Kate Covill

Managing Director at ILOS Energy

Speaker

Kate’s journey in utility-scale solar began in 2009, founding Low Carbon Solar after 15 years in telecommunications.. In 2011, she co-founded Orta Solar, which went on to develop 32 solar sites without a single planning refusal—enjoying strong landowner relationships and collaborating with three EPCs.

During this time Kate supported the creation of the BRE Guide to Responsible Development for Solar, the latest revision of which has just been released by the Trade Association. She sat on the Utility Scale Committee for the Solar Trade Association supporting what was then the Department for Energy & Climate Change and on the Energy Select Committee. She co-funded the National Solar Centre at the Eden Project and championed early research into the ecological benefits of solar, the 4th edition was recently launched in Parliament.

In 2021 Kate was invited by the UK government and the then DTI to work with the Indonesian government instigating the adoption of utility scale solar in Indonesia as part of their commitment to net zero by 2050. During her two years supporting the DTI Kate spoke at COP26 and COP27 and they achieved an investment commitment of 6 billion Euros, as part of the first JETCO agreement.

Back in the UK Kate was recently elected to the chair of Solar Energy UK's Utility Scale Forum and, as MD of Ilos New Energy UK Ltd., Kate is enjoying supporting British landowners to meet their needs to diversify and navigate the new tax legislation and to keep farmers farming.