It’s a waste of energy dreading blackouts that WON’T happen

NORMAN CROWLEY is probably the most successful Irish entrepreneur you’ve never heard of. He’s founded multiple successful businesses including Europe’s largest wifi operator and the world’s largest server-based computer gaming firm. He’s also behind Trinity Commerce – one of the world’s first eCommerce services companies. Now he has set about tackling climate change. His new venture, CoolPlanet, started off converting high-end cars into electric vehicles (EVs) for celebrities such as Slumdog Millionaire actor Dev Patel.

CoolPlanet also advises businesses on energy usage… so he has some choice advice on the energy crisis.

So how much will cost to convert my Ford Mondeo into an EV?

It’s more expensive than actually makes sense [for ordinary people] so it’s only designed for high net worth people and actors… people like that. We only do about six or seven a year. Our main business in that area is converting commercial vehicles like mining [vehicles].

A lot of people are worrying about energy supplies in the coming winter. Should they?

[Fearmongering] is unfair on older people in particular worrying about this and my message is – don’t worry. [Energy regulators] have said they would prioritise older people. There won’t be a blackouts in Ireland – people shouldn’t worry about that. And also there will be several rounds of Government subsidies to help people get over this and it’ll be much better next winter.

And what about climate change?

I say the same thing about climate change. Climate change is very serious but we will get through this. I’m largely optimistic. Churchill famously said, ‘I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else’! The Government has been asleep but consumers have been brilliant for quite a long time with things like insulation and electric cars. We’re frustrated because it could be solved a lot quicker.

You’ve said you think the increase in energy prices is a good thing for the fight against climate change. And that the annual return on investment on things like solar panels and heat pumps is now over 30% instead of 20%… so you get your money back in just three years. That’s compelling isn’t it?

Pretty much every industrial customer we have has been doing something [on solar panels or heat pumps] They’re all acting out there so that’s the good thing that’s coming out of it. The biggest problem is in domestic – just trying to get a craftsperson to do it. That’s a huge problem.

What do you think of crypto (digital money)? Producing Bitcoin uses the

same energy as Argentina, so why are we doing this when we’re trying so hard to cut energy usage?

Crypto is a $5 trillion business now and so crypto is not going anywhere. What happens when you have a new technology like crypto is all the all the crazy stuff happens in the first couple of years. I lived through the birth of the internet and it was the same. The rip-off merchants appear, the crazy deals get done and then it settled down. Crypto now is going through its first phase of settling down. People will get damaged along the way like any new gold rush.

Have you bought crypto?

[Some wealth managers advised that you] should put 1% of your wealth into it and I didn’t do anything like that but I did put money in and it went up and it went down but I’m kind of a long-term holder. One of the most famous venture capital companies in the world has a huge funds in the space. You have to take it seriously.

What was your first job?

Welding. I left school when I was 16 and my first paid job was welding a cattle shed for a farmer when I was 15. I think it was about £800 at the time.

So you’re self made? You didn’t go to university?

The self-made thing sounds great but it’s a hard road to be honest and people glamorise it a lot. I don’t knock people who go into university. I think it’s the right thing to do even though I never went. I’m 52 now so I don’t think I’ll be going now!

You’re not the only entrepreneur who didn’t go to college. Steve Jobs dropped out… Bill Gates…

And Mark Zuckerberg! You know everyone talks about them but there’s probably an even longer list of people who went to college and I wouldn’t knock it.

What would you say to somebody starting their own business?

I would say to do it because even if it doesn’t succeed it teaches you so much about people, about life, about hard work. You can’t replace that… it’s just such a brilliant education and certainly better than doing an MBA [masters of business administration], which is a good thing by the way, but you learn so much, so fast [starting your own business].