On this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with Carolina Tortora, Head of AI, Innovation and Digitalisation at NESO. Carolina works at the centre of Great Britain’s energy system, leading efforts to modernise how the sector uses data, digital tools, and AI as complexity and decentralisation increase.

The conversation explores why digital transformation is now essential for system resilience and net zero, the cultural challenge of aligning engineering and digital teams, and the role of data quality and secure data sharing in enabling innovation. Carolina also discusses the ambition behind the Data Sharing Infrastructure (DSI), the realities of deploying innovation in critical infrastructure, and what NESO is looking for through its Call for Ideas.

Adam and Carolina cover:

• Carolina’s role leading AI, innovation, and digitalisation at NESO
• Why digital transformation is critical for a resilient, net zero energy system
• Cultural challenges between engineering expertise and digital capability
• Data quality, governance, and the foundations for effective AI
• The Data Sharing Infrastructure and sector-wide collaboration
• Balancing innovation with operational risk in critical infrastructure
• What NESO is looking for through its innovation-focused Call for Ideas

On this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with Tunde Olaoye, Director of Product and Innovation at Gren, a fast-growing UK energy company building next-generation heat and power networks. Tunde brings over a decade of experience across mechanical engineering, consultancy, and large-scale energy infrastructure, with a career spanning Babcock, WSP, SSE, and now Gren.

Tunde shares how Gren is rethinking urban heat through digital twins, optimisation, and large-scale network design, and how their “Energy on Clyde” project is laying the foundations for a new model of low-carbon heat infrastructure. They explore why heat networks are essential for decarbonising complex buildings, the challenges of legacy systems, and how data-driven control can unlock major efficiency gains.

The conversation ranges from hands-on engineering lessons to the cultural and financial innovations needed to scale clean heat. Tunde also reflects on the role of AI, the future of O&M optimisation, and what it takes to build a truly digital-first energy organisation.

Adam and Tunde cover:

• Tunde’s journey through engineering, consultancy, and the evolution of heat networks
• How heat networks work — and why they’re vital for decarbonising cities
• Digital twins for real-time optimisation, control, and asset insight
• Using data to reduce O&M costs and improve financial performance
• Parallels between heat, power, and other infrastructure systems
• The future of AI in operational decision-making and reliability
• Building inclusive, collaborative teams in a fast-scaling energy startup

On this episode of the Hypercube Energy Podcast, Adam Sroka speaks with Dr Stephanie Loeb, Professor of Civil Engineering at McGill University and Associate Director of the Brace Water Centre. Stephanie’s research explores how solar energy, nanomaterials, and AI can power the next generation of sustainable water systems.

They discuss how solar-driven photocatalysis and decentralised treatment technologies are reshaping the future of clean water, and how AI-enabled monitoring can transform environmental data into faster, clearer insights for policy and public health. Stephanie also reflects on the water–energy nexus, the close relationship between how we power and purify our world, and how innovation, mentorship, and inclusion are driving change in STEM.

Adam and Stephanie cover:

• Stephanie’s journey from physics and photonics to environmental engineering
• The science behind solar-powered water treatment
• Using AI and optical data to improve water safety and monitoring
• Parallels between decentralised energy and water systems
• Mentorship, inclusion, and the next generation of scientists