SMP 154: How Aurora Solar is innovating the residential and commercial sales experience through software?

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy spoke about the proposed community solar legislation in California with Derek Chernow with CCSA,  Stephanie Doyle from SEIA, and Steve Campbell from Vote Solar.   Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies.  He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.   This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable. 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 was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects.  He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio.  Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.   He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young.  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. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University.  Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.     Derek Chernow WESTERN REGIONAL DIRECTOR of CCSA(“Coalition for Community Solar Access”) Derek is a highly accomplished clean energy leader. He previously served as Executive Director of the California Alternative Energy & Advanced Transportation Financing Authority (CAEATFA), where he led all operations for the California agency charged with financing clean energy projects to spur economic development. Before CAEATFA, he spent many years working in the California State Legislature, including in the CA Senate Budget Subcommittee on Resources, Environmental Protection, Energy & Transportation and as a Chief of Staff for multiple members. He also held leadership positions advocating for clean energy and environmental protection including Acting Director at the California Department of Conservation. In his spare time, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Sacramento Tree Foundation.   Stephanie Doyle She is the California State Affairs Director for SEIA(“Solar Energy Industries Association”).   SEIA is the national trade association for the U.S. solar industry.   Stephanie was the regulatory Director for California for Vote Solar, Climate Policy Associate for The Nature Conservancy, and the Director of National Partnerships and Outreach for Ciizens’ Climate Lobby,  She also has experience as the On Deck Climate Tech Fellow and Fellow at the Clean Energy Leadership Institute.   Steve Campbell Steve is the Regulatory Director for the West for Vote Solar.  Vote Solar is a non-profit policy advocacy organization with the mission of making solar more accessible and affordable across the United States.  He worked as Western States Policy Director at Grid Alternatives and Associate Program Manager, Energy Efficiency and Climate Action at Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Derek Chernow Website:  https://communitysolaraccess.org/ Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-chernow-9a358444/ CCSA Summit:  https://web.cvent.com/event/4d08858f-5aef-4a10-8340-6111b45325fd/summary   Stephanie Doyle Website:  https://www.seia.org/ Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieedoyle/ SEIA Events:  https://www.seia.org/events   Steve Campbell Website:  https://votesolar.org/ Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/allthink/ Google: California Community Solar CPUC Public Comment Proceeding No.  A.22.05.022

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Annika Colston who is the President and Founder of AC Power.  AC Power is an award winning NYC certified (“Women Business Enterprise”) WBE focused on converting low value land into revenue-generating solar energy sites.  Annika speaks about many interesting topics like the complexities of developing on disturbed land, the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act, and her suggestions to start a clean energy company.   Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies.  He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.   This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable. 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 was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects.  He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio.  Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.   He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young.  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. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University.  Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.   Annika Colston Annika Colston founded AC Power to bring a unique vision to solar PV project development and management on landfill and brownfield sites. Annika has been developing alternative energy projects for nearly two decades and has experience across all aspects of project development. She has worked with all stakeholders needed to make alternative energy projects successful. These stakeholders include governments, local municipalities, Fortune 500 companies, landowners, utilities, and more. The breadth of her experience makes her capable of solving conflicts and bringing teams together to ensure success. Annika has a unique ability to bring projects to operation on time and within budget. Ms. Colston has been a senior manager of four start-up companies that sourced private and public capital to drive investment in environmentally and socially beneficial projects. Annika has a long track record of successfully taking projects through the entire development process including origination, contract negotiations, due diligence, financing and investor approvals, permitting, structuring off-take agreements, equipment procurement, construction contracting, and operations. Prior to AC Power, Annika was Vice President at PV Navigator where she originated and developed over 50 MW of solar projects on landfills and brownfields. From 2011 to 2014, Ms. Colston was President of C2i Methane where she developed and sold a portfolio of landfill gas to energy projects. Ms. Colston's work experience includes entities that were market leaders such as E+Co, which invested seed capital in sustainable development projects in Africa using innovative investment structures; EcoSecurities, a first of its kind company marketing Kyoto Protocol projects globally; and Blue Source, the largest carbon credit portfolio in the US.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Annika Colston Website:  https://www.acpowerllc.com/ Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/annika-colston-9681624/

Episode Summary.  In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Laura Pagliarulo who is the President and Founder of SolaREIT.  SolaREIT™ invests in land related to solar and battery developments through land acquisitions, lease monetization, and project re-powering.  Laura speaks about many interesting topics like how their  cost of capital is lower compared to development capital, why it is better for developers to lead with land purchase option than lease option with the land owner, and solar trends.   Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies.  He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.   This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable. 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 was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects.  He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio.  Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.   He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young.  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. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University.  Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.     Laura Pagliarulo Laura is the founder and President of SolREIT.  She has worked at CleanChoice Energy, SunEdison, and WGL.  She is a results driven energy and environmental professional with over 15 years of experience in electricity and gas markets, renewable energy, carbon reduction, and energy efficiency initiatives. Laura has a proven track record with designing, implementing and managing programs. Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Laura Pagliarulo Website:  https://www.solareit.com/ Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/pgrana/ Email:  [email protected]   

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Paul Grana who is Solar Software Leader and GM of HelioScope at Aurora Solar. Aurora’s cloud-based software transforms solar design, sales, and delivery. With just an address and electric bill, Aurora empowers you to generate a full, accurate, and customizable design for every customer.  Paul speaks about many interesting topics like how AI has impacted Aurora, listening to the customer has led to the company being cutting edge, and solar trends.   Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies.  He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.   This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable. 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 was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects.  He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio.  Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.   He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young.  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. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University.  Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.     Paul Grana Paul Grana is the Co-Founder and General Manager of HelioScope at Aurora Solar. HelioScope provides commercial solar installers with an intuitive cloud-based design platform that reduces design costs by 90%. It helps streamline solar design and sales, cuts soft costs, and accelerates project development. Before joining the team, Paul was the co-founder/CRO of Folsom Labs (which made HelioScope software and was acquired by Aurora Solar in 2021). Before that he was on the hardware side of the industry, leading Product Marketing at Tigo Energy. Lastly, he holds an SB in Mathematics from the University of Chicago, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Paul Grana Website:  https://aurorasolar.com Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/pgrana/    

Episode Summary. In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Josh Goldberg who is Co-Founder and CEO of Sunstone Credit.  Sunstone Credit provides flexible financing solutions for businesses of all sizes, offering solar loans with borrower-friendly terms and an efficient application process.  Josh speaks about many interesting topics like how higher interest rates has impacted lending,  how Sunstone is more innovative on C&I solar financing compared to banks, and which states are the best for C&I solar financing.  .   Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies.  He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.   This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable. 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 was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects.  He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio.  Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.   He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young.  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. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University.  Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.     Josh Goldberg Josh has spent the past 15+ years founding and operating businesses in the solar installation, development and financing space including Astrum Solar and Sunlight Financial. He also co-founded Legends of Learning. Having been a solar installer and business owner himself, Josh is passionate about supporting both Sunstone’s solar developer partners, and the commercial customers they serve, through Sunstone’s mission. Josh started his career as an M&A lawyer.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Josh Goldberg Email:  [email protected] Website:  https://www.sunstonecredit.com Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuamgoldberg/   We would like to thank our sponsor Schwerd Consulting for sponsoring this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast. Schwerd Consulting is a leading solar consulting firm dedicated to design, engineering, owner representation and technical consulting in all areas of solar photovoltaics and energy storage for the Commercial & Industrial and Utility markets.  At Schwerd Consulting we like to say that We Know Solar. We don’t just Do Solar. What sets us apart is our 100% focus on solar, while having an extensive background in building and utility engineering, and understanding the business of our clients. We are involved with the trends, technologies, vendors, policies, utilities, codes, and financial considerations for the industry. Therefore, value add for us is not just a slogan, it’s what we practice in order to have loyal customers and gain trust. In its 9 years of business, Schwerd Consulting has provided services for approximately 1 GW of PV across over 800 sites and 17 US states plus the Caribbean.  Let Schwerd Consulting take the burden off you and bring ease and expertise in all areas of Engineering & Design or help you navigate the technical world of solar.  If you are interested in learning more about Schwerd Consulting, you can call 215-219-6718 or email to admin@schwerdconsulting.  Schwerd Consulting’s website is www.schwerdconsulting.com.      

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Mike Hall who is CEO of Anza Renewables. Anza helps solar module and energy storage equipment buyers optimize and accelerate their buying process.  Mike speaks about many interesting topics like Effective $/Watt and total value, when most solar developers will be able to take advantage of the domestic content adder, and what storage technology is most popular.   Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies.  He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.   This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable. 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 was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects.  He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio.  Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.   He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young.  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. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University.  Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.     Mike Hall Mike Hall currently serves as Chief Executive Officer and board member at Anza. Mike began his career in renewable energy in 2002 when he co-founded Borrego with his brother, Aaron, and his ultimate frisbee teammate Chris Anderson. Mike’s 21-year career at Borrego included serving as the company’s CEO from 2009 to 2023. Borrego built several successful downstream solar and storage business lines during that time. One of the businesses was a leading middle-market solar, storage, and distributed wind developer. Energy Capital Partners bought that business in 2022, now New Leaf Energy. In 2020, Mike and his brother Aaron developed the initial Anza business strategy after observing Borrego’s IPP customers’ challenges in managing a rapidly changing module supply environment. Today, Mike’s focus is working with the Anza team to help the entire solar and storage industry achieve superior project outcomes. He is passionate about building high-performing teams, developing leadership, and maintaining a lean philosophy of continuous improvement—in all things related to renewable energy. Before joining Borrego, Mike worked as a Process Engineer for Applied Materials in Santa Clara. Mike holds an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California Santa Barbara.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Mike Hall Website:  https://www.anzarenewables.com Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/natejov/   We would like to thank our sponsor Schwerd Consulting for sponsoring this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast. Schwerd Consulting is a leading solar consulting firm dedicated to design, engineering, owner representation and technical consulting in all areas of solar photovoltaics and energy storage for the Commercial & Industrial and Utility markets.  At Schwerd Consulting we like to say that We Know Solar. We don’t just Do Solar. What sets us apart is our 100% focus on solar, while having an extensive background in building and utility engineering, and understanding the business of our clients. We are involved with the trends, technologies, vendors, policies, utilities, codes, and financial considerations for the industry. Therefore, value add for us is not just a slogan, it’s what we practice in order to have loyal customers and gain trust. In its 9 years of business, Schwerd Consulting has provided services for approximately 1 GW of PV across over 800 sites and 17 US states plus the Caribbean.  Let Schwerd Consulting take the burden off you and bring ease and expertise in all areas of Engineering & Design or help you navigate the technical world of solar.  If you are interested in learning more about Schwerd Consulting, you can call 215-219-6718 or email to admin@schwerdconsulting.  Schwerd Consulting’s website is www.schwerdconsulting.com.      

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Paul Warley who is the CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies which is manufacturer of innovative, high performance, flexible thin-film solar panels for both existing and emerging agrivoltaic, space, and aerospace applications.  Paul talks about how thin-film solar will play a vital role with the renewable energy transition specially in space and agrivoltaics and the rapid rise of solar power in space. Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies.  He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.   This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable. 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 was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects.  He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio.  Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.   He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young.  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. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University.  Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.     Paul Warley Prior to Ascent, Warley was president of Warley & Company LLC, a strategic advisory firm from 2015 to 2022 – providing executive management services, capital advisory, and M&A to middle-market companies in the service, construction, technology, oil & gas, clean energy, food, retail and green-building sectors. While at Warley & Company from 2018 to 2019, he was engaged as chief executive officer and CFO of 360Imaging, a provider of products and services for implant surgery and digital dentistry. From 2011 to 2015, Warley served clients in the alternative energy industry as a managing director and chief compliance officer with Deloitte Corporate Finance. From 1997 to 2011, Warley was managing director and region manager for GE Capital. From 1984 to 1997, Warley served as senior vice president with Bank of America and Bankers Trust.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Paul Warley Website:  https://ascentsolar.com/ Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-warley-015203a/   Our Sponsor: We would like to thank Schwerd Consulting for sponsoring this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast. Schwerd Consulting is a leading solar consulting firm dedicated to design, engineering, owner representation and technical consulting in all areas of solar photovoltaics and energy storage for the Commercial & Industrial and Utility markets.  At Schwerd Consulting we like to say that We Know Solar. We don’t just Do Solar. What sets us apart is our 100% focus on solar, while having an extensive background in building and utility engineering, and understanding the business of our clients. We are involved with the trends, technologies, vendors, policies, utilities, codes, and financial considerations for the industry. Therefore, value add for us is not just a slogan, it’s what we practice in order to have loyal customers and gain trust. In its 9 years of business, Schwerd Consulting has provided services for approximately 1 GW of PV across over 800 sites and 17 US states plus the Caribbean.  Let Schwerd Consulting take the burden off you and bring ease and expertise in all areas of Engineering & Design or help you navigate the technical world of solar.  If you are interested in learning more about Schwerd Consulting, you can call 215-219-6718 or email to admin@schwerdconsulting.  Schwerd Consulting’s website is www.schwerdconsulting.com.    

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Nathan Jovanelly who is the CEO and Founder of SunRaise Capital.  Nate talks about his new company SunRaise Capital which provides affordable and accessible renewable energy options to homeowners.  Nate talks about how transferability of the tax credit from the Inflation Reduction Act(“IRA”) will lead to a lot more solar deployment and allow solar installers to own their projects.  Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies.  He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.   This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable. 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 was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects.  He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio.  Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.   He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young.  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. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University.  Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.     Nathan Jovanelly Jovanelly LLC is a problem solver in the solar industry.  Nathan, the CEO, has a proven track record of simplifying complex issues and helping solar companies:    Develop business strategies and tactics to gain a competitive advantage;  Connect to affiliates, partnerships, and vendors to scale faster;  Gain access to project and growth capital;  Increase market share through operational efficiency; and  Coach and mentor sales leadership.   We are not just another consulting firm.  Jovanelly LLC works side by side with your team to identify the gaps that are holding you back from reaching your business goals.  We develop an implementable plan structured to optimize your current resources, and stick with you all the way through completion. We become part of your team and are invested in your success.  Jovanelly LLC focuses on helping your company reach its full potential; making your solar business limitless. Nate is the CEO and Founder of Sunraise Capital’s mission is to provide affordable and accessible renewable energy options to homeowners, while reducing carbon footprints and creating a sustainable future for generations to come. They achieve their mission by partnering with industry leading solar installers to provide our customers with the best possible solar experience at competitive rates.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Nathan Jovanelly Email:  [email protected] Website:  https://jovanelly.io/ SunRaise Capital Website:  https://www.sunraisecapital.com/ Limitless Podcast:  https://jovanelly.io/limitless-podcast Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/natejov/   Nate’s other interviews on the Solar Maverick Podcast Solar Maverick Episode 147:  RE+ Takeaways https://solarmaverick.podbean.com/e/smp-147-re-conference-takeaways/   Solar Maverick Episode 139: Opportunities and Challenges with the PJM Solar Market https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u14GHBkqcqo   Solar Maverick Episode 134: 2023 Solar Predictions https://solarmaverick.podbean.com/e/smp-134-2023-solar-predictations/   SMP 131:  How Technology and Software are innovating the Solar Industry? https://solarmaverick.podbean.com/e/smp-131-how-technology-and-software-is-innovating-the-solar-industry/   SMP 100: US Residential Solar, Storage, and Electric Vehicle Trends https://solarmaverick.podbean.com/e/smp-100-us-residential-solar-storage-and-electric-vehicles-trends/   SMP 74: Impact on COVID-19 on Residential Solar https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/smp-74-impacts-of-covid-19-on-residential-solar/id1441876259?i=1000475840259   SMP 58:  Residential Solar Financing and Other Interesting Topics https://podcasts.apple.com/tc/podcast/smp-58-residential-solar-financing-other-interesting/id1441876259?i=1000459212910   SMP 20:  The Solar Intrapreneur Story:  How Nate helped IGS become one of the biggest solar asset owners in the US https://podcasts.apple.com/tc/podcast/smp-20-solar-intrapreneur-story-how-nate-helped-igs/id1441876259?i=1000432329129   We would like to thank Schwerd Consulting for sponsoring this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast. Schwerd Consulting is a leading solar consulting firm dedicated to design, engineering, owner representation and technical consulting in all areas of solar photovoltaics and energy storage for the Commercial & Industrial and Utility markets.  At Schwerd Consulting we like to say that We Know Solar. We don’t just Do Solar. What sets us apart is our 100% focus on solar, while having an extensive background in building and utility engineering, and understanding the business of our clients. We are involved with the trends, technologies, vendors, policies, utilities, codes, and financial considerations for the industry. Therefore, value add for us is not just a slogan, it’s what we practice in order to have loyal customers and gain trust. In its 9 years of business, Schwerd Consulting has provided services for approximately 1 GW of PV across over 800 sites and 17 US states plus the Caribbean.  Let Schwerd Consulting take the burden off you and bring ease and expertise in all areas of Engineering & Design or help you navigate the technical world of solar.  If you are interested in learning more about Schwerd Consulting, you can call 215-219-6718 or email to admin@schwerdconsulting.  Schwerd Consulting’s website is www.schwerdconsulting.com.    

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Jigar Shah who is the Director for the Loan Programs Office(“LPO”) at the U.S. Department of Energy(“DOE”).  Jigar speaks about Virtual Power Purchase Agreements(“VPPAs”), DOE’s $3 Billion Partial Loan Guarantee to Sunnova’s Project Hestia, and how the solar industry has to innovate. Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies.  He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.   This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable. 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 was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects.  He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio.  Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.   He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young.  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. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University.  Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.     Jigar Shah Jigar Shah is the Director for the Loan Programs Office at the U.S. Department of Energy, where he leads and directs the organization's considerable loan authority within manufacturing, innovative project finance, and tribal energy. With more than 25 years of experience in clean energy, he is an expert in project finance, clean technology, and entrepreneurship, as well as a visionary leader and innovator in the field of sustainable infrastructure.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Jigar Shah Loan Programs Office Website:  https://www.energy.gov/lpo/loan-programs-office Loan Program Office Linkedin Page:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/doe-loan-programs-office/  Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jigarshahdc/ Article in WSJ about Jigar: https://www.wsj.com/articles/green-energy-climate-loans-49fda73b   DOE content about VPPAs DOE Announces $3 Billion Partial Loan Guarantee to Sunnova’s Project Hestia https://www.energy.gov/lpo/articles/doe-announces-3-billion-partial-loan-guarantee-sunnovas-project-hestia   THE PATHWAY TO:  VIRTUAL POWER PLANTS COMMERCIAL LIFTOFF https://liftoff.energy.gov/vpp/   Reneu Energy and Solar Maverick Podcast Holiday Fundraiser Reneu Energy and the Solar Maverick Podcast are having their Holiday Fundraiser and Networking Event on Tuesday, December 5th, 2023 from 6pm to 10pm at Hudson Hall in Jersey City, NJ. Hudson Hall is a Czech Biergarten and Smokehouse. Benoy who is the CEO of Reneu Energy and host of Solar Maverick Podcast is one of the owners. It is $64 to attend. The Admission Fee goes to two charities that we are fundraising at the event which are Let's Share the Sun Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club and covering our expenses for the event. Appetizers will be served. We will be partnering with Grand Stand Sports & Memorabilia. They will be selling memorabilia proceeds will go to charities. At our last two events, we raised $1,450 for the Boys & Girls Club and $1,450 for Let's Share the Sun Foundation. We are raising money for both charities at this event. If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please email Reneu Energy at [email protected]. The eventbrite link is below. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reneu-energy-solar-maverick-podcast-holiday-fundraiser-networking-event-tickets-739318971947?aff=oddtdtcreator   We would like to thank our sponsors for the holiday fundraiser which is Summit Ridge Energy and SolaREIT. Summit Ridge Energy is the nation’s leading commercial solar company. Through its strategic partnerships and project financing expertise, the company develops, acquires, owns, and operates energy projects within the rapidly growing commercial solar and battery storage sectors. In the past six years, Summit Ridge Energy has deployed over $1.6B USD into cleanenergy assets. With a development pipeline of more than 2 GW, Summit Ridge Energy will have more than 400 MW of PV online by the end of 2023, providing solar power to 50,000 homes and businesses. Learn more at srenergy.com and connect with us on LinkedIn. SolaREIT, based in Vienna, Virginia, focuses on making investments in acquiring, developing, and managing climate-friendly real estate assets that support solar and battery storage projects, furthering the transformation to a low-carbon economy. SolaREIT offers practical and streamlined financing options that deliver maximum flexibility to developers, project owners and landowners based on their individual needs and financial goals. SolaREIT’s products include land purchases, solar and storage land loans, and lease purchases among other innovative solutions for clients. For more information, please visit www.solareit.com or follow us on LinkedIn.   We would like to thank Schwerd Consulting for sponsoring this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast. Schwerd Consulting is a leading solar consulting firm dedicated to design, engineering, owner representation and technical consulting in all areas of solar photovoltaics and energy storage for the Commercial & Industrial and Utility markets.  At Schwerd Consulting we like to say that We Know Solar. We don’t just Do Solar. What sets us apart is our 100% focus on solar, while having an extensive background in building and utility engineering, and understanding the business of our clients. We are involved with the trends, technologies, vendors, policies, utilities, codes, and financial considerations for the industry. Therefore, value add for us is not just a slogan, it’s what we practice in order to have loyal customers and gain trust. In its 9 years of business, Schwerd Consulting has provided services for approximately 1 GW of PV across over 800 sites and 17 US states plus the Caribbean.  Let Schwerd Consulting take the burden off you and bring ease and expertise in all areas of Engineering & Design or help you navigate the technical world of solar.  If you are interested in learning more about Schwerd Consulting, you can call 215-219-6718 or email to admin@schwerdconsulting.  Schwerd Consulting’s website is www.schwerdconsulting.com.      

Episode Summary In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Garren Bisschoff who is the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Summit Ridge Energy(“SRE”).  Garren speaks about Summit Ridge Energy 100 MW Community Solar Portfolio in Virginia, the magnificent growth of Summit Ridge Energy, and his solar journey. Here is the press release discussed on the Solar Maverick Podcast. Summit Ridge Energy Becomes Market Leader in Virginia with 100 MW Community Solar Portfolio Projects will lower electricity rates for low-income households located throughout the Commonwealth https://srenergy.com/news/summit-ridge-energy-becomes-market-leader-in-virginia-with-100-mw-community-solar-portfolio/ https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/11/28/2787222/0/en/Summit-Ridge-Energy-Becomes-Market-Leader-in-Virginia-with-100-MW-Community-Solar-Portfolio.html   Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies.  He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.   This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable. 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 was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects.  He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio.  Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.   He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young.  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. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University.  Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.     Garren Bisschoff Garren is the Senior Vice President of Business Development at Summit Ridge Energy.  He has worked in various roles in the solar industry for over 13 years at SRE, SunEdison, IGS Solar, PV Pros, and Mgwezi Consultants.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com   Garren Bisschoff Website:  https://srenergy.co Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/garren-bisschoff-a2528559/   Other Episodes with Summit Ridge Energy(“SRE”) on the Solar Maverick Podcast How Summit Ridge Energy became one of the largest owners of the community solar projects in the US? https://solarmaverick.podbean.com/e/smp-87-how-summit-ridge-energy-became-one-of-the-largest-owners-of-community-solar-projects-in-the-us/   A Developer’s Perspective on the US Solar Market https://solarmaverick.podbean.com/e/smp-26-a-developers-perspective-on-the-us-solar-market/   Reneu Energy and Solar Maverick Podcast Holiday Fundraiser Reneu Energy and the Solar Maverick Podcast are having their Holiday Fundraiser and Networking Event on Tuesday, December 5th, 2023 from 6pm to 10pm at Hudson Hall in Jersey City, NJ. Hudson Hall is a Czech Biergarten and Smokehouse. Benoy who is the CEO of Reneu Energy and host of Solar Maverick Podcast is one of the owners. It is $64 to attend. The Admission Fee goes to two charities that we are fundraising at the event which are Let's Share the Sun Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club and covering our expenses for the event. Appetizers will be served. We will be partnering with Grand Stand Sports & Memorabilia. They will be selling memorabilia proceeds will go to charities. At our last two events, we raised $1,450 for the Boys & Girls Club and $1,450 for Let's Share the Sun Foundation. We are raising money for both charities at this event. If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please email Reneu Energy at [email protected]. The eventbrite link is below. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reneu-energy-solar-maverick-podcast-holiday-fundraiser-networking-event-tickets-739318971947?aff=oddtdtcreator   We would like to thank our sponsors for the holiday fundraiser which is Summit Ridge Energy and SolaREIT. Summit Ridge Energy is the nation’s leading commercial solar company. Through its strategic partnerships and project financing expertise, the company develops, acquires, owns, and operates energy projects within the rapidly growing commercial solar and battery storage sectors. In the past six years, Summit Ridge Energy has deployed over $1.6B USD into cleanenergy assets. With a development pipeline of more than 2 GW, Summit Ridge Energy will have more than 400 MW of PV online by the end of 2023, providing solar power to 50,000 homes and businesses. Learn more at srenergy.com and connect with us on LinkedIn. SolaREIT, based in Vienna, Virginia, focuses on making investments in acquiring, developing, and managing climate-friendly real estate assets that support solar and battery storage projects, furthering the transformation to a low-carbon economy. SolaREIT offers practical and streamlined financing options that deliver maximum flexibility to developers, project owners and landowners based on their individual needs and financial goals. SolaREIT’s products include land purchases, solar and storage land loans, and lease purchases among other innovative solutions for clients. For more information, please visit www.solareit.com or follow us on LinkedIn.   We would like to thank our sponsor Schwerd Consulting for sponsoring this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast. Schwerd Consulting is a leading solar consulting firm dedicated to design, engineering, owner representation and technical consulting in all areas of solar photovoltaics and energy storage for the Commercial & Industrial and Utility markets.  At Schwerd Consulting we like to say that We Know Solar. We don’t just Do Solar. What sets us apart is our 100% focus on solar, while having an extensive background in building and utility engineering, and understanding the business of our clients. We are involved with the trends, technologies, vendors, policies, utilities, codes, and financial considerations for the industry. Therefore, value add for us is not just a slogan, it’s what we practice in order to have loyal customers and gain trust. In its 9 years of business, Schwerd Consulting has provided services for approximately 1 GW of PV across over 800 sites and 17 US states plus the Caribbean.  Let Schwerd Consulting take the burden off you and bring ease and expertise in all areas of Engineering & Design or help you navigate the technical world of solar.  If you are interested in learning more about Schwerd Consulting, you can call 215-219-6718 or email to admin@schwerdconsulting.  Schwerd Consulting’s website is www.schwerdconsulting.com.