This year, Engineers Ireland and Queen’s University Belfast, in association with The Institution of Engineering and Technology, are delighted to welcome Ms Marguerite Sayers, Executive Director of Customer Solutions at ESB, and President of Engineers Ireland , to give the 19th Annual Sir Bernard Crossland Lecture titled 'Switching on to the Energy Transition'.

The need to address climate change is rapidly changing the profile of electricity generation. It underpins the need to make smart business and domestic heating and transport choices, and is seeing a big growth in distributed renewable energy. Currently, the most mature technologies to ensure the energy transition are all based around increased electrification – which means that we will have an even greater reliance on the stability of the electricity system. Ironically, incorporating significant amounts of new technologies is threatening system security – a problem which must be solved. Engineers are working hard to provide clean energy technologies such as EVs and their associated charging networks, heat pumps, battery and other storage systems, solar and wind renewable technologies at grid and domestic scale, while exploring other options such as green hydrogen, Carbon Capture and Storage, bio-gas, wave generation and nuclear energy. This presentation explores the challenges of the energy transition - behind the headlines.

Professor Mark Price, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast, will give the welcome address at this prestigious event, which is also part of the Northern Ireland Science Festival.

There will be a networking reception for all guests from 5.30pm in Riddel Hall, with the lecture starting promptly at 6.00pm in the Isdell Courtyard.

You can join the conversation on Twitter by following @SBCLecture @QUBEngagement @Engineerireland and using the #SirBernardCrossland

Over-16s only please

Ms Marguerite Sayers

BE CEng FIEI Chartered Engineer

Marguerite Sayers was appointed as ESB’s Executive Director for Customer Solutions in 2018. Prior to that, she held the position of Managing Director, ESB Networks DAC for over three years. She is a graduate of University College Cork (1991) and holds a BE in Electrical/Electronic Engineering.   She has worked in various managerial positions and locations throughout Ireland with ESB since graduating, including senior roles in HR, Customer Services and Asset Management and she also managed ESB’s Generation portfolio for a period of time.  

In her current Customer Solutions role, she leads the energy retail company Electric Ireland, and is also responsible for ESB’s Telecoms, E-Cars, and Smart Energy Services businesses, which deliver low-carbon products and services to customers in Ireland and the UK.  Marguerite is a Fellow of Engineers Ireland and has been a member of Engineers Ireland’s Council and Executive Board for the past seven years.  She is the organisation’s President for 2019-2020.”

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Professor Sir Bernard Crossland

The Northern Region of Engineers Ireland (the all-Ireland professional body representing professional engineers of all engineering disciplines) established the annual Sir Bernard Crossland Lecture in 2001 at Queen's University to celebrate and promote excellence in engineering.

Sir Bernard Crossland was a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University. He was Head of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from 1959 - 1982 and enjoyed an international reputation as a research pioneer in high pressure engineering and explosive welding. He was a Fellow (and former Vice-President) of the Royal Society, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Member of the Royal Irish Academy, President of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers from 1986 to 1987 and a Fellow of the Irish Academy of Engineering. In June 2009 he was awarded the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Sustained Achievement Award