As energy demand continues to rise and development ambitions accelerate across the UK, power capacity constraints and electricity infrastructure limitations are becoming increasingly significant challenges for the built environment sector.
Powering Communities will bring together industry leaders and experts to explore the evolving energy landscape and its impact on growth, regeneration, and development projects. The discussion will examine the barriers created by grid capacity shortages, lengthy connection timescales, and network constraints, while highlighting the innovative solutions emerging to address them.
Join us as we explore how today’s energy challenges can be transformed into opportunities to power the communities of tomorrow, creating lasting economic, environmental, and social value.
Panellists
Peter Rolton
Chairman, Rolton
As Chairman and co-founder of Rolton, Peter shapes client visions through expert advice with high level strategic insight. He has advised at ministerial level for three ministers and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change during his time on the Renewables Advisory Board. His well-respected expertise guides Rolton’s mission to anticipate future trends towards Net Zero.
Peter has been at the forefront of pioneering sustainable engineering solutions and advancing renewable technologies for over 30 years. Driven by a deep commitment to a more sustainable built environment, he has led the company’s growth into an industry leader, committed to providing cutting-edge engineering solutions that support a greener, more sustainable future.
Alex Burchett
Associate Partner, Ridge
Alex Burchett is an Associate Partner at Ridge with significant experience advising on power infrastructure, electrical capacity planning and resilient building services solutions. He specialises in helping clients address the challenges associated with increasing energy demand, utility constraints and the delivery of technically complex developments. Working across sectors including science, technology, advanced manufacturing and commercial real estate, Alex supports projects in developing practical, future ready infrastructure strategies that balance operational needs, sustainability objectives and long-term resilience.
Alex is also actively involved in the application and development of Ridge's CORE (Consumption Optimisation & Response Engine) platform, using advanced modelling and data analysis to help clients better understand energy demand, infrastructure capacity constraints and opportunities for smart energy investment. Through this work, he helps organisations make informed decisions on power requirements, grid connections, resilience strategies and the integration of emerging energy technologies. His combination of technical expertise, analytical insight and project delivery experience provides valuable perspective on how developments and communities can navigate the evolving demands being placed on the UK's energy networks while creating sustainable, resilient places for the future.
Jodie Papacharalambous
Business Development Manager, New Energies & Power at TSG Power (part of the TSG Group)
Jodie Papacharalambous is a Business Development Manager at TSG Power, specialising in ICP services, grid connections and energy infrastructure projects across the UK. She works with commercial and industrial clients to deliver smarter, more sustainable energy solutions, with a particular focus on power infrastructure, EV charging, renewable energy and decarbonisation.
Passionate about supporting the UK's energy transition, Jodie helps clients navigate complex infrastructure challenges by connecting them with the expertise and solutions needed to deliver resilient, future-ready energy projects that create long-term value.
Kate Glassman
Director, Hoare Lea
Kate is a Director at Hoare Lea with 15 years’ experience working in the Built Environment. Over that time Kate has worked across a wide range of projects and sectors and enjoys the variety that every one brings. Particular favourites include heritage projects at sites like Windsor Castle and the National Maritime Museum, innovative workspace refurbishments bringing new life to otherwise stranded assets, and delivering new film studio infrastructure to the UK creative sector.
For Kate, one of the best things about working in the built environment is that it is fundamentally a people industry – it’s the relationships you build, the people you meet and the collaboration across teams that make each project rewarding.
Not part of More Than a Building but think your organisation would be interested in joining? Get in touch at info@article-25.org