Speaker: Matthew Pinfield, Project Developer, Renewables, E.ON UK

About this event

The Annual General Meeting of the Solent Network will commence at 18:30 and will be followed by an address by the Guest Speaker, the Chief Executive and Secretary of the IET, Robin McGill.

Matt Pinfield will give the lecture on 'The challenges of wind farm development in the UK'.

The UK has the best wind resource in Europe and a strong pro renewables energy policy with healthy financial incentives, yet despite these advantages, is in danger of falling behind its European counterparts in terms of MW’s deployed. The speaker gives a first hand view of the challenges faced in developing wind projects in the UK & highlights some of the issues holding back development.

Are we missing a golden opportunity simply because of NIMBYsion & fear of change or are there genuine reasons for this slow pace of growth?

MattPinfield is a Project Developer for E.ON UK – he has worked at E.ON for 10 years spending time in the Retail and Trading businesses before joining Renewables in 2005.

Matt’s enthusiasm for Renewables was triggered in the early 2000’s when working as a Trader purchasing green energy from the emerging start up renewable developers. Now having stepped over to development himself, he recently achieved notable success in receiving his 1st planning consent for an on-shore wind scheme. Matt therefore is fully conversant with the UK renewables marketplace in general and the challenges involved with project development in particular.

Matt has recently been elected to the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) Aviation Strategy working group and has represented E.ON in a variety of trade & public arenas.

Following the lecture there will be the annual dinner of the Solent Network.