CEP’s Conference presentations, speakers, workshops and student papers

Here’s a preview of the rich and diverse presentation topics featured at the CEP Conference, kicking off on 27th May.

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AI and Data:

• AI energy demand and sourcing – Andrew Green, Senior Principal Engineer at Datacom
• Beyond the hype: Real-world lessons in AI for energy management – Hong Lee, Building Optimisation Manager + Energy Consulting Team Lead and Vaibhav Choudhary, Energy Analyst at Bravegen
• Driving sustainability with data: Reducing carbon and energy use through advanced analytics – Chris Thomas, Business Development Manager and Nikk King, Director, OT Systems Consultant at NZ Controls Ltd

Bioenergy:

• A Practical Journey into New Zealand’s First Commercial-Scale Anaerobic Digestion Facility and its Role in the Renewable Transition – Andy Bedford, North Island Manager at Ecogas and Fertify and Shaun Goldsbury, CEO at BraveTrace
• How do I determine if Biogas is a realistic opportunity for my business and what do I need to know? – Dr Daniel Carey, Civil & Environmental Engineer – Industrial Water Process Engineer, Jeff Zimmer, Engineer and Nick Stonier, Energy Transition Manager at Worley
• Biogas: Is bigger always better? – Emma Rees, Chemical & Process Engineer at Beca and Nathan Hill, Commercial Analystat Powerco
• From forest to furnace: NZ’s biomass potential – Oliver Howitt, RETA Programme Lead at EECA

Behaviour change:

• The Psychology of Climate Change, Especially on Behaviour Change – Keynote: Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, Director at Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST)

Built Environment:

• The value of sustainable buildings – The realised benefits of rating energy efficiency in sales/retail value – Bobby Shen, Senior Manager – Existing Buildings at NZ Green Building Council

Carbon Emissions:

• Deep conversation about Scope 3 – Materiality, Reduction Strategies, Engagement – Emma Elbaum, Managing Consultant – Corporate Sustainability Advisory at SLR Consulting

Efficiency Financing:

• Encouraging Private Investment into Energy Efficiency Projects – Keynote: Peter Sweatman, Founder and Chief Executive at Climate & Strategy Partners

Electrification and Electricity system resilience:

• Electrification in C&I – Jeff Smit, Principal Strategy Advisor and Tahir Tarig, Senior Manager – C&I Sales at Genesis Energy and Tom Newitt, Sustainability Lead at Spark
• Space Weather – Andrew Renton, Senior Principal Engineer at Transpower New Zealand
• On The Grid – How the Electricity Grid is Enabling Decarbonisation – Matt Webb, Executive General Manager Grid Development at Transpower New Zealand

Emissions reduction planning:

• Introducing a reliable and verifiable Net Zero Pathway – Luis Filardi, Head of Sustainability, BSI Group ANZ
• Health New Zealand’s emission reduction approach – Rick Lomax, Head of Sustainability, Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand
• A Sustainable Future for Macrae’s: The Role of Renewable Energy and Hydrogen in Mining and Post Closure – Daniel Jelfs, Energy Engineer, OceanaGold New Zealand

Solar:

• New Zealand’s Pathway to 110% Renewable Electricity Generation by 2035 – Al Yates, CEO and Co-founder of Ecotricity
• From consumer to prosumer: Sharing the benefits of rooftop solar energy – Moonis Vegdani, Group Strategy & Transformation Officer at Counties Energy and Sarah Anderson, Programme Director at Climate Connect Aotearoa
• Building Utility Scale Solar in New Zealand – Gary Holden, Managing Director and Founder at Lodestone Energy

Workshops:

• Electric Boilers – Alelign Gessese, Energy Lead at Lumen and Jonathan Pooch, Managing Director at DETA Global
• Managing Climate Risk: A practical workshop for businesses and asset owners – Gui Berringer, Team Leader – Business Solution Team at Ekos Kamahi and James Hughes, Technical Director: Climate and Resilience at Tonkin + Taylor
• Deep conversation about Scope 3 – Materiality, Reduction Strategies, Engagement – Cheilo Manalo, Princiapal – Sustainable Value Team at Auckland Council, Kevin Manalo, Associate at Alta and Marta Karlik-Neal, Principal Sustainability & Resilience at Tonkin + Taylor
• Product Emissions – Biofuels / Fuels – Dustin Courage, Science & Advisory, Sector Lead, Built Environment & Finance and Steve Schoultz, Sustainability Specialist at Toitū Envirocare
• Product Emissions – Food Products – Alireza Mokhtar, Energy & Carbon Consultant and Abbas Tamadon, Lead of LCA & Circular Economy at Pathway2050

Student Papers:

• A New Zealand Heat Atlas: A Regional Breakdown of Residential Heat Demand and Associated Emissions – Hannah Konings
• Variable Renewable Energy and Distributed generation: Impacts on New Zealand’s Electricity Market – Jack O’Leary
• Embodied Carbon Unveiled: A Life Cycle Assessment of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Evolving Electricity System – Maoxing Liu
• A Techno-Economic Analysis of Hybrid Industrial Boiler Systems – Matthew Taylor
• Carbon Price Volatility in the New Zealand Emission Trading Scheme – Yudou Yang

Updated 21 May 2025