Press Release from Solar Energy Scotland, Gareth Simkins
In this press release, Solar Energy Scotland announce the change in leadership to Solar Energy Scotland, with Gensource Co-founder and Managing Director Josh King elected as Chair of Solar Energy Scotland. All of us at Gensource are incredibly proud of Josh and his commitment to supporting the industry further through this role. Well done Josh, we wish you and the rest of the leadership team at Solar Energy Scotland all the best for the term ahead.
Josh King, Director and Co-founder of sustainable energy services company Gensource, has been elected as Chair of Solar Energy Scotland.
Josh has long played an active role in the body and has extensive experience in the renewable energy sector, delivering many megawatts of generation capacity. He was latterly Head of Technical Delivery at SMS plc and before held increasing senior roles at AES Solar. Aside from membership of technical working groups in MCS, he is also vice-chair of Solar Energy UK’s Rooftop Working Group and a director of the Highland Homeless Trust.
Josh recently penned an op-ed for the Herald on the loss of interest-free solar loans from Home Energy Scotland.[1]
He succeeds former Chair Thomas McMillan, head of Savills energy consultancy team and based in Perth.
“We thank Thomas for his valuable service, which has seen the solar industry rise up Scotland’s political agenda significantly. The bulk of objectives laid out three years ago in Scotland’s Fair Share: Solar’s role in achieving net-zero in Scotland have since been achieved, most notably the Scottish Government’s commitment to reach a minimum of four gigawatts by 2030, with an ambition to hit 6GW,” said Chris Hewett, Chief Executive of Solar Energy UK.[2,3]
“I am grateful for the support of the membership to represent the Scottish solar industry as Chair of Solar Energy Scotland. I’d like to express huge appreciation for the outgoing Chair, Thomas McMillan, who has been a great ambassador for the industry, and securing an adventurous Solar deployment target for Scotland. I look forward to representing industry and intend to prioritise delivering on our strategic goals, ensuring Government commits to and industry delivers a 6GW deployment target, and building on the existing achievements in significantly raising the profile of solar energy in Scotland,” said Josh.
George Baxter remains as Vice-Chair after this week’s vote, a role he previously shared with Josh. As Director of Development at Scottish-owned independent developer and operator GreenPower for the past five years, George leads the delivery of wind and solar developments. He was also formerly on the board of Scottish Renewables, Head of Development Strategy/Strategic Relations for SSE Renewables for 12 years and has extensive experience in public affairs and media having worked in the Scottish Parliament and with green NGOs WWF Scotland and Friends of the Earth Scotland over a 30-year career focussed on energy and climate change.
George said: “I am honoured to have been supported by the membership to continue the role of vice-chair. My aim is to help deliver on the commitments set out in our new Solar Energy Scotland strategy to ensure that an ambitious 6 gigawatts of solar is deployed across Scotland at all scales by 2030. There are significant political, policy and technical challenges ahead, but by harnessing the collective expertise and strength of our membership we will overcome them.”
[1] Ditching home solar loans makes no sense amid cost of living crisis
[2] Scotland’s Fair Share: Solar’s role in achieving net-zero in Scotland
[3] Scottish Solar industry welcomes commitment to boost solar energy generation in Scotland
Source, Solar Energy Scotland: https://solarenergyuk.org/news/leadership-of-solar-energy-scotland-refreshed/
