The People Problem in Energy Transition with Charles Cattermole
Dr Greg Trainor and Neil Belford sit down with Charles Cattermole, Principal at Outpost Ventures, for a look into the human side of Australia's energy transition. From his accidental entry into energy through the Australian Navy to roles at Green Sync and Energy Australia, Charles shares hard-won insights about scaling innovation within large utilities and the critical importance of people over technology in driving change.The conversation explores the challenges of virtual power plants, the complexity of Australia's energy markets, and why trust remains the biggest barrier to customer adoption of interactive energy products. Charles reveals lessons from successfully scaling a pilot from 20,000 to 250,000 customers, discusses the misalignment between startup accelerators and utility needs, and shares his vision for securitising distributed energy resources like traditional power stations.About Charles:Charles Cattermole is a technical and commercial advisor with over 13 years of experience in the energy sector. Over this period, Charles' experience has ranged from energy management organisations, utilities such as EnergyAustralia and Ausnet, as well as technology companies like GreenSync, Evergen, and AMP X. Charles is also the former treasurer of the Australian Institute of Energy and focuses on helping organisations commercialise products, projects, and services that focus on the energy transition.(01:00) Accidental entry into energy via the Australian Navy(02:00) Early roles in energy auditing and management(03:00) Green Sync, Energy Australia and scaling innovation(04:00) Success stories: 20,000 to 250,000 customers(05:00) Learning from different industry perspectives(06:00) Energy transition is about people, not technology(08:00) Digital natives vs traditional leadership challenges(10:00) Virtual power plants definition and customer trust(12:00) Community energy models and market design constraints(14:00) Body corporate and apartment building challenges(15:00) Risk management frameworks blocking innovation(17:00) Skills shortage and hiring outside the industry(19:00) Importance of customer experience for engineers(20:00) Simple solutions: the IT pager system success story(22:00) Vendor relationships and trust in small industry(23:00) Marvel at electricity reliability despite complexity(25:00) Startup ecosystem and misaligned utility pilots(27:00) Is Australia's three-tier market system outdated?(29:00) Financial risk management for new market entrants(31:00) Vision for securitising distributed energy portfolios(33:00) Career advice: purpose-driven vs career-driven approaches
The views and opinions expressed by the guest speaker during this podcast are solely their own and do not reflect the official policy or position of their employer or any other organization they may be affiliated with.Our guest shares personal experiences and insights based on their individual journey, and listeners should understand that these reflections are meant for informational purposes only.Any advice or opinions presented in this podcast should not be construed as professional guidance, and individuals are encouraged to seek their own counsel regarding their specific situations. Wired For Energy is a production of Network Edge, with episodes produced and edited by Posterboy Media.To find more information about the energy transition visit - www.networkedge.io
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