My alarm goes off at …
“I’m a serial alarm setter – I have alarms set for 5:40am then again at 5:45am, 5:50am and finally at 6am (when I actually get up).”
The first thing I do each day is …
“Make a coffee. I’ll get the strongest coffee I can find and put it in the largest container I have (usually a mug – but I have been known to stretch to a small bowl). I love freshly ground coffee and taking that extra time really makes a difference first thing in the morning.”
I prepare for the day ahead by …
“Catching up on industry news to see what’s happening in the ever-changing energy market. I also write a list of tasks I want to achieve that day – ticking them off is so satisfying.”
I can’t leave the house without …
“Gadgets! Once I’m on the train, I love nothing more than listening to a podcast and getting my brain in gear for the day ahead. I listen to all sorts. A lot of Radio 4 documentaries, The News Quiz, More or Less (which is all about statistics, geeky I know), as well as No Such Thing as a Fish. I’m currently listening to The Guilty Feminist, which is funny and topical.”
My typical day…
“I head into the office for around 8:30am, more coffee, have a catch-up with our community energy director, Paul McIver, with whom I share an office.
“I tend to spend a large part of the day energy modelling, with tools such as EnergyPro, and pulling together commercial techno economic models for new projects, as well as analysing our existing projects. I look at the design, energy inputs and outputs from different sources, O&M costs, life cycle costs of assets, energy input costs, as well as pricing to customers.
“I coordinate with different teams across the business daily to analyse systems so we can provide our clients with an optimal solution. Some days, I may present solutions to clients or write proposals.
“My work is mostly office based, and to date at Vital, I’ve focussed mainly on new build systems. However, where existing sites are involved, I will look to visit site, aligning analysis with the reality – no substitution for that really!
“Being in central London in the Holborn office, food exploration for lunch is always something to look forward to. I try and leave the office at 5pm and arrive home at around 7pm.”
My most memorable work moment …
“I’ve only been at Vital Energi for a few months, but there are a few things that have stood out so far…
“I joined the business to focus on further developing the ESCo business, as well as working on EPC projects. I knew the D&B reputation of Vital, but hadn’t understood the breadth and scale of O&M and metering and billing services that we already have in place, as well as our existing ESCo systems. We have in the order of 36,500 heat customers, 123 O&M contracts, and in London alone, there’s a team of over 35 mobile O&M engineers.
“I was impressed by the scale of some of the heat pump projects Vital have designed and already delivered, or are in the process of doing so. Where many heat pump projects in the UK are still in the development stage this hands-on delivery experience really stands out. For example, we delivered the UK’s first large-scale water source heat pump scheme in Queens Quay, and are currently working with Southwark Council to retrofit water source heat pumps into existing heat networks across three estates, benefitting over 2,000 properties – one of the first projects of this scale to be deployed within London.”
The worst part of my job …
“Vital is doing so much and there are so many things that would be great to get involved with, but I can’t do everything.”
The best part of my job …
“Learning new things and tackling new challenges. Particularly at this time where we’re seeing rapid change and transition as part of the zero carbon trajectory where Vital are leading the market… this includes considering different ranges of technologies and changes to energy markets.
“My job involves considering the whole life cycle of projects, typically long-term contracts. This means interaction with wide range of teams, such as design, estimation, operations, commercial and financial, which I really enjoy.
“Having the opportunity to work with all of these experts in their fields at Vital, and pulling that expertise into projects so we can offer the best solution to our customers.”
I relax after work by …
“Depending on the time of year, I’ll head out onto the Brighton seafront, get some sun and indulge in some ice cream.
“I’m an avid cyclist and when I’m working from home, I’ll get on my bike and unwind when I finish. Either with a turbo trainer during the winter (Zwift addict!) or out and about on the South Downs in the summer.”
On my bedside table is …
“If my cat hasn’t pushed everything off, there will usually be a few books both fiction and non-fiction as well as a number of industry magazines. I am currently reading The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks – a great read if you like Sci-Fi.”
The last thing I do each day is …
“Try to unwind – read, watch a TV show or film, (which can be anything from an F1 documentary to Below Deck) just something relaxing to decompress from the day. Oh, and watching the Tour de France is a must each year.”
I’m normally in bed by …
“I try to get to bed for a sensible time of about 10pm or so, but at the weekend I’ll go out with friends and extend the bedtime by a bit.”
Thanks to Veronica and the team for taking part in ‘day in the life‘. Find out more about Vital Energi here https://www.vitalenergi.co.uk/
If you’re interested in taking part or would like to suggest a colleague for our ‘day in the life’ feature, please email here.