Turquoise team members share their thoughts on business issues and give some career insights. Business What has been the most significant technological development of recent years? Although perhaps more in the realm of manufacturing, the reduction in cost of wind turbines and, in particular, solar modules has had a huge impact on the deployment of…
Gatwick has become the first UK airport to announce that it will be Carbon Neutral: http://www.mediacentre.gatwickairport.com/press-releases/2017/gatwick-becomes-first-uk-airport-to-join-global-renewable-electricity-alliance.aspx. I have never been a fan of the concept of Carbon Neutrality. The level of certification required to substantiate such a claim makes the Brexit negotiations look like a tea party. All we really want is to reduce emissions,…
Turquoise team members share their thoughts on business issues and give some career insights. Business What has been the most significant technological development of recent years? Quantum computing because it has the potential to revolutionise the way computers work and how data is stored and transmitted. In terms of process, it’s Blockchain because it…
On February 5th, I had the pleasure of presenting at TEDxOxford outlining my belief that there is no such thing as ‘Cleantech’, arguing that technology which operates efficiently is by its very nature environmentally friendly. My talk, titled ‘Cleantech Changes Everything’, discussed how there is no such thing as ‘cleantech’, just technology. To be efficient,…
(Robert Schumann) At the start of February, I received an invitation from a former colleague, now at the European Commission, inviting me to moderate a panel session at the EU Industry Day. My first reaction was to be flattered at being asked to participate in what was no doubt a long-established fixture on the Brussels calendar. My…
A recent study from Aarhus University in Denmark has shown that student performance can be improved by up to 7% when the level of fresh air in the classrooms is increased. Now, what teacher or parent wouldn’t want that? Classrooms often have over 30 students and, if not properly ventilated, levels of CO2 can rise…
The CEO’s of major British energy challengers have called for an end to ministerial meddling in the UK energy market. I am acutely aware of the downsides handing back my licence for Open4Energy out of disgust at the Labour ‘Price Freeze’ proposed by Ed Milliband, a Herculean effort in meddling of the worst kind. I…
Fear of needles (trypanophobia) is a surprisingly common thing. Approximately 20% of the general population have some fear of injections and about half of those have an acute fear of them! With modern medicine making increased use of blood tests and injectable medications, foregoing medical treatment because of a fear of needles can be dangerous…
The Financial Times recently ran a very interesting article (‘The great pensions tax squeeze’, September 2) on the impact of changes to pensions and Venture Capital Trust (VCT) and Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) regulations. Definitely worth a read but, if you are not a subscriber, the salient points were as follows: – The tax-free amount…
I work for Turquoise investing in and raising funds for Energy, Environment and Efficiency companies that in the main are in competition with Nuclear Power. In my previous career, I have never worked on nuclear projects. So why am I making a case for Hinkley? Let’s start at the beginning. The UK has now adopted…