LDC Top 50 2026
Mike Shipp
Co-Founder and CEO
Carbon3
As a 17-year-old apprentice plumber, Mike Shipp helped deliver one of the UK’s first solar panel installations under the Clear Skies Programme, “It sparked my interest in renewables.” Together with three friends (Paul, Ian and Sam), Mike started Carbon3 to help organisations, from schools and hospitals to stadiums and social housing, cut carbon emissions through renewable energy.
The business recently opened a training centre to help close a skills gap in the sector and is on track for £30 million turnover. Growth is expected to accelerate through various drivers, “Everyone’s behind renewables now. For the first time, we’re not fighting against anything. We can go from strength to strength.”
Our people matter most. By investing in green skills, we’re building careers, reducing carbon, reducing energy bills and helping tackle fuel poverty in communities across the UK.”
Q&A
How did you get Carbon3 off the ground?
All four of us had young families, but we were fully committed. We went from good salaries to a basic wage that we could just get by on, working 15–16 hour days and taking every opportunity we could. We initially focused on new build, where we understood the legislative drivers and potential for repeat business, building our reputation through great service.
Angel investor Andrew Golding gave us the backing and introduced us to our now chairman, Julian Curtis of Centennial Group, providing the structure and investment to accelerate growth. We added some really great ambitious people as soon as we could and they made a huge impact. We started with my partner’s old Toyota Yaris and a second-hand tipper, with Sam’s dad Roger helping us with his yard and selling us the old (well kept) Ford tipper – which we still have! Today, we have 55 vans, 125 employees and are aiming for £100 million turnover.
Which project are you most proud of?
It’s difficult to choose. We’ve worked with Utilita, Energy Garden, the NHS, national housebuilders including Vistry and Bellway Homes and on an MOD heat pump rollout.
Personally, Gravesham Borough Council will always be special as our first direct local authority client at scale. We are rolling out solar panels, EV chargers and heat pumps across the borough. Last year, Gravesham reached the UK’s top 10 local authorities for EPC ratings, helping reduce carbon emissions, fuel poverty and residents’ energy costs. Every project we deliver has the potential to make a positive difference to the planet and people’s lives, which is something we’re incredibly proud of.
Why did you build your own training centre?
We wanted to work with an existing training provider but couldn’t find courses at the standard we required, so we developed our own in-house training to maintain the Carbon3 quality standard as we grew.
Earlier this year, we converted an operational unit into a 4,000 sq ft training centre with mock roofs and training bays, where people can learn to install and maintain renewable technologies in a real-life environment. We’ve already trained and upskilled hundreds of people and are working with EAL to develop bespoke renewable energy courses. We also invite clients in for CPDs and practical sessions to demonstrate what good looks like.
