Page 277 - ISES SWC50

9.12 SWC50 Platinum Partner: GSES

The History of GSES
Global Sustainable Energy Solutions Pty Ltd was founded in Australia in September 1998 by four founding partners:
Mr Geoff Stapleton, Ms Susan Neill, Mr Stephen Garrett and Mr Kim Aitkinson

At the time of formation, each of the four directors had over 10 years experience in the sustainable energy industry
and in particular, operating their own companies within Australia. Each of the four companies were involved in
designing, selling and installing off grid (stand-alone) power systems. When GSES started, Geoff Stapleton was
consulting for a local electricity utility , Integral Energy, which was offering power with or without “poles and wires”.
Integral Energy had joined the USA based Utility Photovoltaic Group after a number of Integral staff (including
Geoff) had undertaken a s study of the US in 1995. This led to Geoff travelling yearly to the USA for the combined
SEIA/UPVG conference.

During the 1997 conference that was held in Washington D.C. Geoff met 3 people who became important in the
early days of GSES. These included the late Mark Fitzgerald ( Institute for Sustainable Power) , Bernard McNelis
(IT Power) and Lalith Gunaratne (consultant from Sri Lanka who had started a solar company with 2 friends in the
80’s).

While in Washington, Bernard had introduced Geoff to a number of World Bank staff working on solar home
system projects, including Mac Cosgrove Davies, which was to become instrumental for GSES in the years to come.
As a result of attending these conferences and meetings, Geoff identified an opportunity to take the skills of
designing/installing systems and conducting small businesses overseas. Hence the original intention was to identify
existing small businesses in Asia and Africa and see if we could partner with them and help them grow. However,
to survive in the early days GSES would undertake general RE consultancy within Australia. GSES first Australian
consultancy was being part of a consortium which undertook the study of the size of the off-grid power systems
market in Australia, which led to the Australian Remote Renewable Power Generation Program (2000-2008).

Geoff proposed the GSES consultancy idea to Lalith Gunaratne who was very supportive, which lead to Geoff
meeting Pradip Jayewardene ( Solar Power and Light , Sri Lanka) at Village Power 1998. In February and May 1999,
Geoff visited Sri Lanka and helped Pradip with a new business plan. However, at the time Geoff was president of
the NSW Chapter of the Solar Energy Industry Association of Australia, while Susan Neill was also the national
president. Both had been very active within the establishment of the Australian Technician accreditation program
in 1992/93 and also training and the development of standards. When this was discussed with Pradip he basically
asked could we help the new Sri Lanka Solar Industry Association. The end result was that GSES changed its focus
to capacity building and, when Shell purchased Solar Power and Light for it to be come Shell Solar Sri Lanka in
1999, GSES conducted a technical training course and operating business course for Pradip’s dealers.

During 1999 Bernard McNelis had been successful in having IEA PVPS approve what was known as Task 9-PV in
Developing countries. The first meeting was held in 1999 in Utrecht , The Netherlands. Geoff joined this Task, first
as an observer and then as the Australian representative and stayed a member until it finished around 2017. Being
a member of this group gave GSES the opportunity to meet many people from around the world and help GSES
grow over the years

Sri Lanka was the first country GSES worked in and following the initial
training with Pradip’s dealers GSES won the contract to work with the Sri
Lanka Industry association in providing technical training for the World Bank
funded Energy Services Delivery project. GSES undertook many trips to
Sri Lanka between 2000 and about 2006 and undertook projects supported
by World Bank, Australian Aid and GTZ. In 2016 GSES was back in Sri Lanka
conducting grid connect training courses.

GSES First Training course in Sri Lanka 1999

At the end of 2000 Geoff finished his consulting contract with Integral and started running GSES full time. The other
partners would then join as consultants within particular projects.

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