About the Panel Experts...

The Scheme is run by a panel of experts who assess the range of Green Energy products in the market. Ofgem, the body that regulates the gas and electricity markets in the UK, also sits on the panel, but doesn’t have a vote. The panel make their decisions based on the Green Supply Guidelines published by Ofgem in February 2009.

Panel Experts

Solitaire Townsend

Solitaire Townsend is the co-founder of the UK’s leading green communications agency Futerra Communications Ltd. For more than a decade she has advised businesses, charities and government on persuasive and transparent green messages. In 2009 she authored the influential Greenwash Guide for the UK and USA on preventing misleading marketing claims.

Solitaire holds a Masters degree in Sustainable Development and is a member of the United Nation’s Sustainable Lifestyles Taskforce, a Trustee of the charity Tomorrows Company, and was named Ethical Entrepreneur of the year in 2008.

Transparency statement

Futerra Communications Ltd has worked in the past, and currently, for UK and non UK energy suppliers and government departments. These include DEFRA, DECC and EON. Solitaire does not now, and will not work in future directly on any further energy supplier contracts.

Tomorrows Company has several energy supplier members. Solitaire does not financially benefit from her trustee position with Tomorrows Company

Dr Nick Eyre

Dr Nick Eyre is Programme Leader of the Lower Carbon Futures group in the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford, and a Senior Research Fellow at Oriel College, Oxford. He is a Co-Director of the UK Energy Research Centre, leading its work on energy demand. Nick previously worked at the Energy Saving Trust as Director of Strategy and, on secondment, in Cabinet Office, where he was a co-author of the Government’s 2002 Review of Energy Policy.

Nick has been a researcher, consultant, policy analyst and programme manager on energy and environment issues for 25 years. His current research interests focus on energy policy, especially with respect to energy demand and small scale generation technologies. Nick has published extensively on energy and climate issues, including being a co-author of a recent book on carbon markets. He is a lead author in the ongoing Global Energy Assessment.

Transparency statement

My research team at the University of Oxford receives funding of a part-time postdoctoral research position in ‘energy related niche behaviours’ from Electricité de France, the parent company of EDF Energy.

Virginia Graham

Virginia Graham has since 2006 been Chief Executive of Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd., a subsidiary of the Renewable Energy Association, running various energy certification schemes. These include: the REAL Assurance Scheme, an OFT-backed consumer protection scheme promoting high standards in small-scale generation; and the Biofertiliser Certification Scheme for digestates produced from anaerobic digestion.

Virginia has extensive experience in sustainable energy policy. From 2000 to 2005 she was Director of Environmental and Social Issues at the GB energy regulator, Ofgem. She developed Ofgem’s sustainable energy policy, and ran a number of Government environmental programmes incentivising energy efficiency and renewable generation.

With degrees in politics, economics and management, Virginia has worked on environmental, consumer and social issues for all of her career, both in the EU and the UK. She is Chair of Global Action Plan and eaga Charitable Trust and a non-executive Director of National Energy Action.

Transparency statement

Virginia was formerly an independent director of British Gas's Energy For Tomorrow Fund, which supports renewable energy projects such as Solar Panels on UK schools or other community renewable energy projects, and receives a contribution for each customer signed up under their certified tariffs.

Simon Retallack

Simon is Head of Climate Change and Associate Director at the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr), the UK's leading independent, progressive think tank, where he leads an award-winning programme of research on UK and international climate change policy. This has included pioneering work developing policies and communications aimed at changing behaviours and building support for climate action. Simon is also the founder of the Global Climate Network, a collaboration of influential research and policy organisations in countries key to tackling climate change.

Previously, Simon led research for the International Climate Change Taskforce, which provided advice to the UK Government for its presidency of the G8 in 2005. He has also been co-director of the Climate Initiatives Fund, a grant-making programme on behalf of members of the Goldsmith family, and Commissioning Editor of The Ecologist magazine. He is also the author of a number of publications, including the prize-winning book STOP.

Transparency statement

ippr has been commissioned by British Gas to work on its Green Streets initiative.