Meet Katie Mills & Meghan Mclntyre
Katie Mills is a seasoned professional in the field of renewables, particularly in emerging markets. With a background in identifying investment opportunities in sustainable spaces, she embarked on her journey at Schneider Electric four years ago. Initially joining as the Head of Innovation and Sustainability in the UK and Ireland, Katie has since risen to the position of Head of Zeigo for the Schneider Electric Sustainability Business. Her current focus revolves around democratizing the Green Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) market, showcasing her dedication to advancing sustainability in the energy sector.
Meghan Mclntyre is a sustainability professional with a strong background in Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, supply chains, Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and energy markets. Armed with a Master’s degree in sustainable resources, Meghan brings a unique blend of expertise to her role. Having spent two years at Zeigo, she is actively engaged in leveraging her skills in data analytics to contribute to the sustainable energy landscape. Meghan’s extensive experience includes collaborations with industry-leading companies and government officials across various sectors, highlighting her commitment to driving positive environmental impact.
Get Answers To:
- What challenges are there in signing PPAs through software?
- How can streamlining renewable energy procurement through software translate into cost savings and increase efficiency for those corporations?
- What trends and innovations do you see emerging in this realm of software-assisted renewable energy purchasing?
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Episode Synopsis
The policy-driven market changes and public sentiment are generating an urgent need for organizations to act and visibly show their commitment to combating the climate crisis and mitigating their economic activities’ environmental impact. Corporations looking to uphold their CDP or RE100 commitments must act promptly and utilize the available supply.
However, there is a considerable predicted shortfall in renewable capacity to meet the IE100 targets, especially in Europe. The expected deficit of about 64 GW hours has compelled many corporations to accelerate their actions to stay ahead of potential supply issues.
To bridge this gap, software has a critical role to play in increasing access to the market, including the adoption of new, perhaps digital, market strategies. By doing so, software solutions can help democratize the renewable energy market. A transparent market environment could lead to the streamlining of processes and remove efficiency blocks inherent in newer markets.
As most renewable processes are consultancy-led, there’s an emerging need for software solutions to help guide transactions, such as power purchase agreements. However, as corporations and buyers grow more experienced, they may desire more independence, opting for fewer consultancy services and instead relying on software to navigate processes.
Nevertheless, software shouldn’t be for the sake of it, but to solve a problem. Whether for corporate energy buyers or developers looking to sell their projects, the challenge must be defined first before a fitting software solution can be applied.
Given that large sums of money are at stake with massive contracts, there’s a substantial risk element that must be addressed. Transparency in the market will improve competition, driving down prices and risk. However, driving that transparency in the market, whether in pricing or otherwise, should be the ultimate goal.
Ultimately, it’s about a streamlined digital route to market offering greater transparency and more robust competition. Zeigo is one such software that enables a leader, or sponsor, to effectively manage their supply chains, report on commitments made and track these against the set targets. By doing so, they’re better able to engage their suppliers, foster community, and provide mutual support to both parties.