Opinion

Two minutes with UrbanWind

Phil McVan cropped
Who are you?
Phil McVan, managing director, UrbanWind

What do you do?
We are a Medium Wind Turbine project developer. Our teams provide a full-cycle delivery from planning and feasibility studies to construction and aftercare.

Where are you?
We are able to provide nationwide service throughout the UK, and we have company offices in both Scotland and the North-West of England

How’s business at the moment?
The market is getting stronger as the b2b markets recognise the benefits of alternative energy against the backdrop of continually increasing fossil fuel based energy. We find ourselves in demand as wind turbines are being increasingly viewed as an attractive option. However, the complicated local planning procedure is often difficult to negotiate.

How could it be better?
We need a broader public and political acceptance that renewable energy technologies are here to stay. In particular, local planning authorities need to accept the need for renewable energy generation.

Who do you admire in renewables?
I really admire Dale Vince, the founder of Ecotricity, as he has pioneered, in extremely difficult circumstances, the growth of wind energy in the UK.

What’s the best business advice you have received?
“Opportunities don’t look like opportunities until you pick it up and polish it to become real” – it takes a great deal of work, and attention to detail, to build an initial opportunity into a successful project.

How are you going green?
As well as downsizing much of our vehicle fleet to smaller hatchbacks, we also actively encourage a cycle-to-work scheme. A significant number of our staff cycle to and from work each day, and I like to do so myself as often as I can