Prof Andrew Crossland CEng FEI

My mission is to help enable global decarbonization, making energy more affordable and empowering people to take ownership. I’ve delivered groundbreaking low-carbon projects across four continents, pioneering strategies and innovations that are shaping the future of energy.

I’m not just passionate about the energy transition—I’m relentless in pursuing solutions that make a tangible difference. From delivering first-of-a-kind low-carbon energy projects to shaping corporate strategies and consumer protections, my work has been at the forefront of a cleaner, fairer energy system. My peers recognize me for my thought leadership, foresight, and unwavering commitment to building a sustainable energy future.

Career History

My journey began with a PhD at Durham University, where I conducted groundbreaking research on over 9,000 low-voltage networks for Electricity North West in the UK. My work predicted the rise of the domestic battery market, simulating solar and storage uptake and estimating cost-saving strategies for network upgrades. During this time, I founded MyGridGB, bringing greater transparency to energy data for the public.

After a brief stint in the railway industry, I joined SolarCentury in London in 2015. Working across the business, I helped the company (at the time the largest solar company in the UK) to bring batteries into its work on residential, commericial and utility scale solar in the UK as well as on microgrids in East Africa. It was around this time that I won “Rising Star” from Energy UK for my work in the industry.

In 2018, I launched Advance Further Energy Ltd, a boutique consultancy that created the UK Solar/Battery Self-Consumption Standard. This consumer-focused innovation has been used over 500,000 times, safeguarding households from misselling and enabling smarter energy decisions.

In 2018, I also moved to New Zealand to work for Infratec, leading development of microgrid projects across the Pacific Islands. I helped develop and deliver major projects in Nauru, Tonga, Tuvalu, Palau, The Marshall Islands, Vanuatu, The Cook Islands, Micronesia and Kiribati. You can read about the projects on the Infratec website. In anticipation of Infratec being purchased by WEL Networks, I spurned the transition of Infratec to a developer of solar and battery storage. This included developing my favourite project, Rotohiko, which was the first large battery in New Zealand.

Whilst at Infratec I wrote a book, Decarbonising Electricity: Made Simple, which lays out how you roadmap a National Grid to low carbon energy. It has odd similarities to the 2024 Clean Power Plan by the UK National Grid, ad has been bought in 15 countries. I wrote the book as a tribute to my Dad, who passed away at a young age from cancer, but who had a huge interest in my career.

In 2021, I took on an advisory role at Project PARC who develop microgrids and water projects in Kenya. Co-Founded by my friend, Guy Lawrence, I find the company to be visionary in the use of energy for common good. As well as designing, delivering and managing large microgrids, we also build water and farming infrastructure with local communities. It’s fascinating work.

In 2022, I moved back to the UK (for family reasons) and worked as a developer on projects in Europe and the USA for Renewco. I really enjoyed the work but had what I felt was a once in a lifetime opportunity to work on the largest Virtual Power Plant with SolarZero from May 2023 – Nov 2024. In that time, my team transitioned the control of 15,000 SolarZero batteries onto machine learning, getting 99% of customers within $1 a month of the best energy bill we could offer them, and programmed 8,000 batteries to backup the National Grid. In Nov 2024, SolarZero entered liquidation and I am presently working on consultancy opportunities in the UK and New Zealand.

Also in 2023, I was invited to be an Associate Professor in Practice in the Durham University Energy Institute and School of Engineering. This voluntary role includes sitting on the Advisory Board of the Institute with some amazing peers, such as Barbara Vest OBE, and also working with students on research and careers. The role is the culmination of my work across the world, and has provided opportunities for me such as appearing on the BBC and providing evidence for Government on Clean Power.

I am passionate about driving innovation in the energy industry. If you believe my skills and experience can contribute to your projects, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can accelerate the journey to a sustainable energy future.

Professional Memberships

I am a Fellow of the Energy Institute and a Chartered Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Qualifications

I hold a PhD in Engineering from Durham University, where I researched solar and battery systems, identifying cost savings exceeding £1bn for UK electricity networks. You can download a copy of my work here. I also have an MEng in General Engineering with New and Renewable Energy from Durham University, an MSc from the University of Southampton (completing all the taught components of an MBA), and a PgDip in Railway Systems Engineering from Sheffield Hallam University.

CV

You can download a full copy of my CV here.

Portfolio (Selected)

Here’s some of the highlights of my career