Community renewables - Biographies

Eric Dodd - National Projects Manager, Community Energy Scotland

Eric Dodd is National Projects Manager for Community Energy Scotland. Over the last 8 years Eric has been extensively involved in assisting communities to develop community energy projects and in the creation of Community Energy Scotland, Scotland’s Community Energy development charity.

Eric has a background in the commercial/pricing side of the electricity industry having worked for both SSEB, ScottishPower and Scottish Hydro Electric along with working for Genesis Power in New Zealand.

Nicholas Gubbins - Chief Executive, Community Energy Scotland

I’m Chief Executive of Community Energy Scotland, a small charity dedicated to helping community and voluntary groups harness the potential of renewable energy for the benefit of all in their community. This role combines a lifelong interest in the environment along with a fascination with how business and development can be fashioned and directed at the local level. I see local and community control as a key part of a more sustainable future.

I’ve studied environmental sciences, conservation and law at various universities and worked in nature conservation and then on wider environmental policy with Scottish Natural Heritage. I moved to Inverness in the mid 1990s where I became more interested in community-based sustainable development and ran a number of projects across the Highlands and Islands with this theme. I moved to a post with Highlands and Islands Enterprise focussing on community regeneration, where I set up HIE’s Community Energy Unit, which then because the Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company. I was appointed as HICEC’s CEO in 2004 and led the development of community renewables as a new development theme. Community Energy Scotland formed independently out of HICEC and opened for business in August 2009. We’re currently supporting the development of over 600 community energy projects across Scotland.

Daniel Portsmouth - Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Community Energy Scotland

Daniel Portsmouth is the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer for Community Energy Scotland. Primarily Daniel sets up and manages performance monitoring over a range of renewable technologies for optimisation and educational purposes. Community Energy Scotland’s portfolio of monitored projects is expanding vastly and is a valuable real-world resource. Daniel also offers general technical support for projects which Community Energy Scotland have supported on an ongoing basis.

Daniel has a technical background working within automotive development with a focus on instrumentation, calibration and alternative fuels development.