Penny has been part of Lightsource bp since its inception in 2010. Initially establishing the company’s environmental planning team in the UK, she now serves as Director of Environmental and Social Planning for the company's EMEA and APAC regions. One of her key motivations has been ensuring that Lightsource bp's solar farms deliver multiple benefits beyond carbon reductions. These include enhancing biodiversity and identifying opportunities for co-use with agriculture. Penny was recently elected as a Vice Chair of Solar Power Europe's Land Use and Permitting workstream where she seeks to support these same aims within the wider industry.
Penny previously held several positions as a planner and consultant in her native New Zealand. These include five years with the global engineering firm Stantec (formerly MWH) and roles within various government departments (Environment and Heritage) including work to establish the country’s Environmental Protection Authority.
A recurring problem with solar power production is sourcing suitable land to install projects. Agrivoltaics offers the opportunity to work with farmers to install PV modules on their land, especially pastoral land where animals graze. If done correctly this provides a win-win scenario where both parties can make additional revenue from this land.
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This supports the growth of the solar and storage industries as well as the transition to a cleaner power system.
