If the UK is to reduce emissions by 78% by 2030 as the government has promised, our energy system needs to continue to transform at an exponential rate. Community Energy has a vital part to play to ensure the transition is just, giving everyone the opportunity to take a stake and ensuring the economic and environmental rewards stay local.
Market realities continue to evolve and we need to respond. Join us to explore ways that community energy groups can secure revenues and finance new projects. Take part in a discussion with the experts who are making it happen.
Speakers
Matthew Clayton – Managing Director, Thrive Renewables
Matthew has worked in the Thrive Renewables team (formerly Triodos Renewables) since 2006 and undertakes the overall full time management of Thrive Renewables Plc. In this time Matthew has contributed to 15-fold growth in the Company. Prior to joining Triodos Bank, Matthew was part of a small team which established Camco International, one of the world's leading carbon trading companies, focusing on supporting sustainable energy projects via the Kyoto framework.
Monika Paplaczyk – Investment Director, Thrive Renewables
Monika has been part of the Thrive Renewables since 2007 and joined the team whilst the company was managed by Triodos Bank. In her role as Senior Investment Manager, Monika leads the originating, development, acquisition and construction of sustainable energy assets for Thrive Renewables. Monika also manages the commercial aspects of the portfolio, such as sourcing and negotiating power purchase arrangements. Before joining Triodos Bank Monika worked in Edinburgh for a consulting company where she was involved in preparing business plans and grant applications for community development, biomass and grain storage projects.
Ollie Pendered – Chief Executive, Community Energy South & Director of Strategic Partnerships, Riding Sunbeams
Ollie is the CEO of Community Energy South, which supports the growth of the community energy sector across the South East of England. He is a specialist community energy mentor and experienced project lead with over 20 years’ experience working in the energy industry in communications and business development. Ollie was Regional Partnerships Manager for the Local Energy Team at BEIS and is a Director of Community Energy England. He is Chair of the Greater Brighton City Region Energy Panel and an advocate for establishing Local Area Energy Planning to enable rapid decarbonisation with a particular focus on community led energy plans. Working across the South East with Local Authorities he has set up Pathways to Community Energy, supporting and growing a network of new community energy groups. In the past 4 years, Community Energy South has developed two exciting business models to support the Community Energy Sector. Firstly, working with climate change charity Possible and recently Thrive Renewables to establish Riding Sunbeams, and over the past year CES has established Communiheat, delivering a behaviour change programme to take a rural community to Net Zero.
Dan Starman – Lead Consultant – New Markets, Cornwall Insight
Dan is a Lead Consultant at Cornwall Insight, with nine years’ experience in the energy sector working on a wide range of retail, regulation and wholesale products and projects. His experience includes conducting due diligence on energy retailers and large merchant generation assets, supporting investment cases for new renewable assets, PPA assessment, retail market intelligence and scoping activity for new entrants, and leading projects on energy policy and local markets. Dan has an extensive knowledge of non-commodity cost and revenue components, including network charging and energy policies, putting this into practice through cost and revenue forecasting and benchmarking models.
Simon Roberts - Chief Executive, Center for Sustainable Energy
Simon has spent more than 35 years helping people, organisations and policymakers change the way they think and act on energy. Since 2002 he has been Chief Executive of the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), one of the UK’s leading energy charities. Prior to this, he held senior roles at Friends of the Earth and Triodos Bank. He was Managing Director of Thrive Renewables (when it was The Wind Fund) from 2000-2002.
Register for the webinar here
