Date Added: 08.03.21

It’s no secret that the energy sector has had a major lack of gender diversity for a number of years now, but we’re not here to critique what hasn’t yet been achieved. Today for International Women’s Day 2021, we want to celebrate the strides the industry has taken in recent years by making leadership positions more accessible to women, and look at some of the amazing innovation that has followed.

Before we get on to that, you might be wondering: why is it so important to make space at the top for women in energy? The answer is simple: because your organisation deserves a fresh take. If you’re only allowing the same type of person with a similar lived experience to make crucial decisions that affect us all, and the way we approach energy, you’re missing out on new and exciting ideas that could propel us forwards.

If only one type of perspective is allowed to prosper in your organisation, there are a lot of key opportunities that could get missed. Although there’s still work to be done, the energy and utilities space is gradually becoming more diverse with the renewables market attracting more women, 32% of the global workforce to be precise.

Here are some of our favourite women in energy who have taken innovation to the next level. I think you’ll agree that amazing things are being done across the globe to not only further the energy industry, but move us on as a society and help to solve global crises with some really intelligent solutions.

1. Dr Ozak Esu

Ozak Esu is an award winning Electrical Engineer who has led the charge on BRE Centre for Smart Homes and Buildings as their Technical Lead. The world of the connected home is still an emerging territory, but thanks to Ozak and her team, IoT has been utilised in new ways to help cut carbon emissions and improve energy supply and demand in new property developments.

Having won a wide array of awards for her work, including Institution of Engineering and Technology’s Young Woman Engineer of the Year 2017 and Mike Sargeant Career Achievement Award for Young Professionals, Ozak’s work has been recognised for its brilliance the world over.

She also spends time paving the way for aspiring BAME engineers to enter the industry and flex their technical abilities through her work as a panellist for Association for BME Engineers.

2. Eden Full, SunSaluter

Eden Full is a force to be reckoned with in the world of solar energy. Having built her own desktop solar car at the tender age of 10, she’s been fascinated by solar power since she was old enough to know what it was.

With big dreams of making solar energy more accessible for all, Eden set up SunSaluter – an organisation dedicated to bringing solar power and filtered water to off-grid communities across the world.

Her water powered solar panels rotate to follow the sun and can generate up to 40% more electricity than stationary solar panels, making them ideal for remote communities where both clean water and electricity are hard to come by. So far SunSaluter is being deployed in 19 countries and has seen 3600 tonnes of Co2 avoided in the process.

3. Louise Kingham, Energy Institute

Louise Kingham is a well-known pillar of the UK energy sector thanks to her work with the Energy Institute. As the former CEO of the global professional body for the energy sector, Louise has invested a lot of time into promoting best practice across the industry. Having been awarded multiple accolades from a Global Leadership in Energy Award to an OBE for her contributions to the energy industry, Louise is a role model to many women in energy.

She is also passionate about making energy and utilities a much more female-friendly environment and is a board member of POWERful Women – a group committed to encouraging the energy industry to develop and re-balance its workforce.

4. Ogutu Okudo, Women in Energy & Extractives Africa (WEX Africa)

Having earned her stripes in the industry as a country manager for SpringRock Energy at just 25 years old, Ogutu has gone on to make a huge impact by founding Nairobi NGO Women in Energy & Extractives Africa. WEX Africa strives to encourage more African women to join the typically male-dominated oil and gas industry.

Ogutu has won the New Leader of Tomorrow award for her role in advocating for women in energy. Her work with WEX has had a truly transformative impact on the African energy market by focusing on outreach programmes in schools and engaging communities to promote a female presence in one of the continent’s most lucrative industries.

5. Monique Alfris , Pollinate Energy

Australian entrepreneur and solar energy engineer, Monique Alfris, co-founded Pollinate Energy with a mission to improve energy access in the developing world. Concentrating on the world’s most neglected communities, Pollinate strives to empower people in deprived areas to not only generate their own solar energy using their innovative lamp solutions, but also create livelihoods.

Monique’s vision was to inspire members of these communities to become small business owners by giving them the opportunity to become resellers and installation experts in their own right. The results have been astounding. Not only has Pollinate improved the utilisation of solar power in the developing world, but it’s also drastically reduced the use of kerosene lamps, having a positive impact on reducing fossil fuel use. The social benefits of providing employment opportunities to both women and men are also commendable.

Do you know of any women in energy who should have made this list? Let us know and we’d love to write a follow up piece. Get in touch with Mia Weston or reach out to us on our socials: LinkedIn & Instagram.