Hugh Synge

BA (London University), MBA (Kingston University)
Hugh (56) is Managing Director. He spent over 30 years in the environmental movement before creating Soltrac.

In the 1980s, Hugh created and co-managed the IUCN/World Wildlife Fund Joint Plants Conservation Programme, a multi-million dollar initiative to rescue endangered plants worldwide, and to provide the long-term institutional support this needed.

Other highlights of Hugh's conservation career include, in the 1990s, working out policies that Governments should adopt for national parks, both in Europe and the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific countries (for the European Union).

He also founded 'Plant Talk' – the only magazine on the conservation of plants worldwide – read in over 80 countries, and now to be taken over by the Eden Project. In 2007 the magazine BBC Wildlife named him as one of the 20 "top conservationists" in the UK.

"I first installed solar panels on my home in Kingston in 1993, and was delighted with the results. Ever since, I have wanted to make this kind of heating better understood and more accessible to people, with a system that is both efficient and affordable. Soltrac, for me, is the realization of that dream, and I believe it comes at just the right time. More and more people want to do something positive about global warming, if only they can afford to. Now, they can."

Nick Browne

Nick (40) is Technical Director.

Three generations of Nick's family have worked in the building trade, specializing in restoration of old houses. From an early age Nick learnt the various skills of an expert builder, including roofing, electrics, plumbing and his particular love, carpentry. He is responsible for designing and managing Soltrac's test site, and for the computerized monitoring systems installed there. A keen countryman, he also designs the sets for Southampton Opera.

Nick Radford

Nick (24) is Soltrac's Marketing Manager.

After graduating in Biological Sciences from Oxford, Nick worked as a Parliamentary Researcher for Dr Evan Harris MP and has since worked for political parties in the regions. Nick now directs Soltrac's marketing and he is often the first point of contact for Soltrac’s customers. Nick has a keen interest in renewables, and is determined to influence Government to provide the renewable industry with stable, coherent and better targeted support. His paper on the contribution that solar heating could make towards the national effort to cut carbon emissions is available here.