Shiny panels and a sure thing, Nick’s story

Nick’s story

Joined 2010, UK – I co-founded the company, then Lightsource Renewable Energy, in 2010, having fallen into solar completely coincidentally. I was driving around the Italian countryside in a Fiat 500, looking at wind farms with an eye to invest, when I saw a field full of shiny things – my very first solar park.

For most bigshot investors, solar is a pretty boring prospect. But for me, with decades in retail financial services behind me, the “boring” nature of solar is what makes it so attractive. Long, predictable, secure returns. Anyone who’s spent any time around me has heard me say it – solar is an excellent investment. As long as the sun comes up every morning, you’re making money, and if the sun doesn’t come up one morning, you’ve got bigger problems.

So that’s how Lightsource began. Not a solar company, but a finance company with solar experts. We followed the money first – in the early days of the Feed-in Tariff free-for-all, all the major solar players were walking around Cornwall looking for land, and we were strolling the Square Mile looking for investors – and it’s paid off in a major way.

Money hasn’t been the only investment we’ve depended on. From the very beginning, we’ve invested in people. From Day One, with six employees and one laptop, to a decade on with close to 500 and offices across the globe, our people have been a vital part of our DNA. We’ve succeeded on the strength of our employees, and in the process we’ve built a unique culture of experiences and background. A place where your ideas are listened to, where you succeed on your own merits – Lightsource bp is a place where you can be sure you’re making a difference. I’m proud of what the business has achieved, but more than that, I’m proud of what, and who, the business is. I hope everyone else involved is too.

Nick Boyle, Group CEO

Corporate biography

Nick founded Lightsource Renewable Energy in 2010, then just a six-person start-up, which quickly grew over five years to become Europe’s leading solar developer and operator, and a recognised global leader.

As Group CEO, Nick’s dynamic leadership and vision has driven the company to tremendous success. In December 2017, Lightsource announced a strategic partnership with bp, who has committed aggressively to accelerate the low-carbon transition with Lightsource bp.

Nick previously sat at board and senior director level in a number of leading retail financial service companies.

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