Alana Johnson holds a degree in engineering from Imperial College in London, and she started her career as a graduate at Rolls-Royce. She joined DONG Energy in 2014. The photo is at the Young Energy Professionals (YEP) Awards 2017 in London where she won the innovation award.
Simple and green solutions
In July 2016, Alana and her team launched a project to create a more transparent and attractive energy system for suppliers and customers alike:
"Through working with a number of organisations in the UK, we identified a number of challenges that companies were facing when exploring the idea of optimising their energy consumption and participating in flexibility schemes. We therefore developed solutions that remove the barriers that our industrial and commercial customers encountered, so they could start optimising their energy consumption and reduce their costs."
"For example, our 'Renewable Balancing Reserve' solution does exactly this and enables companies to test their ability to provide flexible demand. The idea behind the product is that the companies supply reserve energy to us on request at times when we see an opportunity in the market and then they receive payment for the reduction in energy consumption that they deliver. They thereby gain financially by being flexible and furthermore supports our aim to optimise the use of energy resources."
A smarter way of consuming
The UK market has long been challenged in terms of ensuring price stability, and Alana emphasises that technological development is absolutely crucial in the future:
"The UK market needs new technologies that can promote a smarter way of consuming. The consumer is a key element to deliver this and must therefore be in focus as we develop the energy system. The development of green energy must also enable a cost-effective solution for business consumers."
Confidence in new ideas
Alana has headed a complex product development process, which has led to an increase in the use of flexible solutions of more than 100MW this past year. In her opinion, the working environment has been crucial for her success:
"Throughout this process, DONG Energy has helped me to develop my skills and progress my career in business and solution development. When creating new, innovative solutions, we work across different teams and countries, which creates a dynamic and international atmosphere, making the company a very enjoyable and supportive environment to work in."
