Go Green as part of the Moray Growth Festival to power up net zero. We’re bringing together some industry leaders and some peer-to-peer learning to give you an opportunity to learn what’s happening now and what is to come in the future.
We’re heading to GlenAllachie Distillery for this free event, and you will hear from the GlenAllachie, who will set the scene on their journey to date and their future plans.
We’ll then have a discussion panel made up from leaders in this space and you’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions. Our panellists include:
There will be the opportunity to speak with the panellists 1-2-1 after the event and as always, there will be plenty time for growing your network.
Open to all businesses, free to attend. Tea/coffee and Johnstons of Elgin scones will be provided.
More about our Panellists:
Jamie Di Sotto, AES Solar
AES Solar are an award-winning solar specialist company based in the northeast of Scotland. Established in 1979, they are the oldest manufacturer of flat-plate solar thermal collectors in Western Europe. They have since become the leading solar experts in Scotland and further afield. In 2022 they were awarded one of the top business awards in the country, The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise (now known as The King's Awards for Enterprise), recognising their efforts and commitment to Sustainable Development.
AES Solar have an excellent long-standing reputation in the solar thermal market and still manufacture their solar thermal collector, the AES Luminary, at the head office in Forres to this date. They have adapted to the changes in the market including predicting the popularity of solar photovoltaics (PV). They have extensive experience in the design, supply, and installation of solar PV and battery storage systems and customers range from small-scale domestic to commercial clients throughout the UK. Examples of notable projects to date include a landmark solar PV installed on Edinburgh Castle, a solar thermal system for Balmoral Royal Estate, and the installation of an off-grid system on the property that went on to win Channel 4 Grand Designs: House of the Year.
Keith Masson, Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Keith Masson joined Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) as Head of Net Zero Transition in February 2022, after spending 10 years at The Highland Council during where he helped to establish and grow the Carbon CLEVER and Highland Adapts initiatives. In his current role, Keith is developing HIE’s internal approach to decarbonisation, whilst also developing support programmes to ensure the businesses and social enterprises of the Highlands and Islands benefit from the just transition to net zero, but are also prepared for locked-in change to climate systems.
Keith will be on hand to discuss the current support available to businesses to embrace decarbonisation, as well as the imperative to do so.
Ryan Felber, Business Energy Scotland
Ryan Felber is the Local Business Energy Scotland Advisor based Inverness. He has over 9 years’ experience supporting local organizations to reduce their carbon emissions and costs. Ryan understands the numerous challenges small business face in particular those in more rural locations. Ryan is passionate about helping SME sized organisations understand the opportunities they have to reduce their carbon footprint and helping them through the various stages all the way to implementation. Embedding resource efficiency within Scottish organisations is crucial if we are to tackle climate change and hit our net zero targets.
Business Energy Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government to provide free, impartial support to help small and medium-sized enterprises save energy, carbon and money. Through Business Energy Scotland, you can also access unsecured, interest-free loans from the Scottish Government to fund your carbon-saving business upgrades, Loans up to £100k are available to help pay for energy and carbon-saving upgrades in your business. You could also receive a cashback grant of up to £30k.
Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks
SSEN’s electricity distribution network delivers power to over 3.9 million homes and businesses across the diverse and unique geographies of the north of Scotland and central southern England.
As the UK increases its uptake of low carbon transport and heating, communities find themselves in the driving seat to help plan the infrastructure that will facilitate Net Zero at a local level. This is why, as part of SSEN Distribution’s current five-year business plan, they have committed to supporting local authorities and communities to understand their local electricity grid and develop their plans for decarbonising and reaching Net Zero. SSEN’s dedicated team will co-create solutions with local authorities in their licence areas by providing regular input, network analysis, and whole system thinking to their energy planning.
Their Local Energy Net Zero Accelerator (LENZA) tool, a geospatial planning software that shows live capacity on the network and predicted constraints, empowers local authorities to make better decisions about where to put new energy assets like EV chargers, or where to roll out low-carbon programmes. This tool, which is available to local authorities now, will also drive forward SSEN Distribution’s longer-term strategic investment by supporting the needs case for network reinforcement or upgrades that will power local ambition.
Archie Prentice, GreenPath
Archie Prentice runs a low carbon and environmental professional services firm called Practically Green. We help organisations that know they need to be more energy efficient and lower carbon but are not sure how to get started or engage with these issues. Archie is helping the Chamber to deliver the GreenPath programme.
Organisations can come to this energy efficiency/lower carbon agenda for a number of reasons. Cost reduction, need to develop more comprehensive measures of environmental performance, being asked about environmental performance in a funding application, needing to have better green performance for a business accreditation, or being asked about carbon footprint in a new tender/proposal, have all been mentioned by organisations engaging with the GreenPath programme.
Through GreenPath, we are able to explain how an organisation is able to start engaging with these issues and also signpost them to the type of funding support that can be available from different programmes, to finance improved environmental/lower carbon operations.
