Making a commitment to community energy

An empathic engineer alumni is using his knowledge of energy systems to enhance his community by encouraging greener energy solutions.

Liam Granville, who lives in Stockton, is a Community Energy Project Manager in the Customer Service department of Northern Powergrid.

The 33-year-old studied civil engineering and worked in the Street Works team for Northern Powergrid right after completing his degree.

However, after three years, he wanted a new challenge so left the region’s largest electricity distribution network for a similar role in local authority.

From there he worked both public and private sector, making sure people had the connections they needed to live comfortably.

But a chance connection assignment, which saw Liam focusing on improving the telecoms for the family of a disabled child in County Durham, left him realising that he wanted more from his role.

He was coming to the end of a contract so started looking for a new role and saw the Community Energy Project Manager role at Northern Powergrid.

The role focuses on creating sustainable and greener energy solutions in the community, providing guidance on funding the installation of greener energy, support, training and advice on how to create vital community hubs.

Liam knew this role would combine his love of helping people with his practical engineering skills, and most importantly his ability to translate complex engineering speak into plain English so that anyone understands.

He spends his days doing a lot of networking, speaking to Local Authorities, Schools, Charities, Community groups about how he and his team can reduce their energy bills or how they can provide smarter energy solutions.

Some of the most critical work they do is with young people in Schools, getting children to design and understand their energy network, helping them become passionate about electricity and their communities.

Liam said “It's been nice to come back to Northern Powergrid after a few years away, I’ve noticed a real change in the way we are helping our customers and a lot of that is down to the critical work we do in Customer Service.

“This role has a key focus on supporting communities to become more robust and reliant on themselves if they were to lose power but also improving the lives of the people that might not get support when they need it.

“When we talk about community energy, it really is about creating or supporting energy solutions in your community, so creating warm hubs in community centres or schools – the buildings that are the life blood of our communities.

“My team are aiming to give people the skills and knowledge to be able to understand and navigate the energy sector.

“Sometimes it can be incredibly confusing because grants or funding have been written by engineers for engineers or fitters who are already equipped with that understanding.

“Our team has grown fast, from no one last year to four of us this year, which shows the business’s commitment to developing green energy solutions in the region owned by people who live in the region.”

Ella Pinder, Vulnerability Policy Manager for Northern Powergrid, said “The move to install more low carbon technologies (LCTs) in our region is to help empower our communities.

“LCTs provide greener energy, and we want that to be accessible to those from more deprived areas – that’s where Liam and his team come in.

“Their role is to guide, advise and assist interested community groups in creating these energy solutions for the benefit of their local community in a space that can be incredibly complex.

“That’s why the work that Liam and his team do is so critical: they have the resources to help and will be there to make sure every community can make the most of the opportunities that installing green energy presents.

“Liam’s background in civil engineering means he understands the technical, and his personality and great attitude means he is always putting our customers first.”

You can find more information about LCTs on Northern Powergrid’s website.