Highlight on… Vania, inexperienced vitality flexpert

Vania: So, I’m a supply coordinator throughout the flexibility group which implies I assist carry cool new versatile merchandise to totally different markets within the UK.

Vania: Certain, I studied chemistry at undergrad, and I did a masters in inexperienced chemistry, which targeted on vitality and the surroundings. I used to be actually looking for a inexperienced vitality associated function nevertheless it was tremendous troublesome as I had no expertise. I discovered about Octopus by means of a bus advert in Camden and I utilized to be an vitality specialist. After straight supporting clients for about two years, I joined the internship group and received to correctly know all of the totally different departments at Octopus. I began supporting Alex Schoch and the flexibleness group with little facet tasks, and inside a few months they employed me for a full-time function.

Vania: Flexibility is the idea of working with the electrical energy grid to steadiness the vitality provide coming out and in. As we transfer in the direction of making a 100% renewable vitality grid, we all know it’s necessary that the era and provide match so we don’t need to depend on fossil fuels when the demand will get increased than we are able to generate.

A very good analogy I heard about grid balancing is that it’s like a motorway with a sure variety of vehicles, that are dashing by fairly rapidly. When it’s rush hour, and the vehicles on that very same route triple or quadruple, you’re going to get visitors. That’s once you want a greater system or a bridge to minimise the visitors.

Vania: So, our job is to take a look at various kinds of sensible tech options to steadiness the demand and provide system. That may be something from Electrical Automobiles as batteries to retailer vitality, sensible tariffs or neighborhood campaigns like ‘the large soiled flip down’ and ‘financial savings classes’.

A whole lot of our work requires that we work carefully along with clients as balancing the grid is an actual team-effort. We wish to get clients excited to have extra management of their utilization, to train their energy and in the end, lower your expenses on their payments.

Vania: Fortunately, I already knew the group and had good relationships with a few of them. It’s been actually nice working with folks with all various kinds of experience, from so many various kinds of backgrounds; it makes for an amazingly collaborative surroundings.

Personally, it’s been a large yr of development and studying. I had a obscure thought of what flexibility was after I first joined the group, however I rapidly discovered I knew nothing so it’s been tremendous thrilling delving into the world of vitality and adaptability.

Vania: My function is to speak to the businesses that handle the vitality networks and persuade them to work with Octopus to attempt new, versatile vitality tasks with houses of their space. It is nice for the companies as a result of it helps them handle provide and demand extra neatly, and clients profit too. Often with a reward like free vitality or cash off their invoice for utilizing extra/much less vitality throughout sure instances.

I’m additionally presently main on a cool mission known as ‘Energy ups’ which is our latest product the place we’re providing completely free electrical energy at sure places and instances so clients can profit from instances of excessive inexperienced electrical energy era.

It’s nonetheless a really area of interest service and we’re one of many few in the marketplace which may be very thrilling. Essentially the most enjoyable job of my half is unquestionably discovering new alternatives to enter into this model new market, and collaborating with totally different elements of the enterprise to carry this to life.

Vania: On daily basis is totally different; however we’re all the time targeted on discovering nice new methods for purchasers and companies to profit from the sensible grid. Recently, I’ve been engaged on advertising the merchandise we have now in particular space so clients know all concerning the nice offers obtainable to them.

Vania: I’m additionally a part of the Octopus Equality internship group, which was set as much as supply internships to BAME younger folks, and assist diversify our business. My finest day at work was when all of the interns got here into the workplace final yr. The internship has been such attention-grabbing and fulfilling work and attending to know all of the interns was a pleasure. I’d by no means labored on a mission like this earlier than so it felt like we had been all figuring issues out as we went. I’m actually proud to be a part of a group that’s created one thing actually impactful, with so many individuals throughout totally different elements of the enterprise concerned. All taking trip of their very busy days to work on this with a lot dedication; it feels unimaginable.

Working with Suraj, Joanna, Sai and your entire Internship group has been so enjoyable!

Vania: Just lately, Octopus despatched me on a neighborhood vitality apprenticeship with ‘Repowering London’ which was superb. They’re an unimaginable charity that work carefully with neighborhood vitality teams to help marginalised communities to entry inexperienced vitality. I helped them set up photo voltaic panels on the rooftops of neighborhood centres and faculties. I received to climb the rooftops alongside the engineers and get superb first-hand perception into your entire course of.

Additionally they prepare and help younger folks to achieve totally different inexperienced business abilities and I received to assist them analyse their monetary and knowledge evaluation. They work with Octopus carefully on different tasks so I completely beloved getting an opportunity to work with them straight.

Vania: To not be cliche, however we’re distinctive as a result of we have now our tentacles in so many various locations. We’re a provider with a buyer base that’s not simply giant, however tremendous passionate which is uncommon and actually units us aside. We’re additionally distinctive as a result of we have now fast entry to all of the totally different groups inside Octopus to carry our modern concepts to fruition, from the renewables group in era to the tech group engaged on Kraken.

Flexibility is essential as a result of we want a large vitality and societal shift in the best way we use vitality, if we ever wish to attain NetZero. Flexibility is the important thing to that, and we have now the flexibility to make use of our property, merchandise, tariffs and reference to the neighborhood to drive this variation. Finally, nearly everybody could have an electrical automobile, warmth pump and/or photo voltaic so it issues that we’re utilizing them in the absolute best means. For purchasers, this contains much more management over their vitality and home equipment.

As increasingly more inexperienced vitality merchandise hit the market, the quantity of individuals needing renewable vitality goes to get a lot larger; and we want as many sensible options for that as attainable.

Vania: Batteries on Clever Octopus. It will give clients the flexibility to optimise their battery and permit them to cost or use their vitality at one of the best (least expensive) instances. Try our subsequent Octopus Flux tariff to get probably the most out of your photo voltaic and battery.