United Kingdom

Plan for success, Penny's story

Joined 2010, UK – I joined when it was just six people huddled around two laptops, and from that first moment the ethos was clear: no mucking about, roll up your sleeves and get stuck in. Though Lightsource bp has changed almost unrecognisably in the ten years since then, that spirit has definitely stayed the same.

Every project and every year has presented its own challenges, and it feels like I have worked for several different companies in my time at Lightsource: the start-up, the rapidly expanding SME, and the established industry leader we are now – Lightsource bp. I started out planning solar farms of less than a megawatt on my own, and nowadays I oversee a global team of planners frequently working on sites of over 200MW.

Throughout this period of growth, one of the main things that has kept me here is the people and culture. I am surrounded by intelligent, hard-working professionals, an energetic atmosphere where people want to make a difference. As a New Zealander living in the UK, the hugely international workforce at Lightsource bp has always meant that I feel at home, no matter whether I’m working in Melbourne, Sao Paulo or London.

Penny Laurenson, Director of Environmental and Social Planning

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