Lightsource BP has announced Benjamin Kott as the new CEO for its in-house digital innovations arm, Lightsource Labs.
He will be the first person to hold this position, as the company seeks to become a digital leader and commercialise its Tribe intelligent energy management system.
Tribe was launched in 2019 and consists of a flexible smart hub and a mobile app. Lightsource said that it hopes the application will help customers to manage their smart energy devices and take advantage of low cost, green energy.
Kott is joining the company from smart building software company Frabriq, which he founded in 2011. Prior to this, he worked at Google where he helped roll-out Google’s home energy app PowerMeter.
Kareen Boutonnat, chief operating officer for Lightsource BP, said that Kott will bring “invaluable experience” given his background in clean energy and management systems.
Lightsource Labs was established in 2016, and has since developed a number of smart energy software and hardware systems. It has grown through acquisitions, such as of Internet of Things specialist ubiworx in 2018, which has allowed the group to improve its connectivity offerings.
Kott said he was “tremendously excited” by the possibilities the appointment brings.
“Working with the wider group at Lightsource BP, we intend to scale the benefits of energy optimisation for our customers and create new business opportunities for our partners globally.
“There is huge potential to further develop and deploy our solutions to make our mark on the energy transition. We will accelerate the growth of Lightsource Labs to meet this growing demand through sustainable energy innovation,” Kott added.
BP has set its sights on growing its solar offering, increasing its stake in Lightsource last December to hold a 50% share.
In November, Lightsource BP announced it had achieved a UK-first by providing reactive power services to National Grid ESO during nighttime hours using power generated by a solar farm.
