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South Dartmoor
Community College

Energy Tech Summit

Richard Penhale, our ICT Systems Manager of 27 years and self-confessed tech enthusiast (or obsessive, depending on who you ask), attended the Octopus Energy Tech Summit in London on Monday—the flagship event launching London Climate Action Week. The summit brought together leading voices from the worlds of energy and technology to explore how innovation can drive sustainability.

The event featured an impressive line-up, including keynote speeches from Colonel Chris Hadfield and Dr Brian Cox, as well as a fascinating discussion between Sir Stephen Fry and Yuval Noah Harari, author of international bestseller ‘Sapiens’, on the future of AI.

Dr Hannah Fry shared insights on AI’s role in scientific discovery, while Maxim Timchenko spoke powerfully about rebuilding Ukraine’s energy grid amid conflict. Damon Hill also made an appearance, claiming to be the first person in Britain to receive a speeding ticket in an electric vehicle.

As part of a Trust committed to reducing its carbon footprint, Richard was particularly interested in how the energy and tech industries are working to make AI more sustainable—through more efficient processing, reduced power consumption and the use of greener energy sources, as demonstrated by companies like Microsoft, Nvidia and Octopus.

The day concluded with a compelling talk by Rory Sutherland on how behavioural science can reshape perceptions, such as tackling range anxiety in EVs.

A truly inspiring day!