Second Collaboration with Waltham Forest Borough Council a Success
The MSc International Business and Management (IBM) programme at the University of Portsmouth London has once again partnered with the London Borough of Waltham Forest Council (WFC), this time focusing on the future of community-led solar energy.
Building on the success of last year’s collaboration, which explored decarbonising commercial buildings, this second live project challenged a new cohort of students to design innovative “solar street” solutions.
A New Challenge: Designing Solar Streets
Working in teams, students developed concepts for community solar infrastructure, combining in-depth research with business feasibility analysis. The project required not only technical understanding but also strong strategic thinking—balancing environmental impact with real-world implementation.
Three student groups pitched their proposals during a live presentation event held on campus on Monday 20 April. Each team delivered a 20-minute presentation followed by a Q&A session, with feedback provided by council representatives Ciara Hanson, Head of Climate and Nature Recovery, Shahzad Hussain, Operations Director for WFC, and Ali Skikheey, Retrofit Delivery Manager. Director for Business Growth. The collaboration was further supported by David Lowe (Director of Business Growth) and Jon Hubbard (Managing Director).
Introducing Peer Mentorship: A Pilot Initiative
This year also marked the introduction of a peer mentorship model, piloted by Dr. Deb Sengupta for the first time within the course. Recent MSc IBM graduates- Ankita Verma, Mohit Sharma, and Sithy Ismail- who had previously worked on a similar live project with the borough, were invited to support current students as peer mentors.
Drawing on their academic experience and industry insights, the mentors provided guidance throughout the project, helping student teams refine their research, strengthen their proposals, and better understand real-world expectations. Mohit Sharma and Sithy Ismail also joined the final presentation panel. The initiative proved to be a highly rewarding experience for both students and mentors, fostering a collaborative learning environment and strengthening the programme’s alumni engagement.
It was a joy being on the panel- not just evaluating and looking at the marketing side, but also learning from you all.
We have a powerhouse leading on community sustainability, and we’re looking forward to bringing this work to them. There’s a lot of creativity in these models- it reflects the type of work the council delivers. Using an engagement model like this allows us to think about what we can do on a wider scale, potentially even across the country.
While last year’s project moved toward real-world implementation on a commercial building, this year’s work expands the conversation, exploring how community-driven solar solutions could shape the borough’s future.
Insights from the students’ work will feed into ongoing council initiatives, including visibility studies on commercial assets and future residential solar programmes.
We’re looking to move in June–July. A lot of the information from last year’s project is going to be used at the new site, and we’re hoping to bring students in to see it once it’s up and running. It’s a great piece of work- we enjoyed it, and we learnt from it. For this project, we’ll be taking it back with us to see how we can make it real.
All participating teams were awarded certificates of appreciation in recognition of their work. The winning team, Sunspark Innovators, received a £50 gift card for their standout proposal, which demonstrated strong research, creativity, and practical feasibility.
This marks the second successful collaboration between the University of Portsmouth London and the London Borough of Waltham Forest Council, reinforcing a shared commitment to sustainability and experiential learning.
While last year’s project moved toward real-world implementation on a commercial building, this year’s work expands the conversation, exploring how community-driven solar solutions could shape the borough’s future.
As the partnership continues, both students and council leaders are optimistic about what comes next: turning innovative ideas into tangible impact and preparing the next generation of business leaders to tackle global challenges at a local level.
