Council energy engineer nominated for national award
An engineer with The Highland Council’s Energy and Sustainability team has been nominated for a prestigious renewables industry award.
Jackie Sayer from Inverness is in the running to receive the Pioneer Award in Scottish Renewables’ Young Professionals Green Energy Awards for her work developing, instigating and implementing the energy and carbon reduction plans of the Council.
The awards are designed to recognise the “next generation of leaders” in green energy – an industry which employs almost 1,500 people across the Highlands and Islands.
Jackie originally joined the team as an Energy Advice Officer and has worked up to the role of lead engineer after undertaking additional work and study at home and, through the support of the Council, achieving a distinction in her BEng graduation in 2013.
In her working role Jackie has played a key role in the energy assessment and management of the Council housing stock, developing a plan for compliance to Scottish Housing Quality Standard and preparing upgrading plans for projects to achieve the requirements. She has also identified, developed and progressed projects, leading to the implementation of low carbon, affordable heating systems that have been more suited to the rural applications in “Off-gas” areas of the Highlands. In particular the use of individual biomass units at homes has shown to be a popular, efficient, cost effective and clean method of heating.
Her manager, Eddie Boyd describes Jackie as an innovator with a positive outlook. He said: “Jackie is a natural leader who provides support and guidance to immediate colleagues as well as the wider Council staff. She has drive and enthusiasm to overcome barriers and challenges in moving towards a low carbon future. As well as fully embracing the Council’s Carbon CLEVER initiative, Jackie has been a prime mover in the development of projects as well as the post installation assessment of a range of technologies. She has become a building simulation practitioner, helping to improve the understanding of how new premises will perform on an energy basis. She has also been a leading player on using Building Management systems to establish post occupation performance to identify the gaps from design so that continued improvement can be made.”
Delighted to be nominated in the Young Professional category, Jackie said: “I am thrilled that my manager regards my performance at work worthy of being nominated for this award. Working as an engineer in the renewable and sustainability field is such an interesting experience and has allowed me to pursue a career in an area which I feel passionate about both professionally and personally. I am fortunate enough to have a job that I love working as part of a fantastic team.”
Jillian McKenna, Director of Marketing at Scottish Renewables, the industry body which is organising the awards, said: “Scotland is doing amazing things in renewable energy, but the industry would be nothing without the passionate, inventive and enthusiastic people who work in it.
“These awards will run alongside our hugely-successful Scottish Green Energy Awards, which are now in their 12th year, and recognise all that is great about the new talent who will be the next generation of leaders in renewables. I would like to congratulate Jackie on her nomination, and wish her the best of luck in May.”
Scottish Renewables’ Young Professionals Green Energy Awards are being held for the first time in 2015 to recognise the contribution those who are new to the industry make to its success. Nominations for nine categories – including Innovator, Artist and Entrepreneur – are now being invited, before a closing date of March 5.
The winners will be announced at a gala dinner at Glasgow Science Centre on May 28. For more information on how to enter, see www.scottishrenewables.com/events/ypgea/.