Meet the innovators: Dale Colley, Altitude Thinking

Ahead of the 2022 Energy Innovation Awards, Utility Week Innovate catches up with young innovator of the year nominee and inventor of the Aquabot – a robot created to measure water pollution in real time – Dale Colley.

What was your first job in the utilities sector?

I’ve never worked within the utilities sector. My previous work before I went to university was in construction. I’m currently finishing a masters in electrical power engineering

What has been your career highlight thus far?

Probably leaving my job and going to university to free up time to start a business.

What is your golden rule for overcoming challenges at work generally?

I wouldn’t say it’s a golden rule but take your time think through all possible outcomes and decide based on the best outcome.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Be patient, confident and believe in yourself.

What do you think is the key to creating the conditions for innovation within the utilities sector?

More collaboration between innovators or entrepreneurs and utility companies.

Is there a standout innovation or collaboration project that you wish you’d had the chance to work on during your time in the sector – what made it special?

I started building my first underwater water remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) during the pandemic. That was exciting because I could see the potential this type of equipment could have.

What excites you most about the next 10 years in the utilities sector – any trends, tech or specific innovations?

Working ROVs will be the technology to look out for in the next 10 years.

What do you think will be the defining factor in the UK hitting its net zero targets?

Money – If the country goes all electric, I estimate the whole electrical infrastructure would need to be updated to handle this demand. Will customers be able to afford electricity in the future?

How do you feel utilities companies can collaborate more – or more effectively?

There is always room for more collaboration. All companies in general should cost-effectively invest in testing or seeking new technologies. Small emerging companies put a lot of time and effort making products and services. Speaking to emerging companies is always most effective instead of having to fill out application forms etc.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the utilities sector at present?

Lots of issues.

Climate change. Preparing for extreme weathers that will cause disruptions. Utilities need to make sure transmission and distribution infrastructure are robust enough to handle extreme weather.

Increasing infrastructure complexity. Moving from a centralised to distributed energy generation. The more distributed energy generation assets that are on the grid the more complex the grid is to operate.

Distributed energy generation intermittency. In a net-zero scenario what happens when distributed energy generation assets aren’t generating power, is the grid stabilised by batteries, hydrogen or some other fuel? It’s a tough question ask.

Supply chain issues. Keeping transportation costs down, keeping up with customer demand etc.

What is the most significant way you think the utilities sector of ten years’ time will differ from the one we see today?

Water reuse. It’s going to be a scare resource and unsure how industries will operate if there is a lack of useful water.

What is the Aquabot?

Equipped with multiple sensors, the Aquabot measures water pollution levels in real time. Data is send back via a wireless connection to a remote device and the cloud to map the area and magnitude of pollution. This give near real-time digital reports on surface water pollution levels. Read more here

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