Dr David Vincent
Independent Consultant
David Vincent trained as a physical chemist. He has a BSc Honours Degree in Chemical Physics and a PhD from the University of Kent at Canterbury. His professional career has been spent almost entirely in the fields of energy efficiency, low carbon energy supply and climate change mitigation RD&D and policy formulation.
Following two years at the Laboratory of the Government Chemist researching simple tests for toxic substances in working atmospheres, in 1975 David volunteered to join the newly formed Department of Industry’s Energy Unit, set up in the aftermath of the 1973/74 energy price crisis. He helped manage the Department’s Industrial Energy Thrift Scheme, a programme of visits to over 6000 manufacturing sites across the UK to gather data on energy use and give advice on energy efficiency opportunities. In 1978, he joined the Department of Energy’s team managing the Government’s energy efficiency and renewable energy RD&D programmes. In the late 1980s, he helped set up the Government’s Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme. This programme not only supported energy efficiency R&D but also independently monitored the performance of existing and emerging energy efficiency systems. Demonstration case studies of successful, well performing systems were widely disseminated through the relevant sectors and take up was monitored. He was responsible initially for the buildings part of the programme and subsequently became Director of the programme in 1995 until it was closed down in 2001.
In 1999, David was part of the team which put into practice the Government’s climate change levy policy. The team’s role was to negotiate over 40 agreements with the energy intensive sectors, and over 10,000 agreements with companies and sites, whereby a major reduction in the levy was made available to companies in exchange for achieving carbon emission reduction targets.
In 2000, David helped set up the Carbon Trust, a not for dividend company tasked with the aim to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy. He was subsequently seconded to the Carbon Trust as its Technical Director where he worked until 2011. During that time, he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).
In 2011, David left the Carbon Trust to set up a small independent energy consultancy. His clients included: CIBSE, Hitachi, the Energy Technologies Institute, and others. He closed his consultancy in 2019.
Over the last 12 years or so, David has advised several universities on their energy technology research and related programmes. These include: UCL, Loughborough, Surrey, Sussex and Cardiff. He has also served on various energy and carbon related EPSRC and ESRC panels to assess applications for funding.
Following two years at the Laboratory of the Government Chemist researching simple tests for toxic substances in working atmospheres, in 1975 David volunteered to join the newly formed Department of Industry’s Energy Unit, set up in the aftermath of the 1973/74 energy price crisis. He helped manage the Department’s Industrial Energy Thrift Scheme, a programme of visits to over 6000 manufacturing sites across the UK to gather data on energy use and give advice on energy efficiency opportunities. In 1978, he joined the Department of Energy’s team managing the Government’s energy efficiency and renewable energy RD&D programmes. In the late 1980s, he helped set up the Government’s Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme. This programme not only supported energy efficiency R&D but also independently monitored the performance of existing and emerging energy efficiency systems. Demonstration case studies of successful, well performing systems were widely disseminated through the relevant sectors and take up was monitored. He was responsible initially for the buildings part of the programme and subsequently became Director of the programme in 1995 until it was closed down in 2001.
In 1999, David was part of the team which put into practice the Government’s climate change levy policy. The team’s role was to negotiate over 40 agreements with the energy intensive sectors, and over 10,000 agreements with companies and sites, whereby a major reduction in the levy was made available to companies in exchange for achieving carbon emission reduction targets.
In 2000, David helped set up the Carbon Trust, a not for dividend company tasked with the aim to accelerate the transition to a low carbon economy. He was subsequently seconded to the Carbon Trust as its Technical Director where he worked until 2011. During that time, he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).
In 2011, David left the Carbon Trust to set up a small independent energy consultancy. His clients included: CIBSE, Hitachi, the Energy Technologies Institute, and others. He closed his consultancy in 2019.
Over the last 12 years or so, David has advised several universities on their energy technology research and related programmes. These include: UCL, Loughborough, Surrey, Sussex and Cardiff. He has also served on various energy and carbon related EPSRC and ESRC panels to assess applications for funding.