Community Solar Projects Manager

South East London Community Energy is an award-winning energy member-led cooperative. We
believe in creating a fair and just energy transition by building distributed and renewable
energy systems, reducing local energy demand, and leaving no one behind in the process.

Selce promotes community-financed renewables, supports residents to increase the energy
efficiency of their homes and provides advice and referrals for vulnerable residents at risk of
fuel poverty.

Through a community financing model, we own and operate 510 kWp of solar PV across 11 solar
generation sites across Southeast London. We will install a further 400kWp and 4 sites in
the coming year. We sell the electricity directly to our sites which currently includes seven
schools, two leisure centers, a church, and a hotel. Our work has earned us multiple national
awards, including the Renewable Energy Association’s Community Energy Project of the Year 2019
and the Community Energy Social Impact Award 2019.

We raise funds from our local community members, who become cooperative members. Each
member has a voice in how SELCE is managed. These funds are then invested in designing, procuring, and installing solar sites. In return, our solar sites enter into a Power
Purchase Agreement (PPA) with us to buy the electricity generated on-site at a rate that
remains the same in real terms for 20 years.

It is our 10th anniversary this year and we are looking to extend our solar projects and
continue to evolve our asset management process.

We’re looking for a solar PV professional who can grow our solar work and who combines the
technical skill required for solar design, and the attention to detail for asset management
with the interpersonal skills required to inspire sites and bring them along on what is often a
long and complex journey to a community financed install.

You will be responsible for one staff member who will support you in all aspects of our solar
projects. You will oversee the growth of our solar PV work and our team. You will work closely
with the CEO to put legal agreements in place with sites.

You will be responsible for:

Develop New Sites

• Undertake technical feasibility assessments of potential solar sites. Conduct both desktop
  assessments and site visits
• Apply for funding that will enable us to cover the cost of assessing the feasibility of, and
  developing new sites
• Procure structural and grid connection assessments and work with planning consultants to
  secure planning consent.
• Use a solar design software to design to maximises yield and self-consumption
• Understand, develop, and use Selce’s existing Excel based financial model to calculate the
  price at which we will sell solar electricity to sites. Training will be provided.
• Develop a relationship with solar sites to guide them through the feasibility process
  liaising with key stakeholders building trust and awareness about solar technologies
• Draft proposals for community financed solar for sites specifying our design and financial
  offer to sites
• Alongside our CEO and our solicitors, put in place legal agreements (a lease and a PPA) that
  will enable us to operate solar for 20 years on third party sites
• Alongside our CEO, maintain a strategic relationship with local authority officers who are
  responsible for local authority stock
• Attend community events to explain the benefits of our community financed solar model to key
  stakeholders.

Oversea New Installations

• Run competitive tender processes to procure solar installation services
• Oversea the installation of new sites ensuring solar installers adhere to best practice

Manage Assets

• Coordinate quarterly meter reads
• Coordinate invoicing of sites and Feed in Tariff providers and Export PPA providers
• Monitor yield and identify any sites in need of maintenance and repair
• Work with our O&M contractor to coordinate any repair and maintenance issues

Team Leadership

• Line manage and support the development of at least one other member of staff
• Support solar team volunteers and support them into employment in the solar industry
• Participate in Team Learning processes and support other team members to understand solar
  technologies

Skills & Experience

Essential

• At least 2 years’ work experience in a design role in the solar industry in a UK (or
  similar) northern European context
• Experience using solar PV design software to design solar sites and specifically to use or
  to rapidly learn how to use Open Solar
• Experience of Project management of the installation of commercial solar arrays
• Excellent Microsoft Excel skills that will enable you to work with our financial model for
  our offer to sites an ongoing price for solar electricity
• Excellent interpersonal skills that will enable you to maintain a line of communication
  with sites and explain to them the complexities of solar PV
• Excellent written communication skills enabling you to draft proposal documents and respond
  to written questions
• Attention to detail ensuring that all meter readings and invoices are correct.
• Experience in business development and good awareness of the commercial aspects of solar PV
  and associated revenue streams

Desirable

• A full clean UK driving license
• Experience of applying for funding
• Experience of teaching or running workshops about solar technologies
• Experience of volunteer supervision
• Experience of team management
• Experience of community energy