government bodies including sustainably groups can understand, communicate and work with each other a little better and more directly.

3. Christopher Jones I have been mostly studying for a politics masters degree over the last year, but also working part time for Change Agents UK and Woodcraft Folk - both youth focused organisations with environmental principles. Before that I was working for the Centre for Alternative Technology - an organisation in wales involved in education for sustainability in inspiring and practical ways. For my placement I have been working for B:SEEN - a network of social enterprises in Birmingham involved in energy advice. The placement involved interviewing someone from each of the organisations about the social and economic benefits of doing energy saving work. I've learned from some very experienced people about the ways in which social deprivation in Birmingham is being tackled and what the barriers to achieving more are. It has also been a good opportunity to reflect on what I would like to do with my career. I have discovered I really enjoy social research and would like to have another stab at it in the international placement.

4. Claus Best I am coming from a carpentry/building trade back ground with a great interest in the environmental and low carbon sector. Over the last few years I have been concentrating my work and research in the Retrofitting sector. Last year I took courses in Domestic Energy Assessment and Green Deal Advice and started my new business in this area earlier this year. My placement is at Innovation Birmingham, the organisation running Faraday Wharf and responsible for the buildings of the Birmingham Science Park Aston. The task of the project is to make proposals for the reduction of energy consumption and improvement of comfort at Faraday Wharf. I have learned to draw on the specialities of the whole team, finance, IT, estate management, planning and others to help me with my task. The main points I will take forward from my first placement are being more open-minded on where to find the relevant results and not too focused on one particular area/department/person. Also, try and involve everybody in the team/office to help spread the message and get their feedback on ideas for evaluation.

5. John Newson My name is John Newson and I have lived and worked most of my life in Birmingham. My placement has been with CORE50, which is a co-operative trying to develop renewable energy installations on community buildings and facilities. I have learned that this is tough, because such organisations tend to be underfunded and underpowered; they rely on a lot of voluntary enthusiasm. The timescales for success are rather long. What I will take forward into my international placement is that there is a widespread grassroots movement in Britain of groups struggling hard to cut carbon emissions, despite mixed messages from our government, and i expect it is the same in these other countries

6. Kishor Pala My role is Strategy and International Collaboration in the Automotive Industry. I have focused on improving competitiveness of the EU Automotive Industry through collaboration and have 10 years’ experience in EU International Projects. The focus of the projects has been on addressing the challenges to the Automotive Industry, including the need for reducing carbon emissions, improving efficiency of engines, implementation of new technologies, positive contribution to the climate change agenda, reducing congestion, encouraging individual mobility through alternative transport solutions (as opposed to using the car) and the development of Integrated Transport Solutions. My placement was at Birmingham City University (BCU) providing strategic context for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) projects that BCU was preparing for submission under the Climate KIC programme. My knowledge and understanding of ITS was very minimal, however, through carrying out background research into relevant strategies and talking to some of the potential partners, my knowledge of ITS has been deepened and broadened. My experience of the placement at BCU will enable me to tackle challenges in subject matters that are not part of my normal everyday topics, i.e. “to tackle topics out from my comfort zone”.

7. Mustafa Selcuk CIDIK I am Mustafa Selcuk CIDIK. I am from Turkey. I am a first year PhD student in Birmingham City University. My PhD topic is about Building Information Modelling (BIM) in Construction Industry. My placement has been in a sustainability expertise company, GreenHill Consultants. I have learned about the issues of sustainability in construction and the most problematic areas of sustainability in construction. I explored what type and amount of information are needed by sustainability expert in conceptual design stage for a new built construction project in context of BIM. I will take forward my understanding and insight about the sustainability in construction and its current problems. I will also take forward what I learnt specifically from the project that I completed during my local placement where we explored what type and amount of information are needed by sustainability expert in conceptual design stage for a new built construction project

8. Rachel Mullhall I am a Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham working on a project to develop and strengthen the regional economy of the West Midlands. I have yet to start a domestic placement but I am keen to undertake one in the region to learn about practical issues for the business community around energy use, efficiency and carbon reduction. I hope to learn more about existing energy efficiency tools and management techniques used in industry. I would like to be able to work with my host to develop accessible tools that can be incorporated into supply chains to fully understand where energy is used in the regional economy and further afield. Moving forward into the international placement I would like to undertake a similar project that looks at how industrial energy is used in a different European region. I would like to use the experiences of the West Midlands to compare approaches to energy usage and management techniques in the European region and hopefully develop a tool that can be adapted to regional contexts through supply chains.

9. Richard Bubb I’m Richard Bubb and I work for my own company, Symeco, providing energy and environmental advice and project management. My work can be anywhere between west Shropshire and Birmingham, which brings quite a variety of expectations and reasons for change from clients. I’m particularly interested in the factors and barriers that influence people’s willingness to change behaviour towards a low energy society, which seems to range from deep-green environmental beliefs to change based on costs and financial returns on investment. This is also influenced by messages through the media that can range from clear scientific explanations of the reasons leading to a changing climate to conspiracy theories and climate change deniers. I’ve just started my placement at Carillion in Birmingham on the Birmingham Energy Savers programme. I will be helping to develop their models to calculate carbon reductions through retrofit improvements and looking to streamline the energy assessment processes for future projects. I’ll be hoping to take some of the approach to retrofitting and assessments forward in the international placement, such as how other countries evaluate carbon savings or promote the benefits of reducing energy use to residents and businesses.

10. Ruben Fuentes My name is Ruben Fuentes. I am civil engineer specialized in water and wastewater management. I am from Canary Islands (Spain). My placement has been in Encraft (Leamington Spa), it is a renewable energy company and I have learned a lot about Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SuDS). For my international placement I hope to learn all I can and make useful contacts.

11. Siyka Radilova My name is Siyka Radilova and I am from Bulgaria. I finished a MA degree in Social Anthropology of the Development at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. I am acting as a communications officer I had my domestic placement with International Synergies, Birmingham, although I have been working on an international project with the Climate- KIC launching one of the 8 KIC platforms- Industrial Symbiosis. My position in the project was to build communication strategies for the project, prepare flyers and summaries for different target groups, as well as developing the website content. I believe that I will continue my international placement with an institution abroad that works with the Industrial Symbiosis platform. Having the knowledge and experience will be an advantage and I believe I will be able to help with the further popularisation of the platform.

12. Faisal al Shaykh My name is Faisal al Shaykh and I am from Paris, France. My placement is with a company called Ventive. Ventive are a start-up that design and manufactured passive Ventilation systems that requires no moving mechanical parts or energy in order to function. They have products which can address the retro fit as well as new build market. The system comprises of a heat exchanger which heats the cold air entering the house with the warm air leaving the house allowing for minimal heat loss and allows adequate ventilation within property. Although I have worked in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency projects this will be a new form of technology to me. During my 4 weeks with Ventive I hope to be able to fully understand how the product functions. I also hope to learn about the market they are addressing, the problem they are solving and the marketing /strategy of the business. Although the placement is only for 4 weeks I aim to learn as much as possible and make as much an impact as possible. I hope that I will be able to make connections in my international placement that I can connect with Ventive. I believe that the product Ventive manufactures is not only valid for the UK market but could be implemented in other countries. With this in mind I hope to look for ways in which Ventive could be implemented in my international placement. Working with Ventive I will also gain knowledge of a sector which I have not yet worked in and so I hope to bring this new found knowledge to my international placement.

13. Stephen Gwynne My name is Stephen Gwynne and I presently live in Birmingham, UK. My placement is with an urban farming project called One Plot and I have learnt about what is involved in running a social enterprise. I will take with me a better understanding of how to market to the public the low carbon agenda.

14. Yaxiang Lu My name is Yaxiang Lu, the PhD student in Centre for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell research, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham. My domestic placement is in Birmingham City Council. Here I help write a report on Developing Low Emission Vehicle Systems. I attended workshops to learn the ideas of people from government, business, university and institute and get information by online searching for the report. I learnt the low carbon emission target of UK and Birmingham’s green commission. I learnt the currently situation and progresses for reduction of carbon dioxide. I also learnt some measures people want to adopt to realize this obligation as well as the challenges and obstacles they meet to achieve the target. As for the international placement, I would like to share what I have learnt here and gain some knowledge and experience there to make me concern more about climate change, environment protection, energy conservation and sustainable development of human beings. I believe I will gain some inspirations which definitely help me to develop low carbon innovation and advance ideas for new process, new practice and even new police for low carbon emission.

15. David Chapman My name is David Chapman. I am an Energy Advisor from Northfield Ecocentre as well as a qualified Domestic Energy Assessor and Green Deal Advisor. My placement was in the Department of Built Environment at Wolverhampton University. For the placement I carried forward work that had been done by previous pioneers looking into the Green Deal in the UK. The objective for my report was to contact city councils, social landlords and manufacturers/installers (primarily in the West Midlands region) to find out what the uptake of the Green Deal is like and see who knew about the scheme. I found that the Green Deal isn't well known or used and I believe this is something that needs to change. I hope that my current knowledge of sustainability and energy will help people in my international placement and that knowledge gained from my current job and the Wolverhampton placement can be put to good use.

16. Lucie Chuchmakova My name is Lucie and I am environmental educator and social pedagogue. Originally, I come from the Czech Republic, although I do not live there over 6 years already. My domestic placement was at JMP Consultants, sustainable transport consultancy company. There are several benefits I got from this placement. Firstly, I experienced to work in the business environment. Since I have always worked in the non-for-profit sector, the corporate environment gave me a new direction where I can direct my career to. I also highly appreciate the opportunity to get familiar with new PC programmes (MapInfo, online databases) and different ways of work (sharing work among different JMP offices across the UK). In my international placement, I would like to use the sharing/helping/couching ways of work which I could enjoy why working for JMP Consultants. Further, I will keep my enthusiasm and will to learn and discover more!

17. Yeliz Tanis Yéliz Tanis I’m coming from Paris (France). I’m living in Birmingham (Moseley Village) since 2010. Already years! Background in Sustainable Marketing & communication, Product manager and travel package tailor made for tourism industry. My placement was at Centro House (City centre Birmingham) at the sustainable Department. What is Centro ? Centro is the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive and Authority, who promotes and develops public transport across the West Midlands. His main duty is to ensure everyone in the region benefits from an effective public transport system that meets the economic, social and environmental needs of the West Midlands. Context of my placement. The actual mission for the Sustainable Department : Smarter Choices Smart Network. During my placement, the sustainable Department was delivering Centro’s Smart Network, Smarter Choices Programme. This £50m programme is investing in transport to deliver jobs, productivity and low-carbon and sustainable growth . The programme is funded largely by the Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund, supplemented by local public and private sector contributions. Smart Network, Smarter Choices is a package of measures across the West Midlands Metropolitan Area that involves changing people’s travel behaviour, while joining up transport networks. Depending of my placement I would wish to take forward the Carbon trust standard and the ISO 14001. Some strategy plans from the different teams. To develop depending of the placement.

18. Adrian Poher Born in Bangkok, grew up in the French countryside studied in Birmingham and worked all around Germany. My placement will be with the Aston University Sustainability team. I look to learn how we can use the campus as a learning tool, to enhance awareness, and engage staff and students in developing innovative ideas and identifying opportunities in the fields of energy saving, waste reduction, biodiversity and sustainable procurement.

19. Monae Verbeke I'm Monae Verbeke, a PhD researcher from the University of Warwick (originally from the US). My placement was with Northfield Ecocentre, a NGO and community centre for tackling climate change. I've discovered quite a bit about the way in which companies are engaging with lower-income communities and how to engage with them myself. I will take forward that experience into working with other publics during my international placement.

20. Nathaniel Miller Lopez My name is Nathaniel Miller Lopez I have recently graduated with a degree in Art Event Performance and I am currently working for Herbal Roots Practice in Balsall Heath. For my placement I worked as an assistant to Katherine Fuller who works with Birmingham City University. I was given the task to help write The User Engagement Bid for projects in line the Green Sustainability agenda. I also write up reports for case studies on Alumni Pioneers who have become enablers or entrepreneurs focusing their practice in line with the climate change agenda. I am also Helping to organize the Ace Event in Budapest, taking an artistic troop of musicians to create and perform a piece of interestingly woven conceptually rich music that will inspire innovative thought in open minded people. This experience has taught me the importance in appropriate organization when it comes to work load. I have realised the seriousness of pressing issues to do with the climate and the magnitude of these issues across Europe and the entire world. I realise how imperative it is to make sure that whatever I do with my life that I need to be environmentally conscious. And I want to make sure that the people around me and whom I work with are in fact aware of this too. I would like to take the lessons I have learnt with me focusing my work as an artist; and through getting involved with interesting and creative projects I believe I can make a difference with a fresh perspective and a willingness to try new things a learn through doing.

21. SiddharthKulkarni I'm a PhD student at Birmingham City University, my research area is "Applying Computational Fluid Dynamics in tidal turbine blade optimisation.  I'm originally from Bombay, India, but living in Edgbaston. My placement has been with Rolls Royce, Derby and KBE lab (Birmingham City University). I've managed to speak with experts from my research area, which has helped me a lot in gaining understanding about the ocean environment modelling I will look forward to carry on working in similar kind of area where I'd extend my passion about renewable energy.

22. Tim Martel I'm Tim Martel, I'm from Hereford and my placement was working with Andy Simmonds on the retrofit programme of the AECB, a non profit sustainable building organisation. I was looking at ways of retrofitting domestic buildings using specialised energy software. The aim was to see if we could save about 75% of the heating energy at minimal cost. We found 2 solutions. The first was less invasive, it didn't require the people to move out because there was no floor insulation but the house needed "perimeter insulation" 1.2m wide and 200mm thick all around the house at ground level. The other solution was better practice: 200mm of insulation on the ground floor. We checked our methods with a certifier, Peter Warm. We also found that we couldn't try lots of solutions as easily as we'd hoped. Although PHPP can easily calculate the effect of different thicknesses of insulation it takes half an hour to 2 hours to calculate each thermal bridge. In the next placement I will be helping proof read a translation of a retrofit manual published by the Passivhaus Institute, I be able to talk about what we have found, but the main thing is that I hope to be able to learn from their solutions and apply them in the UK.

23. James Joiner James Joiner – Social Entrepreneur, placement at University of Warwick working on Sustainable Procurement I have been asked to assist in the specification of 4 tenders that the university are currently in the process of undertaking, increasing their sustainable procurement. I have also been asked to write a report with an assessment of where they are now, and to recommend and give advice for the university to achieve their goals. Presently the only target they are committed to is a 60% reduction in their carbon by 2050. The methods they are using to measure their carbon footprint are not related to their actual usage, this is problem number one. However, this is how the whole of government has decided to approach scope 3 emissions data – supply chain. You cannot assess whether you have improved your sustainability through procurement if you are not taking into account factors such as product spec, whole life cost, footprint of supplier, cradle to cradle design, the circular economy... etc etc. A simple equation of spend against fixed co2 figure that is placed against a procurement code that could cover more than 200+ products is simply a waste of time. In this manner, the only way you could reduce your carbon emissions is by spending less. My aim is to get the university to take on the 10:10 climate challenge and see how they get on. They will need a champion of this policy from the senior management of the university, and staff to undertake and coordinate because an organisation that spends £570 million per annum is a large beast and will take time, effort and graft to turn the boat around. I finish on June 15th – wish me luck!

24. Ozlem Young I am a research assistant at the University of Birmingham. I live in Moseley and from Turkey. My domestic placement is at Sustainability West Midlands. I hope to gain experience and understanding of SWM as an organisation; and gain experience and research materials for a future article. For my international placement I hope to gain experience and understanding of the organisation/institution; and gain experience and research materials for a future article.

25. Alan Wood Alan Wood- Proprietor. Entrepreneur, Engineer, Innovator. Stirling-Wood Associates based in Stourbridge, West Midlands Specialising in providing energy solutions from renewable sources, integrating technologies to optimise, energy conversion from waste materials. Placement at MidSims lab at University of Wolverhampton efficiency of EfW systems can be improved. Heat engines convert heat or thermal energy to mechanical work. This placement will investigate the benefits of integrating heat engines into EfW plants. The power output, reliability and maintenance benefits will be assessed with respect to currently available systems.

26. Edd Bauer I did a months placement at the Low Carbon Energy for Development Network at Loughborough University. Which helps disseminate news publications and the latest research to private sector, civil society and policy makers. During my months placement I rebuilt their database, redesigned their website and wrote and launched a marketing and social media strategy for them. They found my work useful and decided to keep me on part time to carry on revamping their communications. I found the knowledge and experience within the network which ran from engineering photovoltaic arrays to the social economy of energy transitions fascinating and I learnt a lot from working in the placement.

27. Lydia Pickering I am a final year (writing up) PhD Student at the University of Birmingham. My research project investigates hydrogen storage materials for vehicle and compression applications and I am interested in low carbon energy technologies. My placement is at Energy & Utility Skills, Solihull, helping to clarify the term ‘green’ and other energy related words across the board. The outcome of the work will be used as part of the Green STEM initiative. Through the placement I will learn how to plan and implement an original piece of qualitative research, enhance my team working and communication skills, and also experience working in a different/more structured (9-5) work environment. The placement will also enable me to identify how to best ascertain different individual views and perceptions on energy-related terminology, gain a better understanding of the different industries within the energy sector and how they operate, and gain useful links within the West Midlands energy sector.

28. Muyiwa Oyinlola My name is Muyiwa, and I am second year PhD student at the University of Warwick and my placement has been at Marches Energy Agency (MEA). MEA is a registered charity and social enterprise that specialises in the delivery of practical, effective and creative ways of promoting energy reduction and renewable energy solutions . I have been investigating the opportunities of the new sustainable energy financing policy, the Green Deal, in Community Buildings, to determine potential opportunities for the Green Deal in this sector. The focus is on Community Buildings because many lack basic sustainable energy measures resulting in high running costs and/or poor energy performance. However, due to their prominent visibility in many communities and high volume of community usage, Community Buildings have the potential to act as beacons for sustainable energy refurbishment, thus inspiring and promoting the uptake of the Green Deal.