Bronwyn Sutton joins Clir as Offshore Principal as the business amplifies scope of offshore wind capabilities in 2021
Vancouver, 1 February 2021 – Clir Renewables, the leading provider of performance assessment software for renewable energy, today announces the appointment of Bronwyn Sutton, formerly Director of Wind Advisory services for Wood, as Offshore Principal. Bronwyn brings more than a decade of commercial and transactional experience across onshore and offshore wind to Clir, further strengthening a team that combines software development expertise with the engineering, development, financial, and data science specialisms of the renewable energy industry.
Renewable energy investment has expanded rapidly in recent years, with this progression reflected through Clir’s onboarded portfolio – which itself surpassed 10 GW of wind and solar projects in 2020. This trend is set to continue, with a steep uptick forecast in the coming decades as a growing list of countries commit to net-zero emissions and investment portfolios replace fossil fuels with clean energy alternatives. Offshore wind is expected to drive much of this growth, with the European Commission pledging 60 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and 25 GW currently in development off the coast of the US.
Clir’s platform uses artificial intelligence to analyze SCADA and event data whilst incorporating meteorological data, site activity and relevant contractual information. The data is then standardized, processed, and analyzed to assess each project’s performance and recommend actions to increase production, monitor asset health and manage technical financial risk. Clir’s team then works directly with the project owner, operator and original equipment manufacturer to realize performance improvements, mitigate risks and support resolution of contractual issues.
Clir’s 2020 growth has been buoyed by 1.6 GW of offshore wind projects, and Bronwyn’s appointment reflects the business’s increased investment in supporting offshore asset owners in improving project performance. Additionally, Bronwyn’s appointment bolsters Clir’s due diligence capabilities as she has led and supported over 10 GW offshore wind projects on behalf of institutional and private investors, including ENI’s recent investment in Dogger Bank.
Bronwyn Sutton commented: “I’m thrilled to join such a forward thinking company, using intelligent data analysis to help optimize projects. I see great opportunities for owners and operators to gain both insight and production uplifts from Clir’s work on a project, portfolio and fleet basis. The potential benefits are multiplied for offshore wind due to the scale of the projects and generous tariffs underpinning many of the operational sites. As the energy transition ramps up and more and more projects come online, I am delighted to be working with Clir to give owners the confidence that the most informed decisions are being made today to optimize production for the full asset lifetime.”
Craig McCall, Chief Revenue Officer, Clir Renewables added: “The backbone of our success over 2020 is our commitment to combining decades of renewables, software development and data science expertise in delivering defendable actions for our clients – something which is ultimately powering the increased uptake of renewable energy across the globe. Bronwyn will be a fantastic addition to this team, particularly given her extensive expertise in assessing the performance and risk for wind energy assets during acquisitions.
“Looking ahead through 2021, we are focused on expanding our offering across a number of key renewables markets, strengthening our existing offering and replicating our success in wind to other renewable technologies.”
