The Sustainable Business & Solar Summit
Our event is aimed at East Sussex businesses and institutions that are interested in cutting costs and going greener against the backdrop of spiralling energy prices and a target to scale back greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
We are bringing together expert speakers from a wide range of companies and organisations, from consultants on business sustainability to solar-PV manufacturers, solar installers, retrofit specialists, community energy groups and central government.
It will be an excellent opportunity to share ideas and information about renewable energy, financing options and sustainability through a mixture of presentations, networking opportunities and Q&A sessions. See the programme below.
The Sustainable Business and Solar Summit is being organised by Eastbourne ECO Action Network (EEAN) working with Eastbourne Borough Council and the Eastbourne Chamber of Commerce.
Sponsors include: GM Monk Ltd, CDS Electrical, Go Green Sustainability
Click on + to find out about trains, buses, free Wi-Fi and other facilities at the venue.
The event is being held in the Shackleton and Mallory Halls which are on the lower floors of the Welcome Building. There are stairs and lifts to all levels.
Getting there
The Welcome Building is a 12-minute walk from Eastbourne railway station.
Buses to the Welcome Building include:
- Stagecoach 3 and 3a
- Brighton & Hove Coaster Service 12a
Free Wi-Fi service
The Public Wi-Fi service in the Welcome Building is Link Free
- Once in the building, look for the _Link Free option in your list of available Wi-Fi services
- If you have not used Link Free before, you must register – open a web browser and go to any site, e.g. bbc.co.uk – A sign-in screen for Eastbourne Borough Council WIFI will appear –
- select Create an Account if this is the first time you have used Link Free -then turn to step 3
- or, if you already have a Link Free account, simply sign in using your email address and the password you last used for this service
- Creating an account: Select Create New Account and fill in details including your name, email address, chosen password and mobile phone number – a text will be sent to your mobile phone with a verification code
- Enter the verification code into the validation screen that appears on your device and select Verify
- when you have registered you will be prompted to sign into the Wi-Fi service
Other facilities
Lunch, teas and coffees will be provided, during breaks, in the Mallory Exhibition Hall. If you wish to purchase other items, there is a cafe on the ground floor of the Welcome Building, overlooking the Tennis courts.
Breakout spaces (tables and chairs) will be provided in Mallory.
Book your place
Tickets for the event cost £15 per person and include teas, coffees and lunch.
Book your tickets through Eastbourne’s Chamber of Commerce online booking system.
The programme
Click here to see the full programme with session recordings, slides and presenter bios.
For quick view programme see below.
The morning activities will explore sustainable business practice including reducing energy use and reducing our carbon footprint. Afternoon activities will focus on solar energy opportunities and funding available to business.
Refreshments will be provided during the breaks, including lunch.
09.00 Doors open
09.30 – 09.50 Welcome:
- David Tutt, Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council;
- Caroline Ansell, MP Eastbourne and Willingdon
09.50-10.05 Working together to create a Net Zero neighbourhood:
The big picture: challenges and opportunities. Countdown to zero-carbon 2030
- Ollie Pendered, Chief Executive of Community Energy South
10.05 – 10.35 Carbon reduction – Strategies for businesses:
- Shelaine Siepel, The Sustainable Business Partnership;
- Ian Fitzpatrick, Eastbourne Borough Council;
- Matt Roberts, East Sussex College Group
10.35 – 11.05 Enabling the transition:
Net Zero 360 (workshops and carbon accounting tool), green innovation, business grants and subsidies including LoCASE:
- Mark Riminton,
- Kerry Byott and
- Ian Smallwood, Green Growth Platform, University of Brighton
11.05 – 11.30 Coffee break – networking
11.30-11.45 Addressing energy use in Victorian and Edwardian buildings:
- Joanna Saady, Ecotecture Ecological Designs Ltd.
11.45 – 12.15 Making waves:
Case studies of businesses taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and energy costs:
- Matthew Knight, Akro Valve;
- Sam Keam, Zedify;
- Matthew Bird, Lewes District Council
12.15 – 13.00 Panel discussion: How do we cut costs and get greener?
- Chair: Christina Ewbank, Eastbourne UnLtd, Chamber of Commerce;
- Richard Garland, Gradient Consulting;
- Adam Bastock, Small99;
- Patrick Allcorn, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy;
- Shelaine Siepel, The Sustainable Business Partnership CIC;
- Joanna Saady, Ecotecture Ecological Designs Ltd.;
13.00 – 13.45 LUNCH – networking
A light lunch will be provided in the foyer.
Menu coming soon!
13.45-14.05 Solar power: overview – latest technology, opportunities & challenges:
- Melissa Briggs, Bee Solar Technologies Ltd;
- Richard Wise, Polysolar Ltd.
- Mitchell Van Oosten, Naked Energy
14.05-14.30 Sussex solar: Opportunities & challenges of installing solar-PV in the south-east:
Battery storage, electrics, connecting to the network:
- Matt Woodward, OHM Energy Ltd;
- Neil Madgwick, UK Power Networks
14.30-15.00 Community Energy: Overview – how does it work?
Case studies from the South-East:
- Kayla Ente, BHESCo;
- Chris Rowland, OVESCo/Community Energy South
15.00-15.30 Leading by example: case studies of solar installations:
- Ed Hussey, SAS Energy (Cavendish School, Sussex University);
- Paul Vine, OHM Energy Solutions Ltd
- Richard Watson, Energise Sussex Coast
15.30 – 15.45 Tea break – networking
15.45 – 16.20 Panel discussion: How can we enable solar PV on commercial and institutional buildings?
- Chair: Lord Ralph Lucas
- Richard Watson, Energise Sussex Coast
- Clare Bottle, UK WareHousing Association;
- Leigh Palmer, Lewes & Eastbourne Borough Councils
- Kayla Ente, BHESCo;
- Chris Rowland, OVESCo ;
- Jason Lindfield, OHM Energy;
16.20 – 16.30 Closing remarks:
- David Tutt, Eastbourne Borough Council;
- Caroline Ansell, Eastbourne and Willingdon MP
Meet the presenters and panel members
Follow the links (green text) to find out more about our speakers.
Patrick Allcorn
Head of Local NetZero,
Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Caroline Ansell,
MP for Eastbourne and Willingdon
Adam Bastock
Cofounder,
Small99
Matthew Bird,
Chartered Environmentalist,
Lewes District Councillor
Melissa Briggs,
CEO,
Bee Solar Technologies Ltd.
Kayla Ente,
CEO and Founder,
BHESCo
Christina Ewbank,
CEO Eastbourne UnLtd, Chamber of Commerce
Ian Fitzpatrick
Deputy Chief Executive, Lewes & Eastbourne Councils; Director of Regeneration & Planning
Richard Garland,
Chartered Surveyor, Cofounder Gradient Consulting
Ed Hussey
Business Accounts Manager, SAS Energy
Sam Keam,
Cofounder and Chief Sustainability Officer,
Zedify
Matt Knight,
Managing Director,
Akro Valve
Jason Lindfield,
OHM Energy Solutions Ltd.
Lord Ralph Lucas,
Environment and Climate Change Committee, House of Lords
Neil Madgwick,
Head of Service Delivery,
UK Power Networks
Leigh Palmer
Head of Planning,
Lewes District and Eastbourne Borough Councils
Ollie Pendered
Chief Executive, Community Energy South
Mark Riminton,
Business Development Lead,
Green Growth Platform,
University of Brighton
Matt Roberts
Head of Green Curriculum,
East Sussex College
Chris Rowland,
Director, OVESCo & Community Energy South
Joanna Saady,
Director of Ecotecture Ecological Designs Ltd.,
Chartered Architect, Ecological Design and Historic Building Expert
Shelaine Siepel,
Managing Director,
The Sustainable Business Partnership CIC
David Tutt,
County Councillor and Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council
Paul Vine,
OHM Energy Solutions Ltd
Richard Watson
Energise Sussex Coast
Robin Dyer
OHM Energy
Matt Woodward,
OHM Energy
Clare Bottle
UK Warehousing Association
Meet the Exhibitors
- Bee SolarTechnology Limited : www.beesolartech.co.uk ; sales@beesolartech.co.uk ; Gloucestershire
- BHESCo : www.bhesco.co.uk ; info@bhesco.co.uk ; Brighton
- Birchwood www.birchwoodgroup.co.uk
- CDS Electrical : www.https://www.cdselectrical.co.uk ; info@cdselectrical.co.uk ; Polegate
- East Sussex College
- Eastbourne Eco Action Network: www.ecoactioneb.co.uk ; andy@ecoactioneb.co.uk
- Energise Sussex Coast www.energisesussexcoast.co.uk/
- Environment First www.environmentfirst.co.uk
- GM Monk Ltd; www.gmmonk.co.uk; enquiries@gmmonk.co.uk ; Eastbourne
- GO Green Sustainability: www.gogreensustainability.com;
lucy@gogreensustainability.com: 01273 234675 : SINC, Brighton
- GreenGrowth Platform, University of Brighton : www.clean-growth.uk ; CGUKUob@brighton.ac.uk Brighton
- Naked Energy: nakedenergy.com; commercial@nakedenergy.com; Crawley
- OHM Energy : www.ohmenergy.co.uk; info@ohmenergy.co.uk Eastbourne
- OVESCo : www.ovesco.co.uk ; hello@ovesco.co.uk ; Lewes
- Plastic Free Eastbourne: www.plasticfreeeastbourne.co.uk ; plasticfreeeastbourne@gmail.com
- Polysolar Technology : www.polysolar.co.uk ; info@polysolar.co.uk ; Cambridge
- SAS Energy : www.sas-energy.co.uk ; sales@sas-energy.co.uk ; Kent
- Solivus Ltd : www.solivus.com London
- UK Power Networks : www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk ;
- Zedify : www.zedify.co.uk ; hello@zedify.co.uk ; Brighton
Event organisers
Event sponsors
The morning activities will explore sustainable business practice including reducing energy use and reducing our carbon footprint. Afternoon activities will focus on solar energy opportunities and funding available to business.
Refreshments will be provided during the breaks, including lunch.
09.00 Doors open
09.30 – 09.50 Welcome:
- David Tutt, Leader of Eastbourne Borough Council;
- Caroline Ansell, MP Eastbourne and Willingdon
09.50-10.05 Working together to create a Net Zero neighbourhood:
The big picture: challenges and opportunities. Countdown to zero-carbon 2030
- Ollie Pendered, Chief Executive of Community Energy South
10.05 – 10.35 Carbon reduction – Strategies for businesses:
- Shelaine Siepel, The Sustainable Business Partnership;
- Ian Fitzpatrick, Eastbourne Borough Council;
- Matt Roberts, East Sussex College Group
10.35 – 11.05 Enabling the transition:
Net Zero 360 (workshops and carbon accounting tool), green innovation, business grants and subsidies including LoCASE:
- Mark Riminton,
- Kerry Byott and
- Ian Smallwood, Green Growth Platform, University of Brighton
11.05 – 11.30 Coffee break – networking
11.30-11.45 Addressing energy use in Victorian and Edwardian buildings:
- Joanna Saady, Ecotecture Ecological Designs Ltd.
11.45 – 12.15 Making waves:
Case studies of businesses taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and energy costs:
- Matthew Knight, Akro Valve;
- Sam Keam, Zedify;
- Matthew Bird, Lewes District Council
12.15 – 13.00 Panel discussion: How do we cut costs and get greener?
- Chair: Christina Ewbank, Eastbourne UnLtd, Chamber of Commerce;
- Richard Garland, Gradient Consulting;
- Adam Bastock, Small99;
- Patrick Allcorn, Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy;
- Shelaine Siepel, The Sustainable Business Partnership CIC;
- Joanna Saady, Ecotecture Ecological Designs Ltd.;
13.00 – 13.45 LUNCH – networking
A light lunch will be provided in the foyer.
Menu coming soon!
13.45-14.05 Solar power: overview – latest technology, opportunities & challenges:
- Melissa Briggs, Bee Solar Technologies Ltd;
- Hamish Watson, Polysolar Ltd.
- Mitchell Van Oosten, Naked Energy
14.05-14.30 Sussex solar: Opportunities & challenges of installing solar-PV in the south-east:
Battery storage, electrics, connecting to the network:
- Jason Lindfield, OHM Energy Ltd;
- Neil Madgwick, UK Power Networks
14.30-15.00 Community Energy: Overview – how does it work?
Case studies from the South-East:
- Kayla Ente, BHESCo;
- Chris Rowland, OVESCo/Community Energy South
15.00-15.30 Leading by example: case studies of solar installations:
- Ed Hussey, SAS Energy (Cavendish School, Sussex University);
- Paul Vine, OHM Energy Solutions Ltd
- Richard Watson, Energise Sussex Coast
15.30 – 15.45 Tea break – networking
15.45 – 16.20 Panel discussion: How can we enable solar PV on commercial and institutional buildings?
- Chair: Lord Ralph Lucas
- Richard Watson,
- Clare Bottle, UK WareHousing Association;
- Leigh Palmer, Lewes & Eastbourne Borough Councils
- Kayla Ente, BHESCo;
- Chris Rowland, OVESCo ;
- Jason Lindfield, OHM Energy;
16.20 – 16.30 Closing remarks:
- David Tutt, Eastbourne Borough Council;
- Caroline Ansell, Eastbourne and Willingdon MP