Solar Maverick Podcast

Episode Summary

In this episode Benoy is speaking with Mishka and Steve Ashbel, brothers and owners of MMD Shops of California, on the intricacies of entrepreneurship in the cannabis industry, the important role passion plays in growing your business, and the future of the cannabis industry across the country.  They discuss the power consumption of cannabis cultivation, how that growing industry will create an opportunity in renewable energy, and the inevitable integration of solar and cannabis industries.

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. Reneu Energy has brokered $27 million in environmental commodity 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.

Mishka and Steve Ashbel

MMD owners and brothers, Steve and Mishka Ashbel, opened their first medical marijuana dispensary in North Hollywood, California in 2006, and have been at the forefront for advocating for safe and legal access to cannabis for over a decade.  

They currently have four shops in California and are a leading resource for cannabis entrepreneurship across the country.  They are currently pursuing the idea of taking MMD Shops public.

Insights from this episode:

• The origins of MMD Shops and entrepreneurship in the cannabis industry, including licensing and legal challenges.

Quotes from the show:

• On solar power in the cannabis industry: “...they are inevitably bound to make a marriage together, that’s going to happen.” – Mishka Ashbel, SMP #54

Podcasts Mentioned: 

Tiffany Pham

SMP 45:  Productivity Tips and Entrepreneurial Advice from the CEO and Founder of the Number 1 Millennial Platform Called Mogul with Benoy Thanjan and Tiffany Pham

Resources Mentioned:

Interim Control Ordinances (ICOs)

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @bthanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

Mishka and Steve Ashbel

Website: MMD Shops 

Instagram: MMD Long Beach

LinkedIn: Mishka Ashbel

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

For the first time on the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy is discussing permitting in the solar industry with Allison Rohrs while at the Solar Power International Conference ("SPI").  They delve into the details of the process of permitting, why permitting is necessary, and possible problems that might interfere with permitting.

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. Reneu Energy has brokered $27 million in environmental commodity 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.

Allison Rohrs

Allison Rohrs has joined SWCA’s Pittsburgh office as Senior Renewable Energy Project Manager, contributing to the continuing development of SWCA’s work in renewable energy throughout the central and eastern U.S. Allison joins SWCA from the Saint Francis University Institute for Energy, where she was the Executive Director for nearly seven years, overseeing a wide range of energy related initiatives in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Her unique and diverse work experience spans operations and maintenance of electric (wind) generators, renewable energy site development, energy policy research, and community outreach. 

Allison has well established relationships with renewable energy developers, investors, manufacturers, policy makers, and other key stakeholders. She studied Environmental Science at the University of Colorado and received her master’s degree in Energy and Mineral Engineering from Penn State. Allison is also a Certified Energy Manager by the Association of Energy Engineers.  

Insights from this episode:

• What permitting is and why it is important for the solar industry.

Quotes from the show:

• Talking about the tiny house tour in Pennsylvania: “We could show that, even on cloudy days or days it was raining, that we are still making electricity here.  And that is really powerful when you’ve been talking to a community that has only seen coal for the last hundred years. “ – Allison Rohrs, Episode #53

• “Anyone in the solar/renewable energy space is an entrepreneur in their own way.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #53

• “As an industry I think that we should be, and we are, in the business of doing good things for the environment and … I think regulation kind of ensures that is what is happening.”  – Allison Rohrs, Episode #53

• On the permitting process: “Start these processes early because they take a lot of time and a lot of energy and very often they can stop a project.” – Allison Rohrs, Episode #53

• Talking about the book Ego is the Enemy: “We are all biased toward our perspective.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #53

• “We think Pennsylvania is one of the next big markets for solar.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #53

Events Mentioned:

Reneu Energy Holiday Party

Podcasts Mentioned: 

Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu

Lewis Howes Podcasts

Books Mentioned: 

High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard

Ego is the Enemy and Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday

Resources Mentioned:

SWCA “Sound Science, Creative Solutions”

Solar Power International Conference

Sept. 23 - Sept. 26, 2019 Salt Lake City, Utah

All Solar Power Events are produced by SEIA and SEPA, including the development of cutting-edge educational programs offered at each show. What sets Solar Power Events apart from other conferences is the support of these two organizations. All proceeds from the events go straight back into the industry.

National Geographic

State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO)

US Army Corps of Engineers

Influencer 2019

Oct. 10 - Oct. 12, 2019 San Diego, California

INFLUENCER Magazine presents the first-ever conference exclusively for up-and-coming influencers, by experienced influencers, on how to grow your personal brand, monetize your content, reach more people, and dramatically scale your business.

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @bthanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

Allison Rohrs

Email: [email protected]

Website: SWCA

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, Benoy and Li discuss Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), their effect on solar industry financing, and what benefits long-term solar investments can provide to businesses and homeowners in the growing solar industry.  In addition, Benoy talks about upcoming conferences and events he will be attending.  

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. Reneu Energy has brokered $27 million in environmental commodity 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.

Li Wang

Li Wang is a life-long journalist and communications professional. He worked as an intern for the Philadelphia Daily News, during the summer of the O.J. trial, and has since had some fascinating jobs, from being a business reporter, to an arts editor, to a film critic. He has since shifted his focus to digital marketing and creative services, and now his company, MJ Wang Media, develops brand messaging and identity through website design and content marketing. 

Insights from this episode:

• Details on upcoming conferences that Benoy will be attending.

Quotes from the show:

• “We are firm believers that if you own a brand you have the right to express how you want to carry that culture.” – Li Wang, Episode #52

Quoted by Benoy: “Ultimately, there's one investment that supersedes all others: Invest in yourself.  Nobody can take away what you've got in yourself, and everybody has potential they haven't used yet.” - Warren Buffett 

Podcasts Mentioned: 

SMP 45:  Productivity Tips and Entrepreneurial Advice from the CEO and Founder of the Number 1 Millennial Platform Called Mogul with Benoy Thanjan and Tiffany Pham

SMP 42: Live Event - How Solar Technology is Changing the World

SMP 43:  2019 Energy Storage Trends with Benoy Thanjan and Li Wang

SMP 47: Solar Financing 101 with Benoy Thanjan and Li Wang

Lewis Howes Podcasts

Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu

Books Mentioned:

High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard

Girl, Wash Your Face and Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living and How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Resources Mentioned:

Mogul App

Rush Order Tees

The Investment Tax Credit (ITC)

PV Magazine; Off-site, In Mind 

SEIA Model Leases and PPAs

Conferences Mentioned:

Mogul X Conference

Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019 New York, New York

Benoy was the Dean of the Hustle Track at the Mogul X innovative conference; made up of transformative classrooms, immersive experiences, and networking opportunities – all of which dive into the key aspects of a Mogul’s life including Failures, Work, Relationships, Health & Wellness, Travel, Finance, and Entrepreneurship. Each class is taught by the best of the best: world-class CEO’s, top executives, celebrities, and professors – taking their lifetime of learnings and expertise and turning it into actionable lessons for you.

Solar Power International Conference

Sept. 23 - Sept. 26, 2019 Salt Lake City, Utah

2019 Deloitte Renewable Energy Seminar

Oct. 2 - Oct. 4, 2019 Dallas, Texas

Benoy spoke at the Deloitte Renewable Energy Seminar on Friday, October 4 in a panel on “Impact of renewable energy on the future of real estate” with Lisa Brown from Johnson Controls and Susan Nickey from Hannon Armstrong.

Influencer 2019

Oct. 10 - Oct. 12, 2019 San Diego, California

INFLUENCER Magazine presents the first-ever conference exclusively for up-and-coming influencers, by experienced influencers, on how to grow your personal brand, monetize your content, reach more people, and dramatically scale your business.

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @bthanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

Li Wang

MJWangMedia.com 

Instagram: @liwang22

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, Benoy and Suzanne provide a general overview of the Community Solar program in various states and have a high-level discussion about the Community Solar initiative in New Jersey, including a deep-dive into tax credits and how they affect the development of solar projects.

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 an unmatched enthusiasm for its capabilities and a BA in Economics from Rutgers College at Rutgers University.

Insight from this episode:

• The basics of the Community Solar initiative, including how it is defined by SEIA.

Quotes from the show:

• “Community Solar is one of the next big things in solar.” – Suzanne Waters, Episode #51 

Benoy’s quote of the day: “If you don’t dream big, you’ll only ever be mediocre.”

Podcasts Mentioned:

SMP 23: Community Solar 101 with Benoy Thanjan and Suzanne Waters

SMP 44: Community Solar 201 with Benoy Thanjan and Suzanne Waters

SMP 19: Customer Acquisition and Billing in Community Solar with Benoy Thanjan and Eric Dahnke

Resources mentioned: 

Solar Renewable Energy Credit

Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC)

Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) - Community Solar

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @bthanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

Suzanne Waters

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: Suzanne Waters

Website: www.reneuenergy.com

Facebook: Reneu 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) 

Episode Summary

In this milestone 50th episode of the Solar Maverick Benoy and Li discuss getting started in podcasts, read and reply to listener feedback, and recap some previous episodes. Benoy shares his thoughts on climate change and its effect on the solar industry, what part solar recycling might play in the future, and the shape of solar panels in regards to efficiency.  Most importantly, this episode is a HUGE THANK YOU to our listeners.

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. Reneu Energy has brokered $27 million in environmental commodity 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.

Li Wang

Li Wang is a life-long journalist and communications professional. He worked as an intern for the Philadelphia Daily News, during the summer of the O.J. trial, and has since had some fascinating jobs, from being a business reporter, to an arts editor, to a film critic. He has since shifted his focus to digital marketing and creative services, and now his company, MJ Wang Media, develops brand messaging and identity through website design and content marketing. 

Insights from this episode:

• Why the first podcast is the hardest and how you can get to 50 episodes.

Quotes from the show:

• “I always prefer doing the interviews in person because I feel like the dynamics are a lot better, but, you know, there are some people that we would like to interview, but we can’t in person.“ – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #50

• “It’s just amazing every month the number of downloads are getting bigger and bigger and larger and larger  “ – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #50

• “It is just amazing to me how many people listen to the podcast. “ – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #50 

• “Solar energy is a way of combating climate change.  Obviously, we are seeing a proliferation of solar coming online and in record amounts.“ – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #50

• “The future is pretty bright and it’s amazing.“ – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #50

• “I think in the future there has to be some kind of hat that I can wear that’s going to turn that absorption into energy.” – Li Wang, Episode #50

• “Benoy is humble, but he is widely connected.” – Li Wang, Episode #50

• On the book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie:

“If you can distill down your decision-making process, mostly based on the facts and not your own self-induced stress, then your efficiency in turning around and going forward in decisions is going to be a lot faster.” – Li Wang, Episode #50

• To our listeners “Thank you, we couldn’t have done it without you.” – Benoy Thanjan & Li Wang, Episode #50

Podcasts Mentioned: 

The School of Greatness with Lewis Howes 

Entrepreneurs on Fire with John Lee Dumas

Smart Passive Income with Pat Flynn

SMP 42: Live Event - How Solar Technology is Changing the World with Benoy Thanjan and panel of guests

SMP 13: How to develop a great solar project and many other interesting topics about solar and entrepreneurship with Jim Spano from Spano Partners with Benoy Thanjan and Jim Spano

SMP 41:  Solar Entrepreneur Perspective on Development of Solar and Storage Projects with Benoy Thanjan and Ben Levy

Books Mentioned: 

Millionaire Fastlane by MJ Demarco

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

Resources Mentioned:

SmartFlower

Podcast Laundry

Podcast Movement

ZoomRooms Video Conferencing

SolSuntech, Inc.

Solar Backpacks

Solar Hats

SoSol Hats

BlinkList

Audible

www.podknife.com

Benoy will be speaking at the Deloitte Renewable Energy Seminar on Friday, October 4 in a panel on “Impact of renewable energy on the future of real estate” with Lisa Brown from Johnson Controls and Susan Nickey from Hannon Armstrong.

2019 Deloitte Renewable Energy Seminar

October 2-4, 2019 | Dallas, TX

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @bthanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

Li Wang

MJWangMedia.com 

Instagram: @liwang22

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, Michael and Benoy discuss how consultative approach to solar development and financing add the most value to the customer to make the best decision.   In addition, they discuss the importance of transparency and close relationships in success in business.   

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. Reneu Energy has brokered $27 million in environmental commodity 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.

Michael Kushner

Michael is responsible for Operations at Infiniti Energy Services.  He leads the project management staff to ensure all initiatives are completed on time and on budget, while focusing on the safety of all construction team members and quality of all installations.  He is involved in project strategy formulation during project development, as well as strategy implementation through completion.

Michael has more than 10 years of experience in managing operations in the residential, commercial and renewable energy sectors.  Before joining Infiniti Energy Services, Michael held an east coast regional operations manager position with SunEdison, where he successfully managed the development, execution and installation of more than 50MW in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland and Georgia.  He also held the position of Director of Construction at Pro-Tech Energy Solutions, LLC for two and a half years. During this time, he oversaw a project management and construction staff of twenty, while they successfully installed and interconnected over 120MWs of commercial and utility projects throughout the East Coast.  

• What separates Infiniti Energy Services from competitors and what markets they are focused on.

Quotes from the show:

• “Sometimes when you are so close to it you don’t necessarily take a moment to step back to see the strides you’ve already made because you’re focused on the strides you want to make.” – Michael Kushner, Episode #49

• “Everyone’s path is different, right?  We’re all the same, but different ” – Michael Kushner, Episode #49

Resources Mentioned:

New Jersey Clean Energy Program

Headspace - meditation and sleep app

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency®

Benoy spoke about Steve Raeder who is CEO of Summit Ridge Partners and he is also SunEdison alumni like Micheal who was interviewed in Episode 26 of the Solar Maverick Podcast.

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @bthanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

Michael Kushner 

Email: [email protected] 

Facebook: Infiniti Energy Services

Website: Infiniti Energy Services

Twitter: @InfinitiEnergy

LinkedIn: Infiniti Energy Services

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 Solar Maverick we recap  the How Solar Technology is Changing the World live event with Steve Schwerd while covering Steve’s top three    things to look for in a business partner. In addition, Steve and Benoy cover the misrepresentation of solar efficiency in comparison to other resources and the benefits of recycling and reusing solar panels.

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. Reneu Energy has brokered $27 million in environmental commodity 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.

Steve Schwerd

With over 25 years in Consulting Engineering, Mr. Schwerd has proven accomplishments in engineering design; project, client, staff and financial management; business development; engineering operations; and firm leadership. Experience ranges from creating small MEP (Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing) departments to a Principal/Shareholder role as the engineering leader for a large multi-office, international full service Architectural & Engineering firm.

With energy and sustainable design a key focus for years, Steve then became involved in renewable energy and design in 2008 as Solar PV became an increasingly viable option.  He developed and led a full-service engineering team that emerged as a nationally recognized engineering leader for solar, having completed over 350 projects and 300MW across 25 states prior to his departure.  Upon establishing Schwerd Consulting, Steve can now follow his passion for renewable energy and be fully committed to and active in the Solar industry. 

Insights from this episode:

• What three things you want in a business partner.

Steve Schwerd’s three things you want in a business partner:

1: They have to have proven results in their field.  

2: They have to be able to develop business.  

3: They have to be someone you want to have a beer with.  

Quotes from the show:

• “Clients and customers they don’t pay for your skills, they don’t pay for your knowledge, they pay for the application of that result. ” – Steve Schwerd, Episode #48

• “Don’t let the business overwhelm you.” – Steve Schwerd, Episode #48 

• “The sun is there everyday.  We are going to be wasting it if we’re not taking that and converting it to electricity. ” – Steve Schwerd, Episode #48

• “Is there ever business as usual?” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #48

Resources Mentioned:

Schwerd Consulting LLC

SEIA - Solar Industries Energy Association

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency®

www.podknife.com

2019 Deloitte Renewable Energy Seminar

October 2-4, 2019 | Dallas, TX

Benoy will be speaking at the Deloitte Renewable Energy Seminar on Friday, October 4 in a panel on “Impact of renewable energy on the future of real estate” with Lisa Brown from Johnson Controls and Susan Nickey from Hannon Armstrong.

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @bthanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

Steve Schwerd

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: Schwerd Consulting

Website: Schwerd Consulting LLC

Twitter: @schwerdsolar

LinkedIn: Schwerd Consulting

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on itunes, Podbean and youtube.

This episode was produced and managed by  Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com) 

SMP 47: Financing Solar 101

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Solar Maverick we dive into Benoy’s finance origin story going back as far as his 7th grade stock/finance class. In addition we also learn about Benoy’s parents influence on his entrepreneurial path, secrets to financing solar projects and upcoming tax incentives for solar investing.

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. Reneu Energy has brokered $27 million in environmental commodity 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.

Li Wang

Li Wang is a life-long journalist and communications professional. He worked as an intern for the Philadelphia Daily News, during the summer of the O.J. trial, and has since had some fascinating jobs, from being a business reporter, to an arts editor, to a film critic. He has since shifted his focus to digital marketing and creative services, and now his company, MJ Wang Media, develops brand messaging and identity through website design and content marketing. 

Insights from this episode:

• The benefits and importance of early financial education

Quotes from the show:

“The ITC has created hundreds of thousands of jobs, sparked more than 150 billion in private investment and helped grow solar deployment by more than 10,000 percen”t – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #47

“The reason I push people to do video is it helps establishes trust.” – Li Wang, Episode 

#47

“Fortunately or Unfortunately more people prefer to watch videos than to read” – Li Wang, Episode 

#47

“I have 10 years of experience in the solar industry, I don't consider myself just a financing person because I’ve been on all sides of the transactions and on all of the development aspects of it and even on the construction side” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #47 

“It’s interesting because 10 years of experience in the solar industry, you’re considered a veteran because it’s such a new industry.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #47

Resources Mentioned:

Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency®

Solar met 2.7% of U.S. electric demand during the first half of 2019

How a battery can be eligible for the ITC today and possibly in the future

Model Leases and PPA

www.podknife.com

Benoy will be speaking at the Deloitte Renewable Energy Seminar on Friday, October 4 in a panel on “Impact of renewable energy on the future of real estate” with Lisa Brown from Johnson Controls and Susan Nickey from Hannon Armstrong.

2019 Deloitte Renewable Energy Seminar

October 2-4, 2019 | Dallas, TX

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @bthanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

Li Wang

MJWangMedia.com 

Instagram: @liwang22

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on itunes, Podbean and youtube.

Episode Summary

In this episode, Benoy interviews Dan French, the Founder and CEO of Brownfield Listings. Dan discusses opportunity zones and brownfields, explaining how these topics intersect with solar advancement. Dan also discusses his experiences in creating Brownfield Listings and shares his entrepreneurial advice.

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. Reneu Energy has brokered $27 million in environmental commodity 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.

Dan French

Dan French is the Founder and CEO of Brownfield Listings. Dan is a trained attorney and transaction expert with domestic and international experience. His U.S. practice has focused on real estate transactions, environmental risk transfer and redevelopment. Long a student of the deal his watchword is ‘due diligence’, which helps explain why Dan has been trusted to lead transaction support initiatives for some of the largest companies in the world. His transactional experience encompasses thousands of properties of all conditions across two dozen states, with more than a billion dollars of property and environmental liability successfully transacted.

He has received an LL.M. in Business Law from Erasmus University in Rotterdam, a J.D. from St. Louis University School of Law, and a B.A. in history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dan is leading a redevelopment renaissance within the larger real estate revolution—a technological, civic, social and market-based movement lifting the form and function of humanity’s built-environment to new heights, taking the health and wealth of our communities with it. He believes proactive due diligence is the difference in successful real estate transactions and in life.

Insights from this episode:

• Strategies on understanding opportunity zones

Quotes from the show:

“Brownfield listing is a property market place and project marketplace for real estate with reuse challenges. Dan [French] is a trained attorney and transaction expert with domestic and international expertise. His U.S. practice is focused on real estate transactions, environmental risk transactions, and redevelopment.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #46

“Solar is one of our biggest segments. We have a tag, or species, in our taxonomy… called brightfield, so you can tag your site as a brightfield, which [tells] the market that you’re interested in pursuing solar development… You can be a greenfield… We have greyfields. It’s a rainbow of opportunities on the property side and professional side.” – Dan French, Episode #46

“We built a great educational program with speakers, public and private sector folks, along the two tracks tilted towards our different segments of the audience. So we had the solar, developer, and vendor track, and then the land owner and community track… and our idea is to coach them up and then throw them in the solar market mixers.” – Dan French, Episode #46

“I think the market mixers are a great idea. I mean as a speaker of the event, meeting with the different land owners, you are really able to build a relationship with them. And you know it’s a lot easier to follow up with them once they’ve met you, and they’re a lot more responsive than say… if it was a cold sort of call or… they received some sort of letter.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #46

“A brownfield is a real estate parcel that may or may not be contaminated, so it’s land that has been previously developed. We’re not quite sure what was there before, sometimes you know for sure, but sometimes you don’t. It may have been a factory a hundred years ago.” – Dan French, Episode #46

“If you’re selling commercial real estate or industrial property, you need to undertake an environmental investigation before you buy it, or you may step into the chain of liability. So if you buy a brownfield, and do not do your environmental homework, then you may be partly liable, even if you didn’t actually do the pollution yourself.” – Dan French, Episode #46

“There needed to be a place that you could be in your pajamas at midnight. Like it was really hard! How do we get our environmental liabilities out there in a way that the market can understand? Get in front of a lot of people at once? There was no market, there was no simple place to list in five minutes. That’s what the kernel of Brownfield Listings was, and from that we grew into this ecosystem.” – Dan French, Episode #46

“We’re doing that again [the Opportunity Zone Boot Camp and Pitch Competition] actually, in Newark, New Jersey at NJIT on October 17th. We run on the same format. There is going to be a great educational program in the morning through midafternoon, and then a pitch competition in the early evening, and that reception in the evening we’ll announce the winners.” – Dan French, Episode #46

Resources Mentioned:

Learn more about the Opportunity Zone Boot Camp & Pitch Competition Coming to Newark, New Jersey October 17

Learn more about the National Brownfields Conference Coming to Los Angeles, California December 11-13

Benoy was on webinar with Dan French called Powering up Brightields 

Benoy speaks about the Virginia Solar Market and Dan speaks about the opportunity to redevelop brightfields with solar.

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @bthanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

Dan French

Email: [email protected]

Call: 312-988-0256

Website: https://brownfieldlistings.com/

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Episode Summary

In this episode, Benoy interviews Tiffany Pham, the Founder and CEO of Mogul. Tiffany describes how she runs her business successfully from the inside out, and how she’s able to handle the stress that comes with it. She discusses her key company values and her main strategies for maximum productivity and efficiency.  

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. Reneu Energy has brokered $27 million in environmental commodity 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.

Tiffany Pham

Tiffany Pham is the Founder and CEO of Mogul, a global platform and mobile app that provides tools to individuals and organizations, to achieve optimal productivity and growth. Disrupting the $30 billion productivity tech market, Mogul provides an ecosystem, including their Mogul app & platform, that enables top diverse talent to reach their goals and realize their full potential. Mogul then partners with top workplaces worldwide to attract and advance their top diverse talent — from rising talent to the most senior women worldwide — through their technology products. With the revenue they earn, Mogul provides free educational resources to women in need through international partners such as the United Nations.

Tiffany Pham is the author of several books including You Are a Mogul: How to Do the Impossible, Do It Yourself, and Do It Now, and Girl Mogul: Dream it. Do it. Change the World. In Girl Mogul, she speaks directly to teens and young adults, sharing insights from her own life as well from the lives of the most incredible and inspiring women on Mogul. Tiffany Pham has proven that with the right attitude, the right people, and the right vision, there’s nothing girls can’t do.

Insights from this episode:

•     Strategies to being productive and efficient

Quotes from the show:

“If you’re not familiar with Mogul, Mogul is a global platform reaching millions of women across 196 countries and 30,470 cities, disrupting the $30 billion productivity technology market. Mogul is enabling users world-wide to achieve their goals and realize their full potential.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #45

“I did get inspired to attend Yale and Harvard Business School from watching movies. As an immigrant, here in the U.S. I couldn’t help but be influenced by movies, because that’s how I ended up learning English when I was younger. I watched movies and watched t.v. shows, listened to the radio, and soon I would have been listening to podcasts, had I been at this time growing up.” – Tiffany Pham, Episode #45

“As a B to B software company, we partner with other companies to create incredible technology that they can subsequently license in order to attract, and retain, and advance the talent from within our ecosystem into their workplaces as well. And as a result, increase their diverse workforce by 74.4% per year on average, and ultimately create a more equal work force.” – Tiffany Pham, Episode #45

“Despite all the big impact that Mogul is having now, it all started initially with one person. My grandmother. She was this big inspiration for me. Such a role model, such an amazing maverick of her time. She ran newspapers across Asia. She ran other businesses that always ultimately provided others in need with information and opportunities.” – Tiffany Pham, Episode #45

“On October 15th, there will be a refresh across the ecosystem, across our app, across our web and mobile app platform, to unify it all; so as, to be cohesive across every part of our ecosystem, so that you can access all your to-do’s, all your goals, no matter which channel you’re on, across our web, mobile web, or the app.” – Tiffany Pham, Episode #45

“[The] final key thing is staying present in the moment, and over-delivering on that moment. In any moment that I’m in, I’m concerned on over-delivering on that moment alone. I do not think back about that past moment. I do not think about what’s going to happen next.” – Tiffany Pham, Episode #45

“The biggest book that had an impact on me was How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie. And my dad actually gave it to me, when I was seventeen years old, because I [was] actually running division one track on a track scholarship, and then I got a serious knee injury. Where basically, I didn’t have that opportunity anymore. But that book really helped me as far as setting myself up for success.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #45

“Talent today is different than talent has ever been before in previous generations. Talent today, Millennials, Gen Z, look at a company to really understand: what is its social impact? What are they doing in terms of diversity and inclusion? What are they doing in terms of work-life integration and learning development? They care so much about these four and more aspects that that’s ultimately how a company can find its future talent and its future consumers.” – Tiffany Pham, Episode #45

Resources Mentioned:

You can:

Download the Mogul App

Read You Are Mogul and Girl Mogul by Tiffany Pham

Buy a ticket to the Mogul X Conference

Read How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected]

LinkedIn: @bthanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

Tiffany Pham

Instagram: @tifftpham @onmogul

Twitter: @tifftpham @onmogul

LinkedIn: @onmogul

Facebook: @tiffanypham @onmogul

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on itunes and Podbean