Podcast
The Hypercube Energy Podcast
Hosted by Hypercube · EN
The Hypercube Energy Podcast explores the application of technology, data and AI across the energy sector.
In the fast-moving energy landscape, organisations of all sizes need to understand and adopt emerging tech to tackle complex problems, identify new areas of innovation and capitalise on opportunity.
What should an energy technology strategy look like?
How do we identify what problems to solve first?
What innovations are being made in the industry?
These are the questions that host Adam Sroka seeks to answer on this show.
In each episode, he sits down with tech experts and business leaders from the energy sector to understand exactly how they are solving energy-specific data challenges today.
You can learn more about Hypercube - Energy Technology Partner at wearehypercube.com
Join the Beyond Energy Community: wearehypercube.com/join-the-community/
24episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Inside NESO’s mission to build a digital-first energy system for GB
Dec 1700:45:27Tap to summarizeOn this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with Carolina Tortora, Head of AI, Innovation and Digitalisation at NESO. Carolina works at the centre of Great Britain’s energy system, leading efforts to modernise how the sector uses data, digital tools, and AI as complexity and decentralisation increase. The conversation explores why digital transformation is now essential for system resilience and net zero, the cultural challenge of aligning engineering and digital teams, and the role of data quality and secure data sharing in enabling innovation. Carolina also discusses the ambition behind the Data Sharing Infrastructure (DSI), the realities of deploying innovation in critical infrastructure, and what NESO is looking for through its Call for Ideas. Adam and Carolina cover: Carolina’s role leading AI, innovation, and digitalisation at NESOWhy digital transformation is critical for a resilient, net zero energy systemCultural challenges between engineering expertise and digital capabilityData quality, governance, and the foundations for effective AIThe Data Sharing Infrastructure and sector-wide collaborationBalancing innovation with operational risk in critical infrastructureWhat NESO is looking for through its innovation-focused Call for Ideas
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Rewiring Urban Heat with Data: Digital Twins, Heat Networks and Glasgow’s Decarbonised Future
Dec 300:48:40Tap to summarizeOn this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with Tunde Olaoye, Director of Product and Innovation at Gren, a fast-growing UK energy company building next-generation heat and power networks. Tunde brings over a decade of experience across mechanical engineering, consultancy, and large-scale energy infrastructure, with a career spanning Babcock, WSP, SSE, and now Gren. Tunde shares how Gren is rethinking urban heat through digital twins, optimisation, and large-scale network design, and how their “Energy on Clyde” project is laying the foundations for a new model of low-carbon heat infrastructure. They explore why heat networks are essential for decarbonising complex buildings, the challenges of legacy systems, and how data-driven control can unlock major efficiency gains. The conversation ranges from hands-on engineering lessons to the cultural and financial innovations needed to scale clean heat. Tunde also reflects on the role of AI, the future of O&M optimisation, and what it takes to build a truly digital-first energy organisation. Adam and Tunde cover: Tunde’s journey through engineering, consultancy, and the evolution of heat networksHow heat networks work — and why they’re vital for decarbonising citiesDigital twins for real-time optimisation, control, and asset insightUsing data to reduce O&M costs and improve financial performanceParallels between heat, power, and other infrastructure systemsThe future of AI in operational decision-making and reliabilityBuilding inclusive, collaborative teams in a fast-scaling energy startup
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Data Science Challenge of the UK Energy Transition, Robyn Lucas, Modo Energy
Jul 10, 2024Tap to summarizeThis week, Adam is joined by Robyn Lucas, Director of Data Science and Research at Modo Energy. Modo offers a platform to deliver data and analytics for the grid-scale battery market and has a huge focus on improving access to information in the energy sector. Adam and Robyn zoom in on the UK energy sector and the real-world challenges of data science, analytics, and modelling for this market. Robyn outlines the issues with data quality and the fact that, in this space, the future does not necessarily reflect the past. They dig into how regulatory and policy decisions affect the industry and why it is essential to maintain stability through any changes to ensure ongoing financial investment. They share their perspectives on future trends, particularly in relation to energy storage, and touch on demand-side responses for domestic users. Robyn goes on to emphasise the importance of delivering simplified, explainable insights for industry stakeholders as it moves towards net-zero. During their conversation, Adam and Robyn cover: Data quality issues that make modelling a particular challenge Bringing more data science talent into the industryThe importance of stability in the sector for investmentEnergy market reforms in the UK and their impactMaintaining precision in data models without sacrificing usability The weekly Hypercube podcast sits down with leaders in the energy and utilities sectors to explore how data analytics can help businesses make smarter decisions and accelerate business growth. If you enjoyed the episode with Robyn, go back and listen to our previous episode with Modo Energy CEO Quentin Scrimshire for more on how the company is focused on increasing the visibility of information within the sector. Chapter Markers [0:50] Robyn gives an overview of Modo Energy and her background in the energy storage sector. [3:30] Robyn and Adam discuss the challenges of data science in the energy sector and the difficulties of building accurate models in the sector. [5:18] Robyn touches on the difficulties of finding and developing talent for data science roles in the energy industry and offers advice for students and those looking to get into the sector. [8:07] Robyn unpacks the key takeaways from the second consultation of REMA and the considerations around pricing structure changes [11:37] Here, the pair discuss the need for a stable investment environment and certainty around regulation to secure the finance needed for the green transition. [14:01] Robyn discusses the UK's CFD reforms and how they can be used to incentivise positive behaviours within the sector. [16:55] Adam and Robyn talk through changes to the capacity market and the progress that is needed to support net-zero goals. [20:27] Robyn predicts an increased demand for storage and flexibility in the future UK energy system, driven by wind and solar. [24:07] Robyn gives a breakdown of Modo's work and the different levels of focus on the areas of insights, modelling, and product development [28:37] Balancing a full and accurate reflection of the complexity of the industry with accessibility and usability when building models. --- If you want to explore how data and artificial intelligence can be used to help your organisation make smarter decisions and accelerate business growth, get in touch by visiting the Hypercube website: https://wearehypercube.com/
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Making the Energy Asset Market Accessible, Quentin Scrimshire, Modo Energy
Jul 1, 2024Tap to summarizeThis week’s guest on the Hypercube podcast is Quentin “Q” Scrimshire, CEO and Founder of Modo Energy, a SaaS company that delivers data and analytics for the grid-scale battery market. In conversation with host Adam Sroka, this episode focuses on the technical complexity of the energy asset market and how to make it as accessible as possible. Adam and Q dive straight into the nitty-gritty of the energy asset space. They look at how to navigate the intersection between the energy and finance sectors to accelerate the energy transition. Q gives an overview of the Modo platform as a software-based answer to questions on energy asset valuation and modeling. He also goes on to discuss the challenges of growth, including mistakes made along the way. He and Adam share the books that inspired their business strategies as start-ups serving the energy market. They discuss the changing demographics of the energy industry and how to generate content that builds an engaged community working towards the same energy transition goals. Listen right to the end as Adam shares a funny story of one of his earliest interactions with the Modo team. In this episode, Adam and Quentin cover: Simplifying the complexity of the energy industry for the finance community Learning from mistakes while scaling internationallyCarving out a niche as a start-up in the energy sectorUsing content to build an engaged audience The weekly Hypercube podcast sits down with leaders in the energy and utilities sectors to explore how data analytics can help businesses make smarter decisions and accelerate business growth. If you want to find the books mentioned in this episode, the links are below: Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes The Snowball System by Mo Bunnell Chapter Markers [0:55] Introduction to Quentin, including his journey to set up Modo, their recent Series A fundraising round, and his move to Texas. [3:43] Both discuss the size and scale of the energy asset market and the evolution of Modo Energy into a SaaS provider focused on asset valuation. [8:37] Why simplifying technical and complex information in the energy asset sector for the financial community is crucial. [11:40] Adam and Q discuss the importance of making mistakes to grow and how the size of mistakes scales with the business. [13:29] The challenges Modo faced when expanding internationally and the value of customer feedback. [15:03] Adam and Q share the books that inspired their business strategies as they discuss Modo’s philosophy of doing a small number of things really well. [20:44] How the demographic changes within the energy industry make content-based marketing more impactful for building both an audience and a business. [23:10] Q gives insight into the importance of video content as part of Modo’s strategy and how to keep audiences engaged. [26:03] Adam shares a funny story about one of the early interactions he had with the Modo team. [28:27] Q details where listeners can go to find Modo’s content and the forecasting capabilities they offer. If you want to explore how data and artificial intelligence can be used to help your organisation make smarter decisions and accelerate business growth, get in touch by visiting the Hypercube website: https://wearehypercube.com
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