Following the renewable boom, the UK solar energy market has experienced a period of consolidation over the past 12 months. With conflicting reports over the viability of subsidy-free solar there has been an increased focus on maximising the return on existing renewable investments.  This session will examine the key mechanisms which community energy groups can seek to leverage in order to maximise income while minimising their asset's costs, focusing on Mongoose Energy's experience over the past year. 

• Dan Kingscote - Performance and Operations Manager, Mongoose Energy
  @MongooseEnergy

Dan gained a Masters degree in Corporate Social Responsibility from the University of Nottingham and has since pursued a career focused on delivering social, environmental and commercial returns. Dan founded a social enterprise working to provide off-grid, affordable solar energy in rural Malawi, which has since developed micro-solar businesses in 7 communities across Malawi and has now been handed over to a Malawian management team. Following this venture, Dan went on to work in GSK’s Global Health Team focused on increasing access to medicine in developing countries. In 2016, Dan joined Mongoose focusing on managing O&M contractors and site performance across the Mongoose portfolio. Dan now works as Mongoose’s Performance and Operations Manager, responsible for optimising project returns to investors and the community across Mongoose’s 81MW portfolio, through improving output, procuring low cost, high-value contracts for site operational costs, and ensuring that the portfolio’s revenue is optimised through PPAs. In particular, during 2017 Dan has managed the procurement of new O&M contracts across the portfolio through a competitive tender, reducing operational costs by approximately 20%. Dan has also been responsible for the management of project Final Acceptance across the Mongoose portfolio.

• Rob Proctor - Business and Development Manager, Community Energy Wales (Chair of the session)
  @CommEnergyWales

Robert Proctor is the Business Development Manager for Community Energy Wales and has helped to set up the organisation which now has over 70 members throughout Wales. He is also the Director of a Community Wind project in Carmarthenshire and until recently was the Programme Director for the award-winning Renew Wales programme which has supported over 400 communities in Wales take action on climate change. He has over 12 years’ experience working in the community and environmental sector and has specialised in Community Energy over the last 3 years.