Investing in solar energy solutions

Based in Loulé, it’s the dawn of a new era for Soren Renewable Energy Consulting, as they’ve attracted the attention of a prolific angel investor who’s set on laying the foundation to help them reach new heights.

By Kate Sreenarong, in Business · 10 Apr 2026, 16:45 · 0 Comments

The investor in question is a man by the name of Ken Dulieu. Born in 1947 in the United Kingdom, he began his working life as a police officer before transitioning into the private security and investigation sector, under companies such as Allied Breweries and Unilever from 1976 to 1982.

In 1983, he founded K & J Dulieu Limited, which later became Capitol Group plc. This new company grew to become the UK’s largest supplier of counterterrorism and security services, employing more than 3,000 people. He sold the business in 1998, but rebought their Investigations, Audit & Stocktaking divisions a year later, which he turned into a brand-new company, Capcon, of which he’s still the Chairman to this day. The company specialises in risk management and compliance solutions, offering services such as employee screening, due diligence, brand protection, and compliance audits to corporate clients worldwide.

Into the business

Ken took his first step into the wider business world in 1988, when he bought a set of public houses and transformed them into private real estate investment comprising six properties and two restaurants, which he went on to sell in 1993. That same year, he opened a freight ferry service between Folkestone and Boulogne, generating over £5 million in revenue in its first year.

He also has a soft spot for sports and has built an impressive legacy in the management of football clubs. Ken was appointed Chairman of Southampton F.C. in 2006, during which the club significantly reduced its financial and competitive losses under his leadership, eventually challenging for promotion by the end of his term. Three years later, he went at it again, this time as Chairman of Coventry City F.C., implementing a turnaround strategy for the club’s finances and preparing them for the advent of the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations.

However, his passions in life extend beyond just numbers and investments, playing key roles in multiple charities. He’s a founding trustee of Kids in Sport, which is now part of the Heart of Bucks Community and is also the Chairman of Trustees of the National Youth Harp Orchestra Charitable Trust, promoting opportunities for education and performance to aspiring harpists across Britain.

Ken moved to Portugal in 1999, where he became the owner of the property development company Algarcenter Lda. In 2021, he expanded his investment in the Portuguese leisure market, becoming a co-owner of Smooth Lines Lda in the Algarve and overseeing the redevelopment of the complex to capitalise on the rising popularity of padel as a sport.

Renewable energy

Recently, Ken was looking into installing solar panels, which led him to discover Soren Renewable Energy Consulting. This company is focused on helping customers make decisions about solar energy, from purchasing solar panels to setting up energy storage and receiving potential government incentives. They serve clients from all nationalities, working to ensure they receive the best possible return on investment from their solar power installations.

Soren offers services in four distinct areas of solar energy: solar panels, battery storage for all the electricity generated, solar-powered heating systems, and smart home automation.

After purchasing and installing his renewable energy solutions through Soren’s services, he was quite impressed with the business and saved €5,000 on his energy bills in the first year. As such, he has decided to bet his own money on the company, becoming an angel investor with a 50 percent stake in the operation.

The deal is simple: Ken has given himself a limited amount of time to apply his management experience to the business, and if he fulfils his promise of tremendous growth, he gets to keep his 50 percent stake in the profits. If it doesn’t turn around, Soren’s founder will get his stake back for free, and she can go back to her operating model.

For the company, it’s a risk-free inflow of capital for important investments, while Ken considers it a new challenge, but at the ripe age of 79, he still feels very much up to the task at hand.