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Efficiency Leader with Ulrika Lindholm 17 February 2021

Efficiency Leader with Ulrika Lindholm

The energy management sector is made up of many passionate professionals. In this month’s Efficiency Leader profile, we’re excited to introduce you to Ulrika Lindholm, the EEC’s newly minted Senior Manager of Projects. Ulrika lives and works in Sydney.

What is your role with the EEC?

I just joined the team at the Energy Efficiency Council as Senior Manager of Projects. I now lead the Council’s work with governments at the state and federal level, key industry and professional associations, and non-governmental organisations, particularly our NGO Partners, on business engagement, bespoke research, and sector development projects.

What did you do prior to joining the EEC?

I spent over 10 years in the Energy & Automation Industry in Australia and internationally with market leading organisations such as Schneider Electric. My last stint before joining the EEC was as a market strategy consultant for a Demand Response start-up while also advocating for a green recovery as a volunteer for the Australian Conservation Foundation.

What do you enjoy about working for the EEC?

I get to do work every day that aligns with my personal values and I am surrounded, albeit virtually, by smart and fun people that care deeply about the work.

How do you stay connected with your team when you aren’t in the office?

I have worked in many remote teams, even before the pandemic, so I have learnt the importance of proactive relationship building. To me, that means sharing a lot about myself and having 1-on-1s with people to talk about things other than projects, like working styles, families, interests etc.

How do you champion energy efficiency in your own home?

Thanks to my clever IT geek husband we have a custom-built smart home with sensors, smart speakers and devices connected to an open-platform system which controls things like lights, coffee machine, and the aircon. We experiment with scenarios in which our home responds to typical everyday use, simple things like sensor-triggered lighting or the aircon turning off if we open balcony doors for more than 15 seconds. My latest thing is that I have signed on to a wholesale price electricity plan and am experimenting with reducing and delaying electricity use in response to real time changes in price.  

When not immersed in Australia’s energy transition, what do you do for fun?

I spend time in nature. My 2yo loves going on short bushwalks and spending time at the beach. Pre-covid I would travel whenever I could. I am also fascinated by mind-emotion-wellbeing and obviously smart-home stuff.

What are you currently excited about in the energy world?

The building momentum for climate action, and how, for many organisations, energy efficiency can be a cost-effective way to address this.

Where do you see Australia’s energy and energy management markets in 2030?

I am very conscious that we are at the start of a decade of massive societal, economic, and environmental challenges. I also think that a mindset of opportunity is the most useful right now. There is a very real scenario where the energy management market gets a substantial and sustained boost from end users’ increased efforts to reduce carbon emissions. I am excited about the prospect of businesses, government, industry associations and NGOs working even closer together to realise these opportunities and creating jobs and wellbeing in the process.

 

Ulrika Lindholm is Senior Manager, Projects with the Energy Efficiency Council

Follow Ulrika on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn.

 

This article was originally published in the February edition of Efficiency Insight.