About

Above is the solar industry’s leading aerial solar inspection and data analysis company. We pioneered the use of drone platforms fitted with sensing devices and dual imaging cameras to detect thermal and visual PV module anomalies across utility-scale solar plants.
Founded in 2015 by Will Hitchcock, Above has inspected over 1000 assets and is now supporting customers across six continents. It works with many of the world’s leading solar energy companies to deliver interactive asset health reports through its SaaS platform, SolarGain.
Above is constantly innovating through collaborative research projects with leading universities in the fields of computer vision and solar PV. As solar portfolios grow to meet the increasing world demand for low carbon energy, Above’s goal is to provide a solution that helps safeguard the health of solar assets around the world.
Our Values



Management

Will Hitchcock
CEO
Will Hitchcock
CEO
Will has had a keen interest in aviation, renewables and energy conservation for many years. Achieving a bachelor’s degree in Air Transport Engineering and an HND in Mechanical & Production Engineering.
Will has over 20 years commercial experience, holding several senior posts in banking and legal IT in London. During 2014 and 2015, as programme director at Push Energy, Will was responsible for the construction of 150MW of ground-mounted solar farms throughout the UK. In September 2015 Will focused on solving an industry problem, how to accurately inspect 100% of modules across large scale solar. Leading to the founding of Above Surveying Ltd. Will is also a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), In 2011 Will and Simon Gilhooly set up the UK’s first community-owned solar co-operative, Green Energy Nayland, for which he is still a Director.

Peregrine Fraser
Chief Commercial Officer
Peregrine Fraser
Chief Commercial Officer
Peregrine works to turn our vision into strategy, opening new markets and opportunities. Before joining Above, Peregrine was MD at the Developer/EPC Push Energy, a Director of the O&M PSH Operations, Commercial Solar Programme Director at Macquarie Group and a Director at EPC/O&M EvoEnergy. With more than 20 years’ experience in renewables and software, Peregrine has extensive knowledge of the challenges our customers are facing daily. With a pragmatic mindset, he is committed to ensuring that our solutions support the expansion of solar PV.

Jeremy Elden
Chairman
Jeremy Elden
Chairman
Jeremy Elden joined Above as Chairman on the 13th of January 2020. Jeremy spent his early career as a respected research analyst in the energy sector, subsequently holding Head of Research positions for a number of investment banks. In 2000 he was appointed as a Managing Director at Lehman Brothers, a leading investment bank, where he was ranked first in Europe for his energy research by Institutional Investor magazine. After retiring in 2005 he is now an active business angel investor, with a focus on renewable energy, waste management and technology businesses. Jeremy studied at Hertford College, Oxford University obtaining a BA in Physics.

Lee Maughan
Finance Director
Lee Maughan
Finance Director
Lee is a qualified chartered accountant who spent the first 15 years of his career in accountancy practice before taking the role of CFO in a high growth privately owned business. For most of his career, Lee was a Director at Deloitte in their Entrepreneurial Business and Private Markets teams working with clients across a variety of industries. Lee is also a Trustee of Arthur Rank Hospice Charity and Vice President of the ICAEW East Anglia.
The Team

Luca Piccini
Southern Europe Regional Manager

Viola Hoffmann
Northern Europe Regional Manager

Adrien Van Den Abeele
Technical Account Manager

Simon Gilhooly
Technology and Software Manager

Dr Tom Hall
Senior Technical Analyst (UAV Pilot)

Jack Starkey
Junior Software Developer

Dr Kenan Isbilir
Technical Consultant

Nick Olivier
Research Associate (Machine Learning)

Sarah Jacobs
Marketing Coordinator

David Garcia
Technical Consultant

Gemma Moore
Operations Manager

Sarah Drefenstedt
Operations Coordinator - Northern Europe

Paul O'Shea
Operations Administrator

Mitchell Peters
CAD and Flight Planning Technician (UAV Pilot)

Jenna Barker
Lead Analyst

Jeronimo Oliva
Data Analyst
