Brighton Energy Coop is set up for the benefit of the community. In 2011 we received £18,000 start up money from eight local investors; later that year we raised £8,000 more. We’ve been mentored by many business organisations and have achieved press coverage locally and nationally. Early in 2012 we were awarded a £30,000 grant to deliver energy efficiency surveys throughout Brighton and Hove.
The founder members are the directors listed below. They bring a mix of relevant skills and experience in the energy, business and financial sectors.
They are:
Chairman: Will Cottrell
Will began his business career in Barcelona, publishing a monthly, 20,000-copy English magazine. Later he established Yoga Travel, a holiday company operating in Egypt, Thailand and Morocco which today takes more than 300 people abroad each year. In 2009 he bought a website traffic provider, Yogaholidays.net, which has 60,000 annual visitors; that same year he established Brighton Energy Co-op after participating in the Copenhagen COP15 Climate Conference.
Will brings a key environmental impetus to BE, regarding grassroots organisations as key to addressing the environmental issues we face.
Project director: Damian Tow
Having originally read Business Studies at Hull University, Damian completed a Masters in Leadership for Sustainable Development at Forum for the Future in 2009. Prior to that he had 14 years experience as a project and programme manager at Cable & Wireless and BT and was a director of a small software company. He has Prince 2, MSP and APMP project management qualifications and has been working with Brighton Energy Co-op since August 2010.
Damian’s interest in the environment comes from a countryside upbringing, a love of nature and working as a mountain leader.
Director: Ross Gilbert
Ross is a Director of Quoin Estates and Developments, a Sussex based property development company. He has a master’s degree in Sustainability of the Built Environment from the University of Brighton. Ross has completed a number of renewable energy development projects both in the UK and Germany. His knowledge of developing and installing renewable technologies and his broader understanding of property development brings valuable experience to the BEC team. You can read Ross’s renewable energy blog here.
Adviser: John Smith
John is the Director of Cityzen, a multidisciplinary design practice in Brighton specialising in Architectural Technology, Low Carbon Consultancy and Sustainability. John has 22 years experience within the built environment from building services engineering into architectural technology; bridging the gap between building design and building function. As a CIBSE accredited Low Carbon Consultant he advises on renewables design and carbon modelling of buildings. John has been part of the team since December 2010; checking potential sites and putting together planning applications, and is one of our early investors demonstrating his confidence in the BEC model.
Advisor: Danni Craker
Danni is a chartered accountant who spent nearly 8 years working with PricewaterhouseCoopers in both their London and Tokyo offices. In late 2009 Danni set up Craker Business Solutions, a Hove-based environmentally-conscious accountancy practice. She started working with Brighton Energy Co-op in August 2010.
Danni’s interest in the environment and the challenges we face has grown over a number of years culminating with her decision to start her own business based on strong environmental values and a desire to help others do the same.
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Meet the Team
Brighton Energy Coop is set up for the benefit of the community. In 2011 we received £18,000 start up money from eight local investors; later that year we raised £8,000 more. We’ve been mentored by many business organisations and have achieved press coverage locally and nationally. Early in 2012 we were awarded a £30,000 grant to deliver energy efficiency surveys throughout Brighton and Hove.
The founder members are the directors listed below. They bring a mix of relevant skills and experience in the energy, business and financial sectors.
They are:
Chairman: Will Cottrell
Will began his business career in Barcelona, publishing a monthly, 20,000-copy English magazine. Later he established Yoga Travel, a holiday company operating in Egypt, Thailand and Morocco which today takes more than 300 people abroad each year. In 2009 he bought a website traffic provider, Yogaholidays.net, which has 60,000 annual visitors; that same year he established Brighton Energy Co-op after participating in the Copenhagen COP15 Climate Conference.
Will brings a key environmental impetus to BE, regarding grassroots organisations as key to addressing the environmental issues we face.
Project director: Damian Tow
Having originally read Business Studies at Hull University, Damian completed a Masters in Leadership for Sustainable Development at Forum for the Future in 2009. Prior to that he had 14 years experience as a project and programme manager at Cable & Wireless and BT and was a director of a small software company. He has Prince 2, MSP and APMP project management qualifications and has been working with Brighton Energy Co-op since August 2010.
Damian’s interest in the environment comes from a countryside upbringing, a love of nature and working as a mountain leader.
Director: Ross Gilbert
Ross is a Director of Quoin Estates and Developments, a Sussex based property development company. He has a master’s degree in Sustainability of the Built Environment from the University of Brighton. Ross has completed a number of renewable energy development projects both in the UK and Germany. His knowledge of developing and installing renewable technologies and his broader understanding of property development brings valuable experience to the BEC team. You can read Ross’s renewable energy blog here.
Adviser: John Smith
John is the Director of Cityzen, a multidisciplinary design practice in Brighton specialising in Architectural Technology, Low Carbon Consultancy and Sustainability. John has 22 years experience within the built environment from building services engineering into architectural technology; bridging the gap between building design and building function. As a CIBSE accredited Low Carbon Consultant he advises on renewables design and carbon modelling of buildings. John has been part of the team since December 2010; checking potential sites and putting together planning applications, and is one of our early investors demonstrating his confidence in the BEC model.
Advisor: Danni Craker
Danni is a chartered accountant who spent nearly 8 years working with PricewaterhouseCoopers in both their London and Tokyo offices. In late 2009 Danni set up Craker Business Solutions, a Hove-based environmentally-conscious accountancy practice. She started working with Brighton Energy Co-op in August 2010.
Danni’s interest in the environment and the challenges we face has grown over a number of years culminating with her decision to start her own business based on strong environmental values and a desire to help others do the same.