1. A CROSS-INSTITUTIONAL LEARNING FRAMEWORK FOR
ENERGY CPD: MEGS-KT
GREEN ENERGY HEROES
Dr Andrea Wheeler, Dr Paul Rowley, Martin Hamilton
An Innovative Knowledge Platform for Business and Community Engagement
A co-developed service model for online continuing professional development in
the energy sector

2. OUTLINE
• Context
• Problem.
• Method
• Solution is: the development method and the
“demonstrator”.
• Benefits

3. Jisc Business Community Engagement (BCE)
Programme AIMS
• To enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of
institutional BCE and improve external access to
institutional knowledge and expertise
• To contribute to making the UK ‘the best place in
the world for university-business collaboration’

4. MEGS CONTEXT
• The need to support the growth of a low carbon local
economy.
• The skills and training for local SMEs to make it
happen.

5. Collaborators – working with an
existing community
Midlands Energy Graduate School (MEGS)
a collaboration of Loughborough University, The University of
Nottingham and the University of Birmingham, which includes the
energy community, local SME’s and entrepreneurs .

6. The Problem
How to develop a relevant, up-to-
date desirable platform for “CFD”
opportunities, opening up University
resources and allowing SMEs to
share their knowledge.

7. The Method

8. Questionnaires and Interviews (and
Ethnographic Research)
• 10 paper filled questionnaire
• 18 online surveys
• 16 transcribed interviews
• 1 work shadow day (excellent data but too time
consuming)
• 3 planned “co-design” workshops

9. Bristol Online Survey (targeted SME
group East Midlands)
• What would you say are the main difficulties to overcome
in your role at the present time?
• What are the most important work related questions in
your mind right now?
• What information are you lacking to support your business
growth?

10. Barriers and limitations to this sort of
primary research
• Hard to engage SMEs
• SMEs don’t know what their knowledge needs are (they
don’t know what they don’t know)
• Professional bodies/networks limiting access to SMEs by
“outsiders” (difficult to send out questionnaire via
professional bodies)
• Concerns about sharing commercial information from
SMEs – “I prefer not to say”

11. Building the MEGS-KT community – the Jisc, the
fellows (the catalytic individuals) and SMEs team
SME community (50 participants over 7 workshops (9 speakers))
Fellows: Robin Nicholson (Award Winning Architect, ex- Vice President
RIBA), Parity Projects (Award Winning SME), Institute for Sustainability
(Training Centre), John Davis (Green Deal Assessor), Saucy Horse (Social
Networking Business Champion). Carl Benfield (Prescient Energy [Solar and
Wind]), Keyur Vadodaria (Researcher/ Architect), Richard Cartright (Engineer,
RDC Energy Ltd, [Heat Pumps]) Jonathan Gilbert (Rapid Technology Transfer
Group [Innovative Technologies]) Tracy Thomas (Saucy Horse, Social Media
Marketing)
PhD students/Researchers (Loughborough University, Nottingham
University) Enrique Centelles, Kate Simpson, Sergey Fomin, Paula Cosar,
Becky Gough, Philip Leicester, Sven Hallin
Academics: Professor Jacqui Glass, Dr Paul Rowley, Dr Steven Firth, Zulfikar
Adamu

12. Potential benefits
• To address a skills shortage in the renewable energy sector
– the energy education need and demand within the SME
community
• To exploit an active collaboration between institutions –
Loughborough University, The University of Nottingham and
Birmingham University (through the Midlands Energy
Graduate School) and users (in the form of the existing
MEGS SME community).
• Develop a demonstrator for an e-learning environment as an
opportunity for innovative collaboration SMEs with the HEI
sector which includes a bi-directional flow of knowledge.
• To meet business development needs an support the growth
of low carbon communities and a green economy. To
contribute to the LEP strategy building economically,
environmental and socially sustainable communities by
providing business opportunities for industry, local SMEs and
entrepreneurs.

13. Fellows Lecture Series
17/10/2012 Robin Nicholson, Edward Cullinan Architects
24/10/2012 Russell Smith, Parity Projects
14/11/2012 Terry McGivern, The Institute for
Sustainability and the Flash Programme
05/12/2012 John Davis, Domestic Green Deal Assessor
16/01/2012 Carl Benfield, Prescient Power
30/01/2012 Keyur Vadodaria, Researcher, CALEBRE
project
20/02/2012 Rich Cartwright, RDC Energy , Jonathan
Gilbert, The Rapid technology Transfer Group, and Tracy
Thomas
To ensure the sustainability of the project CEDE has agreed to fund the
continued development of the community and engagement with the prototype
through monthly evening lectures.

14. Mapping the sector (members and
potential members of the community)

21. Catalytic Individuals and Our Social Media
Fellow Tracy Thomas

22. LinkedIn Community (50+ additional
members in the East Midlands)

23. Twitter Group 920 Followers

24. Fellows Lecture Series + Co-design
workshops ahead of fellows lectures

25. Blogs feeding University website, twitter
retweeted on University accounts

26. Planned Dissemination
• Hamilton, Martin (2013) "Learning Analytics for Green
Energy Heroes" JISC Cetis Conference 2013.
• Wheeler, Andrea (2013) “MEGS-KT : Building a
Community for Social Networking and Information
Exchange” EDULEARN: 5th International Conference on
Education and New Learning Technologies 1st – 3rd July
Barcelona (forthcoming).
• Wheeler, Andrea (2013) “MEGS-KT : Social Networking
and Information Exchange for the Renewable Energy
SME Community in the Midlands” Engineering Education
for Sustainable Development (EESD2013) University of
Cambridge, September 2013 (forthcoming)

27. What we need?
• We have established a community of academics,
researchers, local individuals and SMEs keen to develop
proposals and pilot project testing community energy
projects.
• Provided physical opportunity for community meetings
around renewable energy and interest in community
energy projects.
• We have a service demonstrator which will sustain this
community and it’s thirst for knowledge (and a
sustainability plan).

28. Sustainability
• Fellow – Tracy Thomas will continue to maintain
LinkedIn group and twitter feed.
• Lecture series post project to continue with the
support of CEDE (responding to the demand) as
part of the outreach activities of CEDE.
• IT services Loughborough University to continue
to host and provide technical support for the
platform in the case of technical difficulties.

29. The Community Views
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx602KnOiFM

30. The Community Views
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPL8I8B6374

31. Benefits to others
• Initiated collaborative projects – students/
young academics linked with SMEs
• Proposals put forward for community
energy projects.

32. FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF
THE DEMONSTRATOR
Automated functions v. community
building and communities of
practice? (extending the
community)

33. The taxonomy: “ a list of lists”
ROLES ACTIVITY* INFORMATION BUSINESS NEED (Knowledge transfer drivers)
(self-identification) (interviews and SOURCES (cited in
questionnaire responses interview and
demonstrated the industry to questionnaire)
be fluid in roles and identifying
activities may reflect better
the characteristics of the
sectors)
Client advisor Research Green Deal Communication skills
-consultant Writing Government Finding funding
-low carbon consultant Business statistics Support for business innovation
-researcher strategy/strategic thinking DECC Finding resources for R&D
-unpaid consultant Direct marketing People in Glazing More business opportunities
-lobby group Administration Sustainable INet Technical knowledge
-Fire consultant Organisational tasks Derby County Policy knowledge
-Health and Safety Innovation Council QA training for installers
engineer Business development Universities Finding work/new projects
-Architect Building Derby Carbon Finding new projects abroad
--Design manager relationships/networking Initiative Winning new business on the right commercial terms
--Project manager Interpersonal Fabricators/ Allotting enough time to new business ventures
Trainer communication manufacturers Don’t know what is needed
-facilitator Client advise (consultant) Personal library Attracting skilled workforce
Designer Technical interface Building online Knowing how to meet LEED and Breem compliance levels
- (architect) RIBA- To have a variety of projects
Fabricator/Manufacturer Integration of client www.architecture.com How to identify projects that will bring the most and those that will bring
Supplier advice (architect) Google/Wikipedia the least financial benefits
Wholesaler Training Building magicians How to deal with the recession
Client NHBC foundation More information on the Green Deal
Homemaker Teaching www.edjcdatabase. Jobs
Contractor Researching com Marketing to clients
Tradesmen Grant writing/ International
Electrican Tender preparation energy agency
Apprentice EDUCATE
Installer Ashrae.org
Manager CIBSE
Director Energy plus
-Entrepreneur SAP textbooks

34. STRONG AND ENGAGED COMMUNITY

35. Potential collaborations (University of
Nottingham and Birmingham Universities BCE)

36. http://www.greenenergyheroes.org