With over two decades of experience as a chartered surveyor, Simon has been instrumental in advancing energy efficiency within commercial buildings.

So what inspired him and what makes him tick:

Q: Simon, could you share a bit about your journey and how you became involved in sustainability and renewable energy?

My career began in commercial property—I’ve been a General Practice chartered surveyor since 1996, working on lease negotiations, development, and planning. Over the years, I developed commercial properties across London and the South-East, navigating the high-stakes and competitive market with a focus on delivering quality.

In 2010, I founded Low Carbon Alliance, shifting my focus to renewable energy and sustainability. The idea came from my experience working with older buildings, where I discovered that simple environmental upgrades—such as daylight sensing, motion detection, LEDs, and improved control systems—could reduce operating costs. This, in turn, created opportunities to gradually increase rents and property values while also cutting emissions. With the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates, it was evident to me that the commercial property sector needed to evolve as a whole.

Energy was cheap back then, and sustainability wasn’t a priority for most, but I saw an opportunity to combine engineering and surveying expertise to make properties both greener and more valuable.

In the renewable space, things began to change with the introduction of Feed-in Tariffs around 2010, which made renewable energy, especially solar power, a very attractive financial investment. At the same time, I recognised a need to decarbonise commercial buildings. By combining data, technical innovation, and a practical understanding of property, I saw a way to bridge the gap between energy efficiency and commercial viability, tackling both power generation and decarbonisation.

Q: How has innovation played a role in your work?
In the property world, the market was saturated with salespeople offering individual energy-saving technologies like LED lights, voltage optimisers, and boiler efficiency gadgets. At Low Carbon Alliance, our innovation was to assemble a team that could take a holistic view of a building, identify the optimal combination of solutions and present a clear, strategic business case tailored for non-technical decision-makers.

Innovation is also at the heart of what we do. For example, we use real-time data from heat and electrical metering to go beyond theoretical models like EPCs, allowing us to size heat pumps more accurately and avoid costly and unnecessary infrastructure upgrades. Granular monitoring—down to tenant and building—helps us optimise energy use and deliver practical, impactful solutions.
We also focus on communication. Bridging the gap between technical and real estate professionals is critical to make complex sustainability solutions understandable and actionable.
We stay on top of what’s happening in our industry, for example we’re advising our clients on the Government’s EPC consultation currently underway. This could result in significant changes to the protocol from how ratings are measured to how often a new EPC is required.

With technology and regulation changing all the time, innovation is the key to success.

 Q: What challenges do you see in the current energy and property landscape?
A big challenge is overcoming misconceptions about energy performance. Many companies assume that achieving a high EPC rating is sufficient, but the real focus should be on operational performance—how much energy the building consumes annually relative to its size (kWh per square meter). Is it truly performing at an EPC A or B level, or is it functioning more like a D or E? This is where the real environmental impact lies, and it must be measured and managed in real time.

The current government EPC consultation is proposing significant changes, including a minimum EPC ‘B’ rating for non-domestic buildings, which will put additional pressure on property owners to retrofit and improve energy efficiency. It’s a step in the right direction, but the transition takes investment and a willingness to adapt. Educating clients on these differences—and showing how to meet their goals while staying compliant—requires persistence, a lot of patience, and sometimes, a fair bit of creative problem-solving.

 Q: How do you tackle these challenges?
Addressing disconnect about EPCs versus actual building performance has required creative solutions, like modelling interventions to demonstrate not just cost savings, but also the carbon reductions and payback periods associated with specific measures. This level of detail helps clients see the tangible benefits of investing in long-term energy performance.

Building monitoring is critical to ensure that energy improvements are delivering the expected performance, reducing carbon emissions, and progressing toward target levels aligned with net zero goals.

Navigating a landscape that’s constantly shifting due to new regulations and technologies means staying flexible and committed to achieving net zero targets.

Q: What makes Low Carbon Alliance’s approach unique?
What sets us apart is our ability to bridge technical and commercial expertise. Many firms either focus on the engineering or the real estate side. At Low Carbon Alliance, we do both. We understand the technical details of building energy systems, but we also know how to make a compelling business case for them.

Our clients—often landlords, institutional investors and fund managers—appreciate this holistic approach. We help them navigate compliance complexities, implement effective projects, and add real value to their portfolios while meeting sustainability goals.

 Q: What gives you hope for the future of the sector?
I’m encouraged by the increasing alignment of government policies with net zero goals. For too long, the messaging was inconsistent, which created uncertainty. Now we’re seeing the emergence of standardised net zero carbon targets for real estate, which is a big step forward.
It’s encouraging to see top-tier institutional investors and developers adopting this approach, regardless of regulations. However, regulations remain crucial for the majority of the market, which doesn’t share the same ESG motivations.

My hope is that we move beyond hitting energy ratings like EPCs and focus on operational performance—metrics like energy use intensity (EUI) measured in kilowatt-hours per square meter per year… But we will see how the Government responds to its consultation!

Understanding and managing real, ongoing performance is what will make the difference.

Q: Any final thoughts on sustainability and the real estate sector?
Sustainability is no longer optional—it’s an integral part of how the real estate sector operates. The exciting part is that we’re still in the early stages of what’s possible. By integrating sustainability into every aspect of property management and development, we can create a future that’s not only greener but also more profitable and resilient.

Contact Low Carbon Alliance to learn more about how we can help you decarbonise your commercial property and increase the value of your assets.