Our staff

Philip Davis - Managing Director

Phil was previously Technical Director of Segen and was a key player in building Segen to become the UK leader in small wind power and a one of the largest solar photovoltaic system providers. Phil joined Segen in 2006 when his first company, Hydro Generation, merged with Segen. The hydro division of Segen was successful, but it was always the smaller part of a larger company and was never developed to the same degree as the larger wind and solar divisions. To allow the hydro division its own space to grow and develop to its full potential it was demerged from Segen in October 2009, along with Phil and the hydro team to become Renewables First Ltd.  Since that time Renewables First has become a leading player in the medium-wind market as well.

Phil is a recognised UK expert in all things renewable. He has a deep understanding of the technologies, the fundamental principles and in many cases the manufacturers behind the products. Although a Chartered Mechanical Engineer he is equally comfortable with electrical engineering, and business development.

Phil has a BEng degree in Mechanical Engineering and Business Management from Surrey University (1993) and a MSc from Loughborough University in Renewable Energy Systems Technology (2001). Add to this an engineering apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce, seven years working overseas drilling oil wells as a Schlumberger and later Maersk field engineer, then he saw the environmental light and left the oil industry, completed the Loughborough MSc and founded Hydro Generation in 2001.

Marc Sheikh - Senior Engineer

Marc joined Hydro Generation in 2006 after completing a BSc honours degree in Marine and Composite Technologies at Plymouth University. He is experienced in all aspects of hydropower project development from feasibility studies, environment agency consenting, detailed design and project management of installations.

Marc specialises in environmental consenting of hydro schemes and hydro system design.  He is a recognised expert in consenting and a key player in the ongoing government consultations to simplify the process.  As well as being involved with individual projects, Marc oversees all of the projects and ensures that everyone sticks to the project plan.

Sam Jeddere-Fisher - Senior Engineer

Sam joined Segen in 2007 after gaining a MEng degree in Mechanical Engineering from Bristol University. He is a hydro and wind technical specialist, though also has a detailed working knowledge of larger (30 kW+) solar photovoltaic power systems.

Sam draws on this breadth of knowledge, which extends into the electrical aspects as well, to produce optimally designed hydro and windpower systems and also to provide experienced consultancy advice at the feasibility stage of projects.  He tends to work on the more complex projects that can make best use of his knowledge and skills.

Simon Dennis - Senior Engineer

Simon joined Segen in 2008 after working for several years for Mendip District Council as a flood defence engineer, and previous to that for Green & Carter who specialise in hydraulic ram-pump design and installation. Simon is a graduate of the University of the West of England (UWE) in BSc Civil Engineering.

Simon works on all aspects of hydro projects from feasibility studies, environmental consenting, design and installation project management, though he tends to specialise in the design and installation of larger hydro systems.  His previous experience as a flood defence engineer is invaluable when considering the design of hydropower systems and ensuring they are designed to minimise, or even reduce, any flood risk. Also his practical experience of installing ram-pump hardware in a river environment is highly relevant when designing hydro systems.

Bardhyl Metaj - Engineer

Bardhyl joined Renewables First a year ago, but has many years of premium engineering experience.  He is a graduate of BEng Mechanical Engineering from Oxford Brookes University and has ten years of technical engineering experience, mainly related to the automotive industry.  His personal interests in renewable energy lead him to Renewables First where he now works on hydro and wind system design and installation.

Bardhyl tends to specialises in 3D CAD design of hydro systems and 3D modelling of wind sites using WindFarm software.  He also takes care of most of the component procurement for installation projects and is a key member of the installation team.

Adrian Ezard - Operations Manager

Adrian joined us in 2010 to manage the day to day operations of the business.  His background is in IT project management and product development.  His personal interest in practical engineering lead him to Renewables First where he can use his technical skills and then see the practical results as projects get built.  His experience of working for larger companies is invaluable to help build the business structures in Renewables First as the business grows.

Fraser Ibbotson - Engineer

Fraser is the latest member of the team and has just moved to the UK from Australia.  He has BEng and MSc degrees in Renewable Energy and previously worked in engineering consultancy in Australia, with particular experience of small wind turbines and solar PV.

Fraser specialises in the wind side of the business, completing site surveys and feasibility studies, along with the more detailed planning stages and WindFarm software modelling.

Richard Rider - Senior Engineer

Richard joined Renewables First this year, bringing 7 years consulting and 2 years contracting experience as a Civil Engineer.  As a consultant, Richard has experience in developing infrastructure schemes, from concept to Planning Application stages.  He was also responsible for developing structural and drainage designs for projects entering construction stages.  Latterly, Richard was part of a site management team for a contracting Engineer, specialising in river and coastal work, principally for the Environment Agency.

Richard brings technical experience and construction design know-how to the team, as well as current health and safety knowledge, which helps us identify and overcome risks early in projects.