Lightrock
Chris and Ben founded Lightrock Power in 2017 having worked in renewables development since 2010.
Subsidy-free sites in the UK were not yet feasible in 2017, so the pair originally embarked on developing projects in the US. From early 2019 they returned their attention to the home turf of the UK, and soon added storage solutions to their repertoire.
Whether at home or internationally, Lightrock was created with the determination to develop energy infrastructure in the right way – implementing all the gains to environment, economy and ecology that they can bring.
Lightrock is purposefully structured as a small development team with a flat structure – if you call us you will still be able to speak with Chris or Ben directly. We listen to feedback and implement it wherever we possibly can.
Renewable energy, combined with storage, can help our society transition electricity generation away from fossil fuels but it must be done sensitively. We pride ourselves on being transparent and acting with integrity, not only with our landowners and funders but also, crucially, with the communities that are home to our projects.
Ben Davies
Co-Founder
Ben comes from a farming background and applies his knowledge of rural land management to solar farms, ensuring they can bring a positive contribution to the UK farming and agriculture industry. Ben lives in Gloucestershire and enjoys swimming and exploring the South-West with his young family.
Chris Sowerbutts
Co-Founder
Chris is our resident eco-geek, focused on making efficient grid connections and designing exemplary solar farms, with a particular interest in collaborating with our wildlife partners to optimise the biodiversity benefits. Chris lives in Yorkshire, and enjoys gardening with his young family, and cycling in the Peak District National Park.
Jo Mott
Projects Director
Jo has a background in Environmental Consultancy, specialising in Environmental Impact Assessment, Planning and Project Management, and has over 17 years experience in this area. She oversees the day to day planning and environmental assessments of our projects and works with our external environmental consultants to prepare high quality applications.
Jo holds a BSc(Hons) and MSc in Environmental Impact Assessment, Auditing and Management Systems. In her spare time she enjoys hiking in the North Yorkshire countryside with her family and the dog.
Fiona Wojciechowski
Community Stakeholder Manager
Fiona handles day to day management of Lightrock Power’s PR and communications, writing public documents and liaising with contractors, key stakeholders and local communities. Fiona lives in Yorkshire, and enjoys walks in the Peak District with her husband and daughter, and can otherwise be found tending to her wildlife garden.
Matt Vahdani
Office Manager
Matt is the administrative oil that greases the wheels of our little vehicle. Matt lives in Yorkshire and can frequently be found on walks with Chris’s family (they’re brothers-in-law) or arranging and practicing new material for his wedding/function band (www.innervibeband.com).
Michelle Howson
Planning Project Manager
Michelle holds RTPI accredited Masters degree with a background in environmental policy and sustainability. Michelle lives in Yorkshire and, when she’s not ensuring the smooth running of the planning process, spends much of her time travelling around the country with friends and creating healthy (and delicious) recipes.