Demystifying CRC, data centres and implications for the renewables industries

Eric Baster - Policy Development Manager, Greener Scotland Division, Scottish Government

Eric Baster is a policy development manager in the Scottish Government's Climate Change Division (Emissions Trading Branch). He has been involved in the development of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme for the past two years.

Scott Bradley has a wealth of experience in the IT industry, with 15 years experience across multiple sectors spanning Finance, Telecommunications, Retail, Manufacturing and the Contact Centre market. He is an industry recognised expert in data centre optimisation, delivering multi-million pound benefits through addressing capacity constraints, improved efficiency, reduced cost and maximised existing data centre investments. He has an assured communication style is equally capable of both articulating strategy to senior business managers and detailing technical architecture solutions. Scott's foremost strengths include the ability to deliver clarity around sustainability aspects and to 'cut to the chase' of the core issues.

Roland Chaplain

OPERATIONAL
Applied weather forecaster and interpreter of implications of climate disruption.
Set up BBC Scotland sponsored 'weather watchers network'.
Contributor to Mountain Weather Information Service - mwis.org.uk.
Local radio weather broadcaster
Contributor to SNP and Scottish Government environmental and renewable energy policies
Centre for Scottish Public Policy (CSPP) Energy and the Environment working group.

CONCEPTUAL
Advocate of community ownership/stakes in major renewable energy generation and utilisation opportunities
Organiser of the Industry Community and Alternative Technology (ICAT) conferences in the 1970s
Represented Teilhard Centre for the Future of Man at international Futures Studies Federation conferences
Strongly motivated by writings of Teilhard de Chardin about 'conscientisation' and his principle of 'complexity consciousness'.
Thus the link to cloud computing, telepresence, data centres, etc. with their consciousness changing roles and potential
Also 'digital age lifestyles' implications for lowering humanity's carbon footprint and at the same time improving real 'quality of life'.

OUTCOMES
Review of CRC legislation to ensure maximum incentivisation for the data industry to utilise and invest into authentic sources of renewable energy
Strategic think tank/panel to advise Ministers on speeding up convergence of renewables and ICT futures - particularly for Scotland.
Mindset transformation towards conserving non-renewable resources not just for next few generations but on a timescale of millenia and beyond.

James Cole - Director, Keysource

With a degree in Construction Management and over 15 years of commercial experience in the IT sector, James has combined these two passions to drive Keysource's business strategy and develop innovative data centre solutions for prospective and existing customers.

James and his commercial team take a strategic and intelligent consultative approach to help clients understand and visualise the multi-faceted elements within a design and build process. This provides the peace of mind and reassurance needed for customers to invest in Keysource and helps deliver the right solution to meet their precise business and operational requirements.

James says "I am passionate about being at the forefront of current industry initiatives on energy efficiency, helping clients to drive down operational costs, deliver their expectations, and invest in a data centre for the future."

Dr Chris Francis - Government Programmes, IBM

Chris leads on technology related policy issues for IBM and sits on the CBI Council for Innovation Science and Technology and has been closely involved in environmental issues including the Information Age Partnership report Driving the Virtuous Circle 'How ICT can enable the Carbon Efficient Effective Organisation'. Chris has particular interests in related areas such as R&D tax credits, market access issues and procurement. Previously Chris was a civil servant with posts covering software and IT services industry sponsorship, recycling and related environmental policy and legislation and managing the Government's support for collaborative industry - academic research. Chris's research background covered using computer control for energy efficiency purposes.

Mark Hobbins - Head of Engineering, Energy and Consultancy, Barron Evers

Mark provides professional input for a wide variety of Energy and Environmental Engineering projects, primarily Low Energy Building/Industrial Design and Energy Efficiency. This role includes providing commercial, technical/engineering and project management to a range of private and public sector clients. Mark is a Chartered Energy Engineer, a registered Energy Engineer with Energy Institute and a Low Carbon Consultant with CIBSE.

Gordon McCreath - Partner, Pinsent Masons

Gordon advises energy generators, water companies, waste operators, manufacturers and developers as well as central government, local authorities and regulators on environmental and climate change matters. He has a particular insight into the workings of environmental regulators and government, having previously worked at SEPA and on secondment to the Scottish Government. Gordon is recognised as a "Leading Individual" in Environment by Chambers Guide to the Legal Profession which commends him for his "commitment to provide excellent, open and responsive service“.

Kati Svehla, Strathclydde University

Kati Svehla is a Chartered Civil Engineer with many years' experience in the oil industry. As well as working on on- and offshore oil production developments, she has also held senior buisness planning and performance management roles and led business transformation projects. She is currently enjoying the opportunity of refreshing her technical capabilities by doing an MSc in Renewable Energy Systems and the Environment at the University of Strathclyde, after which she hopes to work in the renewable energy industry in Scotland.