Solar Maverick Podcast SMP 38: Why Commercial & Industrial Building Owners Should Go Solar?
Episode Summary
Suzanne Waters, Vice President of Business Development at Reneu Energy, returns to the show to talk with Benoy about why commercial and industrial building owners should go solar. This episode serves as an excellent primer for building owners who are potentially looking to go solar as Benoy and Suzanne cover topics such as the benefits of solar, types of systems, and financial opportunities for building owners.
Benoy Thanjan
Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies. Reneu Energy is a premier international solar energy consulting firm and developer and the company focuses on developing commercial and industrial solar and utility scale solar plus storage projects. The company also sources financing for solar projects and hedges energy and environmental commodities. Reneu Energy has brokered $27 million in environmental commodities transactions.
Benoy received his first experience in Finance as an intern at D.E. Shaw & Co., which is a global investment firm with 37 billion dollars in investment capital. Before founding Reneu Energy, he was the SREC Trader in the Project Finance Group for SolarCity which merged with Tesla in 2016. He originated SREC trades with buyers and co-developed their SREC monetization and hedging strategy with the senior management of SolarCity to move into the east coast markets. Benoy also worked at Vanguard Energy Partners, Ridgewood Renewable Power, and Deloitte & Touche.
Suzanne Waters
Suzanne Waters is an experienced solar professional with a broad knowledge of the industry, including project development administration, marketing best practices, financial strategy, and team leadership. Before joining Reneu Energy, Suzanne worked as the Business Development Manager and Proposal Team Leader at Vanguard Energy Partners, a national solar developer, and their affiliate firm, Vanguard Energy Capital. She oversaw proposal development and contract execution, and collaborated on structured finance for large scale, multimillion-dollar projects. In addition, Suzanne has extensive experience in many aspects of the PV industry, with unmatched enthusiasm for its capabilities and a BA in Economics from Rutgers College at Rutgers University.
Insight from this episode:
- The benefits of going solar.
- Different types of systems, their pros and cons, and who they’re best suited for.
- Three major financing methods and tax incentives for solar.
- The rise of offsite solar, how it is structured, and opportunities it’s creating.
- Community solar as a potential revenue opportunity for building owners.
Quotes from the show:
“If You’re going to go solar, you’re definitely going to reduce your electrical cost.” Suzanne Waters, Episode #38
“Most solar systems can live between 20 and 30 years so you’re going to have a relatively short return on your investment for an asset that you’re going to have for a really long time.” Suzanne Waters, Episode #38
“The fixed electric pricing definitely makes is easier to forecast and budget plan so you can hedge against electricity price volatility and inflation.” Suzanne Waters, Episode #38
“Customers and employees are looking for companies that can say that they’re sustainable and they’re making sustainable efforts.” Suzanne Waters, Episode #38
“As solar becomes more acceptable as an asset to finance, the returns are getting lower and lower.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #38
“Last year there was 6.53 gigawatts of corporate renewable deals, both wind and solar, and it was actually the highest ever.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #38
Resources mentioned:
For more detailed information or questions about topics from this episode email info@reneuenergy.com
Upcoming Event discussed on the podcast:
Summer Solar Special: How Solar Technology is Changing the World
Reneu Energy is partnering with JC TechMeetup. It is on Tuesday, July 30 from 6:30 to 9 at Surf City in Jersey City.
Benoy Thanjan who is the CEO and Founder of Reneu Energy will be moderating. The other panelists are Suzanne Waters from Reneu Energy, Chris Grablutz from PV Pros, and Steve Schwerd from Schwerd Consulting.
The event is free to attend and you can RSVP in the link below.
https://www.meetup.com/Jersey-City-Tech-Meetup/events/262598987/
Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
info@reneuenergy.com
Suzanne Waters
suzanne@reneuenergy.com