Solar Maverick Podcast

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy talks with Nigel Morris who is Head of Business of Development at Solar Analytics, has 30 years of experience in the solar industry, and has two solar podcasts. Nigel speaks about many interesting topics like the importance of data on the solar industry, the Australian solar market, and future solar trends.  Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, as well as 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, as well as utility-scale solar plus storage projects. The company also sources financing for solar projects and hedges both energy and environmental commodities.  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. Nigel Morris Nigel Morris has been involved in solar for almost 30 years and has worked as Head of Business Development at Solar Analytics for the last five years and is a Solar Technology Advocate.  He is listed as one of the world’s Top 20 Solar Energy Influencers and hosts two solar podcasts called Solar Insiders and Great Solar Business.  He has been involved in almost every aspect of the solar industry including manufacturing, installing, selling and designing solar, monitoring and storage systems around the world. Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Nigel Morris Website:  https://www.solaranalytics.com.au Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelmorris2/ Nigel’s two solar podcasts Great Solar Business https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/great-solar-business/id1567999944 Solarinsiders https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/solar-insiders-a-reneweconomy-podcast/id1269397979 Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes,Podbean, youtube, and most of the major podcast platforms. This episode was produced and managed by  Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)                

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy talks with Jesson Bradshaw who is CEO of Energy Ogre which is an electricity management company that uses proprietary systems to ensure its customers are always getting the best prices on their energy electricity.  Jesson speaks about many interesting topics like how solar is technology and it will continue to decrease in cost and talks about how energy storage technology will be different for utility scale storage compared to electric vehicles.  Jesson also discusses the Texas Renewable Energy Market and why the blackout happened earlier this year. Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, as well as 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, as well as utility-scale solar plus storage projects. The company also sources financing for solar projects and hedges both energy and environmental commodities.  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. Jesson Bradshaw Jesson Bradshaw is the CEO and co-founder of  Energy Ogre, an electricity management company that uses proprietary systems to ensure its customers are always getting the best prices on their electricity in the unregulated Texas energy market.  Energy Ogre uses applied technologies to secure tailor-made plans for their members that make the most sense for using electricity. Energy Ogre manages the entire contract process, including renewals, and handles any issues that may arise--saving members time and money. Energy Ogre has helped over 100,000 Texans save up to 40% on their electricity bills, over $150M since its founding in 2013.  Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Jesson Bradshaw Website:  https://www.energyogre.com Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/energy-ogre/   Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes,Podbean, and youtube. This episode was produced and managed by  Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)                

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy talks with Andrea Barber who is the Founder and CEO of RatedPower.  RatedPower built pvDesign, a cloud-based software that carries out the design and engineering of utility-scale solar pv plants and their software has designed 800 Gigawatts of solar projects.  Andrea speaks about many interesting topics like the importance of software how it significantly reduces the cost of solar, increase efficiencies, and allows more flexibility.  She also discusses a case study that RatedPower has done regarding the future of Renewable Energy and Solar. Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, as well as 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, as well as utility-scale solar plus storage projects. The company also sources financing for solar projects and hedges both energy and environmental commodities.  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. Andrea Barber Andrea Barber is the Founder and CEO of RatedPower.  She is an expert in management, strategy, and business development.  Before founding RatedPower, she led international expansion at an engineering and development cross border company.  Andrea has been awarded with several prizes related to entpreneurship and business and is one of the most influential women in STEM fields.  She holds a Business degree from Carlos III University(Spain) and NEOMA Business School(France) as well as an international MBA. Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Andrea Barber Website:  https://ratedpower.com Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-barber/   Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes,Podbean, and youtube. This episode was produced and managed by  Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)                

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy talks with Paul van Brenkelen who is the Director, ESG and Traceability  at Clean Energy Associates(“CEA”).   Paul speaks about many interesting topics like the importance of ESG regarding solar supply chain, new traceability protocol that CEA worked with Solar Energy Industries Association(“SEIA”) to create, and US Government Withhold Release Order ("WRO") with Alleged forced labor how that impacts the solar industry. Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, as well as 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, as well as utility-scale solar plus storage projects. The company also sources financing for solar projects and hedges both energy and environmental commodities.  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.   Paul van Brenkelen Paul is the Director, ESG and Traceability at CEA.  He is responsible for deliverables of ESG and supply chain related services through CEA's global team. CEA's team through its best-in-class services focuses on ensuring quality across all aspects of the solar and energy storage industries and have been instrumental in supporting the installation of 85GW of solar power in 63 countries.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Paul van Brenkelen Website:  https://www.cea3.com Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-van-brenkelen/ A Recent Webinar that Paul spoke on Called How to Manage Solar Supply Chain Risk Following Customs Withhold Release Order (WRO) on Hoshine https://www.cea3.com/cea-blog/how-to-manage-solar-supply-chain-risk-following-customs-wro-on-hoshine Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes,Podbean, and youtube. This episode was produced and managed by  Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)                

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy talks with Drew Pierson who is the head of sustainability at BlueWave and Iain Ward who CEO of Solar Agricultural Services(“SolAg”).  Iain and Drew speak about dual-use which is installing solar on farmland and the primary agricultural activities are continued.  They speak about many interesting topics like the many benefits of dual-use and which states have or developing dual-use incentives.    Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, as well as 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, as well as utility-scale solar plus storage projects. The company also consults related to financing for solar projects and hedges environmental commodities.  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.   Drew Pierson Drew Pierson, head of sustainability at Boston-based BlueWave.  BlueWave has successfully developed over 130 MW of solar in Massachusetts since 2010, including driving innovation in community solar and dual-use development, Drew is a renewable energy project developer with over ten years’ experience in clean energy, real estate, and regional economic development issues. As Head of Sustainability at BlueWave, Drew seeks to raise the bar for sustainability-based enterprise by leading the company’s agrivoltaic and dual-use solar business strategy in multiple states.   Iain Ward Iain Ward is an agriculture consultant/ expert  and the CEO of Founder of Solar Agricultural Services(“SolAg”) that works with BlueWave to ensure that the land the projects are being developed on will benefit and/or improve from the project and that farmers have viable land moving forward. Iain provides insight in the podcast into how solar developers should be turning to agriculture experts to work with them to achieve success on these regenerative agriculture projects.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Drew Pierson Website:  https://bluewave.energy Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewpierson/ Email:  dpierson@bluewavesolar.com Webinar on Sustainable Solar Development with Drew as one of the panelists:  https://bluewave.energy/bw-resources/webinar-sustainable-solar-development   Iain Ward Website: https://www.solaragservices.com Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/iainward8/   Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes,Podbean, and youtube. This episode was produced and managed by  Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)                

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy talks with Whit Fulton who is the CEO and Founder at ConnectDER™ which unlocks the massive potential of Distributed Energy Resources (“DERs”) by turning the meter socket into the utility's all-in-one plug-in point for solar, storage, EVs, and beyond.  Whit speaks about a lot of interesting topics like opportunities and challenges with DERS, the grid of the future, and how their meter collar product helps utilities, installers, and homeowners. Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, as well as an advisor for several solar startup companies. Reneu Energy is a premier isolar energy consulting firm and developer, and the company focuses on developing commercial and industrial solar, as well as utility-scale solar plus storage projects.  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. Whit Fulton Whit founded ConnectDER™ to give inventors a place to solve meaningful problems and to ensure they have an ownership stake in the solutions they create.  His personal mission is to create technologies and business approaches that unlock profitable models for renewable energy.  Whit honed his analysis, negotiation, and product development skills through a series of senior managerial positions in energy analytics consultancies and cleantech startups. Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Whit Fulton Website:  https://connectder.com Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitmanfulton/ ConnectDER’s program with ConEdison: https://connectder.com/solar-installers/coned/   Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes,Podbean, and youtube. This episode was produced and managed by  Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)                

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy talks with Eric White who is the CEO and Founder at Dividend Finance which is a leading national provider of renewable energy and energy-efficient financing solutions to property owners.  Eric speaks about a lot of interesting topics like electrification of the car fleet is impacting the house, how the home will act as virtual power plant with solar plus storage and supply electricity to the grid to maximize revenue. Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, as well as 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, as well as utility-scale solar plus storage projects. The company also sources financing for solar projects and hedges both energy and environmental commodities.  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. Eric White Eric is the CEO and Founder of Dividend Finance.  Dividend is a leading national provider of renewable energy and energy-efficient financing solutions to property owners. We give our customers the opportunity to obtain clean energy financing through a comprehensive suite of financing options. Eric is a seasoned energy transition + renewables and fintech entrepreneur with a passion for conceptualizing and designing innovative financial structures, products and business strategies that break down capital barriers and empower underserved markets. Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Eric White Website:  https://www.dividendfinance.com Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/theericwhite/   Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes,Podbean, and youtube. This episode was produced and managed by  Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)            

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy talks with Brian Lynch who is the Director in Sales and Business Development in Solar plus Storage for LG Electronics which manufactures high efficiency high quality PV modules solar panels in the US and South Korea.  Jon speaks about a lot of interesting topics like residential solar customers will pay more for premium solar equipment and brand awareness matters,  how to lower residential solar customer acquisition cost, and why solar assets are underperforming their initial production estimates. Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, as well as 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, as well as utility-scale solar plus storage projects. The company also sources financing for solar projects and hedges both energy and environmental commodities.  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. Brian Lynch Brian Lynch is Director in Sales and Business, Solar plus Storage at LG Electronics.  He works with accomplished sales team to expand market of LG's high efficiency and high quality PV modules (made in Huntsville, AL) and next-gen ESS products.  Brian has 18 years of solar experience and is experienced in solar industry marketing, communications, and business development professional. Brian has been involved in hundreds of megawatts of solar projects that are generating clean energy around the world. Sponsor:  Summit Ridge Energy Thank you to Summit Ridge Energy for sponsoring this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast! Summit Ridge Energy is the leading owner-operator of community solar projects in the United States. The team has been a strong force within the U.S. commercial solar market for years and was instrumental in the creation of "virtual" power purchase agreements and associated financing structures. Summit Ridge Energy has leveraged this experience to launch Summit Ridge Capital, a dedicated funding platform that acquires pre-operational community solar and battery storage projects. SRE also works with land owners across the country to maximize the value of their acreage by offering predictable lease income to host their solar farms. From site identification and system design, to take-out financing and construction management, Summit Ridge is the most complete solutions provider in the community solar space.  https://srenergy.com info@srenergy.com   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Brian Lynch Website:  https://www.lg.com/us/solar Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/belynch/ Email:  brian.lynch@lge.com Articles that Brian has wrote are listed below. There’s more to solar systems than module capacity https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2020/07/06/yield-for-growth/ Underperforming solar assets shade the entire industry. Here is how to fix it https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2021/03/10/underperforming-solar-assets-shade-the-entire-industry-here-is-how-to-fix-it/ 2020: Top Takeaways on Selling Solar Through a Pandemic https://solarindustrymag.com/2020-top-takeaways-on-selling-solar-through-a-pandemic   Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes,Podbean, and youtube. This episode was produced and managed by  Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)                

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy talks with Jon Semingson who is the Managing Partner at Peak Demand which is a talent access firm that connects top companies in the renewable energy space with the talent they need to grow their businesses.  Jon speaks about a lot of interesting topics like his renewable energy jobs outlook, how hiring was impacted by COVID, and how people can transition into renewable energy.   Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, as well as 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, as well as utility-scale solar plus storage projects. The company also sources financing for solar projects and hedges both energy and environmental commodities.  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.   Jon Semington Jon Semingson Is Managing Partner of Peak Demand and head of Peak Demand. Jon has been recruiting in the renewable energy industry for 14 years. Peak Demand is a talent access firm that connects top companies in the renewable energy space with the talent they need to grow their businesses. The individuals they have placed have delivered over 10 gigawatts of installed generation to our clients. That’s billions of dollars of clean, renewable energy impacting the bottom line for our clients and enough renewable energy to power 10 million homes. They work in Solar, Energy Storage, EV and related markets from the C-Level to Individual Contributors driving the renewable energy revolution.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Jon Semington Website:  https://peakdemandinc.com Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/solarrecruiter/ Email:  Jon@inpeakdemand.com Phone number:  916-565-2813 Videos:  Jon’s videos https://peakdemandinc.com/videos/   Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes,Podbean, and youtube. This episode was produced and managed by  Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)                

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy talks with George Hershman who is the President of Swinerton Renewable Energy and SOLV.  Swinerton Renewable Energy (SRE) is the largest Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC), and Operations & Maintenance Company through SOLV for solar photovoltaic plants and energy storage facilities throughout North America. George speaks about a lot of interesting topics about new innovations and efficiencies in the solar and storage industry, reasons for significant change in the energy demand curve that will lead to more renewables, and Biden’s infrastructure plan. Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, as well as 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, as well as utility-scale solar plus storage projects. The company also sources financing for solar projects and hedges both energy and environmental commodities.  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. George Hershman George Hershman is an industry veteran who has led Swinerton Renewable Energy for 13 years and currently serves as board chairman at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).  He is president of Swinerton and SOLV. George Hershman began his tenure at Swinerton in 1997, working in project management until his promotion to San Diego Division Manager of Swinerton Management & Consulting in 2006. In response to a growing demand for renewable energy, George took on the task of building Swinerton’s presence in the renewable energy sector in 2008 and SOLV, Swinerton’s stand-alone solar operations and maintenance group, was formed in 2014. Sponsor:  Summit Ridge Energy Thank you to Summit Ridge Energy for sponsoring this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast! Summit Ridge Energy is the leading owner-operator of community solar projects in the United States. The team has been a strong force within the U.S. commercial solar market for years and was instrumental in the creation of "virtual" power purchase agreements and associated financing structures. Summit Ridge Energy has leveraged this experience to launch Summit Ridge Capital, a dedicated funding platform that acquires pre-operational community solar and battery storage projects. SRE also works with land owners across the country to maximize the value of their acreage by offering predictable lease income to host their solar farms. From site identification and system design, to take-out financing and construction management, Summit Ridge is the most complete solutions provider in the community solar space.  https://srenergy.com info@srenergy.com   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: info@reneuenergy.com  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   George Hershmann Website:  https://www.swinertonrenewable.com Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgehershman/ Company Linkedin Page:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/swinerton-renewable-energy/    Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on iTunes,Podbean, and youtube. This episode was produced and managed by  Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)