Solar Maverick Podcast

By Benoy ThanjanBusiness Science Careers Natural Sciences

Solar Maverick Podcast episodes

April 23, 2019SMP 25: Unique Customer Acquisition and Financing Solutions for the Commercial Energy Market
Episode Summary
Benoy goes deep into Kumar’s experience of evolving from his finance background into developing distributive energy projects in the U.S. and the new innovations in customer acquisition and financing that have allowed Kumar to become successful with his company. In addition, Kumar share strategies to investing and why Kumar likes to invest during the seed round of companies that he believes in Cleantech.

About Our Guests:

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.

Kumar Aiyer
Kumar is the founder and Managing Partner of Blue Flame Energy Finance LLC, a start-up company in Carlsbad, CA focused on the commercial and industrial energy sector. Since 2011 he has served as the Managing Partner of CleanFin LLC., a structured-finance advisory firm focused on the sustainability sector. Prior to his career in clean energy finance, he was a portfolio manager and strategist on Wall Street in the residential mortgage and asset backed securities industry. He was a senior portfolio manager at ZAIS Group, a structured credit asset management firm in Red Bank, NJ from 2006 to 2011, working on residential mortgage securities and whole loans. He has also served in senior research strategy roles at Banc of America Securities, Credit Suisse, and Paine Webber.

PhD, Electrical Engineering from University of Rochester
MS, Renewable Energy Systems from Loughborough University

Insight from this episode:
The challenges related to developing small scale solar projects
BlueFlame’s technology platform called Hyperqual to assist developers and installers with financing their projects
Tips on how to procure and scale businesses
Strategies to streamline and finance a distributed energy portfolio
How to recognize needs in a market
Tips to use prior knowledge in other industries on our current endeavors
In depth explanation of C-Pace- Commercial Property as a Solar Energy
Strategies to finding product market fit
Secrets to recruiting great team members

Kumars suggestions for being an entrepreneur
Be passionate about what you do
Do research to make sure there is adequate funding for your business to grow

Quotes from the show:
“What we found is practice is very different from theory.”- Kumar Aiyer Episode 25
“I am very passionate about climate change and renewables at a high level. ”- Kumar Aiyer Episode 25
“We are working with a lot of greenhouses that grow organic lettuce and things like that, that are also big energy consumers and they need innovative financing” - Kumar Aiyer Episode 25
“Right now C-Pace is limited to certain states and jurisdictions” - Benoy Thanjan Episode 25
“I put money where my mouth is” - Kumar Aiyer Episode 25
“Our focus is very simple, we want to bring in the cheapest cost of financing to these projects for our customers” - Kumar Aiyer Episode 25
“Identify the segment that you are looking to finance make sure there is adequate funding for your business plan to go 1-3 years and grow” - Kumar Aiyer Episode 25

Resources Mentioned:
https://apifortress.com/

Stay Connected:
Solar Maverick Podcast:
solarmaverickpodcast.com

Benoy Thanjan
LinkedIn.com/bthanjan
[email protected]
www.reneuenergy.com
Facebook: Reneu Energy

Kumar Aiyer:
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kumaraiyer/
38 min
April 16, 2019SMP 24: 2019 US Solar and Energy Storage Discussion and Solar Opportunity Zone Investment
Episode Summary
Benoy and Li reflect on the success of the Solar Maverick Podcast and share their expertise. Li explains the importance of branding through website design, providing key tips for converting observers to clients. Benoy explains the economics behind solar energy and he discusses trends that he is seeing in the solar and energy storage industry. Benoy talks about opportunity zone investment in the new tax code and how it can be an opportunity for solar.

About Our Guests:

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.

Li Wang
A life-long journalist and communications professional, Li Wang was hooked on the news as an intern at the Philadelphia Daily News during the summer of the O.J. trial. He has been a business reporter, arts editor and film critic. He has shifted his focus to digital marketing and creative services. His company, MJ Wang Media, develops brand messaging and identity through website design and content marketing.

Insight from this episode:
Li shares his three questions for evaluating a marketing strategy:
So what?
Who cares?
Why you?
How to revamp your website by eliminating stock photos
Strategies for improving your business by prioritizing your website
Benoy talks about Massachusetts solar incentive program.
Discussion on Federal Solar Incentives.
Benoy talks about how returns on solar projects are getting lower due to increased competition from investors.
Benoy talk about the tax code changes with opportunity zones and it could be a great opportunity with solar power.

Quotes from the show:
“The biggest mistake that people make is adding stock photos.” - Li Wang Episode 24, on website branding and marketing
“The biggest takeaway about your website is to simplify, use high quality images, and make your messaging succinct.” - Li Wang Episode 24

“Even if you are a business that’s referral-based, some of those referrals may not be converting as easily or as quickly.” - Li Wang Episode 24, on the importance of having a well-constructed website
“Building a marketing presence and branding are huge differentiators especially with people in the same marketplace.” - Benoy Thanjan Episode 24

“The solar economy is one of the fastest growing sectors of the US economy.” - Benoy Thanjan Episode 24

“Energy storage is a game changer and once energy storage become economically it is going to be huge.”-Benoy Thanjan Episode 24
“Some Investors are taking development risk to get higher return on solar projects.”-Benoy Thanjan Episode 24

Resources Mentioned:
2019 is going to be a great year for Solar and the 2018 Year in Review! by Benoy Thanjan
Stay Connected:
Solar Maverick Podcast:
solarmaverickpodcast.com

Benoy Thanjan
LinkedIn.com/bthanjan
[email protected]
www.reneuenergy.com
Facebook: Reneu Energy

Li Wang:
MJWangMedia.com
Instagram: @liwang22
[email protected]

Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on itunes, and solarmaverickpodcast.com
33 min
April 09, 2019SMP 23: Community Solar 101 with Suzanne Waters
Episode Summary

Benoy and Suzanne discuss Community Solar and why this is an exciting area for renewable energy. From the challenges of contract tenure to providing access for low to moderate income housing, this is an area you should expect to see significant expansion. Expect to gain real insight and understanding of community solar.

About our Guest:
Benoy Thanjan
Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies. Reneu Energy is a premier international solar energy consulting firm and developer and the company focuses on developing commercial and industrial solar and utility scale solar plus storage projects. The company also sources financing for solar projects and hedges energy and environmental commodities. Reneu Energy has brokered $27 million in environmental commodities transactions.
Benoy received his first experience in Finance as an intern at D.E. Shaw & Co., which is a global investment firm with 37 billion dollars in investment capital. Before founding Reneu Energy, he was the SREC Trader in the Project Finance Group for SolarCity which merged with Tesla in 2016. He originated SREC trades with buyers and co-developed their SREC monetization and hedging strategy with the senior management of SolarCity to move into the east coast markets. Benoy also worked at Vanguard Energy Partners, Ridgewood Renewable Power, and Deloitte & Touche.
Suzanne Waters
Suzanne Waters is an experienced solar professional with a broad knowledge of the industry, including project development administration, marketing best practices, financial strategy, and team leadership. Before joining Reneu Energy, Suzanne worked as the Business Development Manager and Proposal Team Leader at Vanguard Energy Partners, a national solar developer, and their affiliate firm, Vanguard Energy Capital. She oversaw proposal development and contract execution, and collaborated on structured finance for large scale, multimillion-dollar projects. In addition, Suzanne has extensive experience in many aspects of the PV industry, with unmatched enthusiasm for its capabilities and a BA in Economics from Rutgers College at Rutgers University.

Insight from this Episode
How to share in the benefits of community solar projects without owning or developing your own project.
Why community solar should get everyone excited about solar.
How community solar is becoming more readily available for low to moderate income households.
How community solar has been affected by different challenges.
How community solar, net metering and credits work together.

Quotes from the show:
·In regard to 100% renewable energy goals, “I think what we’ve seen are the challenges related to policy that’s able to move as quickly as the goals of the state.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #23.
“Community Solar is one of the fastest growing sectors of the industry.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #23.
“Community solar allows you to buy credits through virtual net metering from a solar project…it’s definitely access to provide solar in a way that hasn’t been there before.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #23.
“The challenge for community solar has been finding financing parties that are comfortable with the lesser tenure of a contract.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #23.
In regard to different structures of community solar: “The most popular structure is the subscription-based model, which is easier to structure and less expensive.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #23.
“Virtual net metering is what allows a household or business to receive the net metering credits associated with a net metering project that they don’t actually share an electricity meter.” Suzanne Waters, Episode #23.
“You don’t have to own the project to share in the credits.” Suzanne Waters, Episode #23.
“Community Solar is taking solar to the next level, where it really should be available to the masses. So if community solar doesn’t get everyone excited about solar, I don’t know what will!” Suzanne Waters, Episode #23.
“Carpe Solem (Seize the Sun)” Suzanne Waters, Episode #23.

Benoy Thanjan
LinkedIn.com/bthanjan
www.reneuenergy.com
[email protected]
Facebook: Reneu Energy
Suzanne Waters:
www.reneuenergy.com
[email protected]
Facebook: Reneu Energy
[email protected]
Linkedin: Suzanne Waters
28 min
April 02, 2019SMP 22: US Solar Module Market Discussion and Female Entrepreneur’s Perspective with Lauren Carson
Episode Summary
Lauren and Benoy share knowledge on topics from how the industry has seen new trends take effect because of the increase and decrease in tariffs, how the solar market continues to grow and create openings for niche companies, and how to approach not just becoming an entrepreneur but also being a female entrepreneur in a male dominated industry.

About our Guest:
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.
Lauren Carson
Lauren Carson, with over 8 years of experience in the solar industry, is the CEO of Kinect Solar, the leader of liquidation and wholesale business for electrical components and power generation equipment, transformers, electrical cable, and generators. They work with local installers and manufacturers to move excess inventory to their customers that span the globe from local installers in Austin to farmers in Belize and hotels in Fiji.

Insight from this episode:
How the business market is affected by tariffs.
How businesses can be impacted by local, state and federal policy.
How supply and demand can affect the import market, pricing and drive new trends.
Why tariffs affect where businesses start to pop up or move to.
How to approach being a female entrepreneur in a male dominated industry.
Strategies for finding a niche in the market.
Reasons to start small and slowly scale as an entrepreneur.
Quotes from the show:
“Our mantra is ‘We solve inventory problems’” Lauren Carson, Episode #22.
“The solar panel market really is a commodity so supply demand dynamic impacts by local, state and federal policy are very very apparent.” Lauren Carson, Episode #22.
“I’m seeing as well in the development cycle, everyone is adjusting their engineering to take advantage of these more efficient panels to get higher production from their solar systems to get a higher return.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #22.
“There’s been a massive jump in efficiency, I think there’s still a lot of people sitting on the older wattage panels and I think we’re going to continue to see those prices go down for the more legacy wattage panels.” Lauren Carson, Episode #22.
“It’s extremely stressful at times; there are financial stresses and there are personnel stresses but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I think my favorite thing about having my own company is getting choose the people I work with.” Lauren Carson, Episode #22.
Tips for entrepreneurs: “Staying scrappy and focusing on one little piece of what you do and also finding one customer that’s willing to pay you for something, and then growing off of that success, and just being patient.” Lauren Carson, Episode #22.
“I think you mentioned a great point; everyone feels like they need to have this structure set up but obviously business is about generating revenue and adding value to your clients. Sometimes people get lost in all that other stuff rather than focusing on what’s important.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #22.
“People are willing to help, and it’s all about adding value. It’s almost like mentorship in a sense…mentorship has been very important for me and developing my business.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #22.
“In regard to being a female entrepreneur in a male dominated industry: “You have to let it roll off your back; if you hold onto that and think about how it’s setting you back then I think it starts to become a reality.” Lauren Carson, Episode #22.
In regard to being a female entrepreneur in a male dominated industry: “In general, we have a great industry with great people and I have looked at it as a positive.” Lauren Carson, Episode #22.
Recommended Books:
“The Grid” by Gretchen Bakke
“Ego is the Enemy” by Ryan Holiday
“Traction” by Gino Wickman
“Never Split the Difference” by Chris Voss
Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
LinkedIn.com/bthanjan
www.reneuenergy.com
[email protected]
Facebook: Reneu Energy
Lauren Carson:
www.kinectsolar.com
Linkedin: Kinect Solar
[email protected]
32 min
March 27, 2019SMP 21: An Investor's Perspective on the US Solar Market
Episode Summary
Benoy and John discuss the how the exciting industry of solar and renewable resources has been impacted by large utility projects becoming smaller and more distributed. John emphasizes the importance of people to any industry and how vital the trust between business partners and clients is to the success of any project, relationship or business.

About our Guest:
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.
John Chaimanis
Mr. Chaimanis co-founded Kendall Sustainable Infrastructure (KSI) in 2012. KSI is an innovative private finance company with over $150M AUM, that owns and operates distributed renewable energy and other sustainable infrastructure projects. He is a well respected leader in the industry with over 15 years of experience and innovation. Prior to Kendall, he worked with a subsidiary of Edison International in California where he was part of a team that developed and acquired over $500M of energy projects and installed 250MW of utility scale wind assets. Prior to working in infrastructure, Mr. Chaimanis was a founding member of an inner-city charter school. Mr. Chaimanis holds an M.B.A. from Babson College (where he currently is an adjunct professor), a B.S. in Finance from Villanova University and has earned the Sustainable and Responsible Certification from US SIF.

Insight from this episode:
Why solar plus storage is such an important and positive trend.
How to add value as a partner.
Why trusting your clients and partners is vital to your business.
How to build a successful future with a partner during the first deal.
Why it’s vital to compare the duration of an incentive to the duration of the asset
The importance of working side by side with clients during the developmental process
The importance of perseverance in entrepreneurship
How personal experience can be more important to your success than education
Quotes from the show:
“We are seeing that more common in the industry as well, where developers are looking for help from financial providers to provide value in the development process and life cycle” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #21.
“As an investor you need to look at the industry you’re investing in and figure out how are you going to have an edge; what are you going to do better than any other financier in the industry?” John Chaimanis, Episode #21.
“What I learned is that number one has to be respect and trust” John Chaimanis, Episode #21.
“What I found is that it’s really great when you’re sitting in the boardroom figuring it out (contracts and agreement details) but almost every deal I’ve been a part of; within 5 days of signing that paper something comes up that you didn’t think of in that contract and that’s when you find out who people really are.” John Chaimanis, Episode #21.
“In the long run, we want to treat people with dignity and respect, and we want the same on our side” John Chaimanis, Episode #21.
“Development in my opinion – it’s very difficult to be a great developer all over the nation. It is a very regional game.” John Chaimanis, Episode #21.
“It’s very common for the local developers acquisition costs for customers to be a lot lower than the national provider because they have that relationship and they’re in that area so people know who they are” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #21.
“I love solar, I love being part of this industry. It is one of the most exciting and quickly evolving. People are motivated and energized and so many folks in the industry really believe in what we’re doing” John Chaimanis, Episode #21.
“As an industry, I think it would be good for us to have a more mature understanding of the way power prices are actually established.” John Chaimanis, Episode #21.
“It’s going to be a huge opportunity that’s going to go for years and years...the next 50-75 years especially when we reach grid parity in most states and you’re not dependent on incentives will be a gamechanger.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #21.
In regard to starting a business; “It was slow, very slow like any entrepreneur will tell you. There were bits in the beginning where I had to fill with consulting work and other things.” John Chaimanis, Episode #21
In regard to recommendations for other entrepreneurs; “My path was that I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur and I knew what industry I wanted to be in but I didn’t have the knowledge so I worked for a while first. And I think that’s not a bad idea for somebody that - to go out and start an advertising company cold might be a little hard but if you work in the ad space for a while and learn as much as you can, there is incredible value in that. There’s even more value in that than going to school.” John Chaimanis, Episode #21
In regard to recommendations for other entrepreneurs; “The second thing is perseverance. You really need to - every day - put your hardest work in, and everyday be a better you as you’re going through it.” John Chaimanis, Episode #21
“You need dreamers and people who are willing to push the envelope.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #21.
Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
LinkedIn.com/bthanjan
www.reneuenergy.com
[email protected]
Facebook: Reneu Energy
John Chaimanis:
http://kendallinvestments.com
Twitter: @Ksienergy
Linkedin: Kendall-Investments
45 min
March 19, 2019SMP 20: The Solar Intrapreneur Story: How Nate helped IGS become one of the biggest solar asset owners in the US
About our Guest:

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.

Nathan Jovanelly

Nathan Jovanelly is a thought leader with IGS Solar, a third party gas and electric provider in most deregulated markets. As an intrapreneur, Nate assisted with launching IGS Solar, offering services to both residential and commercial customers. Receiving a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Delaware, Nathan has pivoted in his business experience to become a well-rounded expert in the industry.

Episode Summary

Nathan and Benoy talk at length regarding the natural gas market and the varying aspects to being a third party energy supplier such as customer acquisition costs and simplifying complex contracts, as well as current trends in the solar industry. In addition, Nathan shares key thoughts on being an entrepreneur and how to successfully find your place your desired market.

Insight from this episode:
How being an intrapreneur and entrepreneur differ
How natural gas affects the solar and electric markets
The benefits of on site distribution generation as opposed to providing off site solar
How customer acquisition costs vary by area of the industry
How to make customers more comfortable and understanding of solar
How simplifying a process adds high levels of value
How to determine what is bankable and financeable for your business
How to successfully build relationships in your market

Quotes from the show:
“Solar is something that people want, they can understand, it’s very eloquent with no moving parts. You don’t have to worry about all this heat recapture, vibration and noise or where to put it.” Nathan Jovanelly, Episode #20.
“It’s very scalable (solar compared to CHP (combined Heat and Power). For the development of a CHP project, the complexity and time it takes vs solar that is a lot easier and you don’t have to worry about hedging natural gas.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #20.
“Natural gas has kept prices relatively low for a long time which basically impacts the electricity price because most generation now is through natural gas.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #20.
In regards to bridging and growing in your career: “You really need to pivot in business.” Nathan Jovanelly, Episode #20.
“Being an intrapreneur is maybe less risk than an entrepreneur but still you have to wake up with that grind mentality.” Nathan Jovanelly, Episode #20.
“Being an entrepreneur; you’re going to stub your toe and you have to learn from your mistakes.” Nathan Jovanelly, Episode #20.
“You always have to ask the value statement, ‘What is the market missing and how can we fill that gap?’” Nathan Jovanelly, Episode #20.
“I think solar plus storage is going to be a game changer; where you take intermittent power and now you’re able to store it and use it at different times to support the grid.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #20.
“I feel like in the battery space, scale is really going to matter.” Nathan Jovanelly, Episode #20.
As quoted from a friend, one of the most important things in business is being customer friendly; “It’s got to be something your mom can read.” Nathan Jovanelly, Episode #20.
In regards to customer acquisition, “We haven’t cracked the code on digital marketing yet.”Nathan Jovanelly, Episode #20.
Every project is not as cookie cutter as people probably think.” Nathan Jovanelly, Episode #20.
Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
[email protected]
LinkedIn.com/bthanjan
Facebook: Reneu Energy
www.reneuenergy.com

Nathan Jovanelly
www.IGS.com
LinkedIn: Nathan Jovanelly
Twitter: @natejov
[email protected]
48 min
March 12, 2019SMP 19: Customer Acquisition and Billing in Community Solar
About our Guest:

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.

Eric Dahnke

Eric Dahnke is the Founder and CEO of Power Market; utilizing his experience in the utility and software industries to provide solutions for community solar. With an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Energy Management and Policy from Columbia University, he is always working towards improving the delivery of clean energy programs.

Episode Summary

Eric dissects and explains not only the need and benefits of customer acquisition, onboarding and management for community solar, but also how the process of customer billing is conducted. This crucial aspect of bringing financial structure to community solar is not only expanding the market but also taught him many key lessons in entrepreneurship that he shares with Benoy.

Insight from this episode:
Ways to use technology to decrease the cost of customer acquisition
The importance of focus as an entrepreneur
How commissions can affect the locals of community solar growth
The importance of the name and branding for a startup company
Strategies for financing and funding a new company
How to prepare for entrepreneurship

Quotes from the show:
In regards to financing terms for community solar: “We see a wide range but 3-5 years is the standard contract length, with fairly minimal exit fees.” Eric Dahnke, Episode #19.
“Billing in these markets has always been the strength of what we’re doing. We consider ourselves a software company.” Eric Dahnke, Episode #19.
“I am happy to say that we have billed in excess of one million dollars in community solar transactions and we’ve never had a mistake.” Eric Dahnke, Episode #19.
In regards to realizing the need for Power Market: “This industry (the utility industry) needs the software architectures and techniques that we had in the financial services industry where the risk system is talking to the accounting system which is talking to the P&L system, to the settlement system and all of that works together and works well. ....I realized there ought to be an opportunity to build out some systems for this clean energy industry.” Eric Dahnke, Episode #19.
“...One of the other crucial things that I learned and had to be taught -which is part of the process of being an entrepreneur - is that you have to offer something very specific when you’re starting a company.” Eric Dahnke, Episode #19.
“It’s really focusing on one thing and being the expert on it, as opposed to doing multiple things." Benoy Thanjan, Episode #19.
In regards to community solar trends: “Governments are starting to require a low-income component to it.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #19.
“(a customer acquisition agent) can sell 5 individual apartment owners or go up into a much wealthier neighborhood and get one individual sale. The credit requirements and things that community solar was supposed to solve in terms of allowing low-income subscribers and participants to take advantage of that product have been thwarted a little bit by the fact that it’s more lucrative for the customer acquisition agents to go after bigger, wealthier customers.” Eric Dahnke, Episode #19.
“It’s been a struggle, let’s be honest, but it has been pretty exciting. I’ve heard other entrepreneurs say it doesn’t really feel like work when the challenge in front of you is as big as it is so there is an upside to it.” Eric Dahnke, Episode #19.
In regards to preparing for entrepreneurship: “The thing that makes a successful entrepreneur more than anything is just experience; experience, know-how, contacts, all of that. So the extent that you can put that together in your career as it exists before you step out will be a good way to go about it.” Eric Dahnke, Episode #19.

Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
LinkedIn.com/bthanjan
www.reneuenergy.com
Facebook: Reneu Energy
[email protected]

Eric Dahnke
Power Market Website
[email protected]
https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-dahnke-397b702/
40 min
March 05, 2019SMP 18: Financing Platform for Renewable Energy Projects
About our Guest:

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.

Graham Smith

As the Founder and CEO of Open Energy Group, Graham Smith was able to combine his experience and passion for renewable energy and finance. Open Energy Group is the lending tree of renewable energy assets, providing easier access to capital markets. With over 5.5 years in business, they have become the marketplace and financial solution provider for the U.S. commercial energy sector, underwriting nearly $1 billion dollars.

Episode Summary

Graham shares with Benoy the lessons he learned as an Olympic athlete and how those lessons prepared himself for the hard work, persistence and patience to becoming a successful entrepreneur. This hard work, combined with his passion for renewable energy and experience in the financial world helped him successfully recognize and fill a need in the industry. Benoy and Graham discuss how other entrepreneurs can learn from that experience as well as how those interested in the solar market can benefit from not only the services Graham offers but how he is shaping the industry as a whole.

Insight from this episode:
How to access different financial solutions for the solar market
Reasons it’s easier to fund builds greater than $1 million
Strategies for finding consumer and commercial choices for solar builds and financing
How current financial trends are affecting the solar industry
Strategies for surviving the first year in business
Why growing a business is not always a linear path
How passion can affect your success as an entrepreneur
Quotes from the show:
”The sector is still in it’s infancy; there is no entrenched method (in regards to accessing solar and financial provisions). If you want a new roof you might just go to your bank and they will understand that, with solar there is still a lack of awareness" Graham Smith, Episode #18.
In regards to financial transactions under $1million, “It can get expensive with the legal costs and outside legal counsel looking at the agreement.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #18.
“There is no and shouldn’t be one solution to allow solar and renewable energy to flourish at this lower complex level; there needs to be a proliferation - a choice - there needs to be consumer/commercial choices about the products and that’s what we aim to provide.” Graham Smith, Episode #18.
“I think a necessary trend that is needing to happen is simplifying the process.” Graham Smith, Episode #18.
“There is an appetite to look at the recycling of waste; producing both energy and products that can be reused into the cycle.” Graham Smith, Episode #18.
“In terms of our story, I think it’s important for people to know, especially the entrepreneurs, that it hasn’t been a straight path for Open Energy.” Graham Smith, Episode #18.
In regards to Open Energy Group: “You have made this so that it makes it easy and speeds up the whole process of investors analyzing different opportunities to finance projects.“ Benoy Thanjan, Episode #18.
“We find ourselves almost like a translator, taking developer-speak and taking it to the bank so they can recognize it.” Graham Smith, Episode #18.
“We facilitate access to capital; to build, to own, or to sell these assets. What that allows is the best price capital to come in and ultimately that means more capital to come in (to the renewable energy market).” Graham Smith, Episode #18.
“When you have the opportunity to make money from your passion - it is a great thing.” Graham Smith, Episode #18.
”There are a lot of European developers and investors aggressively developing in the United States because there is a lot of opportunity.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #18.
In regards to becoming an entrepreneur: “You need a particular commitment, drive and self-belief. Because ultimately if you’re starting something, its possibly because it hasn’t been done before or done that way and your slants or ideas are different from others; so it requires that belief and persistence knowing that you can see forward enough past initial failure or initial non-acceptance that there will be. The ways to sustain that are your enthusiasm and passion.“ Graham Smith, Episode #18.
“Frankly I don’t know any other way to success; it is only the product of extremely hard, committed work.” Graham Smith, Episode #18.

Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
LinkedIn.com/bthanjan
www.reneuenergy.com
Facebook: Reneu Energy
[email protected]

Graham Smith
www.openenergygroup.com
Linkedin.com/in/grahamsmith11
[email protected]
33 min
February 26, 2019SMP 17: Solar Engineering and Advice for Entrepreneurs looking to grow successfully in the solar industry
About our Guest:

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.

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. Upon establishing Schwerd Consulting, Steve now follows his passion for renewable energy and is fully committed to and active in the Solar industry. He has worked with many of the leading solar companies and vendors across the country and is the driving force on his firm’s projects and industry endeavors.

Episode Summary

Benoy and Steve discuss how to not only utilize the value of your experience but to also expand and grow on that to become an industry expert and successful entrepreneur. Through personal business experiences and involvement in renewable energy, Steve shares what helped him stay on the leading edge of solar, differentiate himself among his peers and develop a reputation as that of a valuable resource.

Insight from this episode:
How to become fully engaged in your industry and become an expert
The importance of being well-rounded in your industry
Why being truly passionate about your idea is key for the entrepreneur
How to plan properly for business ownership
The proper level of importance to assign your infrastructure
Strategies for gaining referrals
Why and when to say no to an opportunity
How to gauge if a solar project is good or not
How to stay on the cutting edge of your industry
Quotes from the show:
“Solar is good. It’s still a growing industry even with the “solar-coasters” that have happened over the years” Steve Schwerd, Episode #17.
“Experience is key.” Steve Schwerd, Episode #17.
“There might be a lot of companies that DO solar, but we KNOW solar.” Steve Schwerd, Episode #17.
In regards to how Steve approaches business: “You look at the whole picture which makes it unique.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #17.
“The timing was right and timing is often everything.” Steve Schwerd, Episode #17.
“As a business leader, you have to trust in yourself but also surround yourself with good people and relationships and build on those relationships.” Steve Schwerd, Episode #17.
“You really need to learn to say no and through your experience and confidence, trust that you can spot a bad project or a client that’s not a fit for you; because the worst thing you can do is pursue something that seems like it has a great gross revenue potential and it’s such a drag that you have a negative net income from it.” Steve Schwerd, Episode #17.
“Being transparent in general; people appreciate it.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #17.
“‘Check your ego at the door”. It’s not about creating a complex engineering design if you don’t have to; it’s the benefit to the end-user, the owner of the system.” Steve Schwerd, Episode #17.
“Go where the trends are. Stay cutting edge but avoid the bleeding age.” Steve Schwerd, Episode #17.
“Understand that effective systems are more important than efficient systems.” Steve Schwerd, Episode #17.
“There’s a big market now for in-service assets, so this will definitely be something that will be big in the future.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #17.
In regards to project implementation: “It takes time from a technical perspective. Just because a program is approved based on policy, still there is a lot of work that needs to be done on the backend to make it happen.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #17.

Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
LinkedIn.com/bthanjan
www.reneuenergy.com
[email protected]
Facebook: Reneu Energy

Steve Schwerd:
Linkedin.com/in/steveschwerd
www.schwerdconsulting.com
[email protected]
46 min
February 19, 2019SMP 16: Solar Power Growth and Entrepreneurship Goal Setting in 2019
About our Guest:

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.

Li Wang

A life-long journalist and communications professional, Li Wang was hooked on the news as an intern at the Philadelphia Daily News during the summer of the O.J. trial. He has been a business reporter, arts editor and film critic. He has shifted his focus to digital marketing and creative services. His company, MJ Wang Media, develops brand messaging and identity through website design and content marketing.

Episode Summary

In light of the New Year, Li and Benoy discuss the effects of proper goal setting in your personal life as well as in your business. In the solar market, aggressive goal setting is creating foundations for high levels of growth, specifically in community solar and solar plus storage incentives. From his own travels to Southeast Asia and South America, Benoy shares key tips for cultivating relationships, maximizing value and realizing opportunities locally and abroad.

Insight from this episode:
How to cultivate new business relationships
Strategies for balancing your time as a small business owner
How to connect to potential clients and build meaningful relationships
How to bring value to your clients
Strategies for growing international markets
Strategies for effective goal setting
Methods for increasing community solar
Quotes from the show:
“Business in the US and Asia are totally different; even south america. People want to really get to know you before there is any discussion about business, whereas in the U.S. it’s very upfront with what they can offer and what value they can offer you.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #16.
“People are people at the end of the day, and they prefer to work with people they like and trust.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #16.
“Community solar is one of the fastest growing segments in solar in the US.“ Benoy Thanjan, Episode #16.
“The great thing about community solar is it allows people who can’t get solar, due to, let’s say their house has shading issues, the roof is not good,they don’t have the capital expenditures, if they live in an apartment or have low to moderate income, they are able to now purchase solar....It gives everyone the ability to have solar” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #16.
“California has always been ahead of the curve and trying to incentivize it (solar).” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #16.
In regards to California solar goals; “Part of being aggressive is that even if they don’t reach complete fulfillment of their goals, they’ll have gained a lot just by setting those targets.” Li Wang, Episode #16.
“It’s all about setting high goals. We talk about this in our own life and in entrepreneurship; everyone sets too low goals and we should all come up with higher goals. I know I’m trying to push myself to do bigger and better things. it might sound unrealistic but you never know you might achieve it but at least you’ll be at a much higher place than if you didn’t have those goals in place.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #16.
“I feel like with a little bit of help, and without much effort tor outsourcing, business owners can really improve their market.” Li Wang, Episode #16.
“2019 is going to be a great year for solar.” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #16.
“‘I’d rather see you do one or a few things very well, than spread yourself too thin, because that’s very difficult for a small business.” Li Wang, Episode #16.
“If you’re not truly listening and asking good questions, how can you really add the value they (your customer) need?” Benoy Thanjan, Episode #16.
“The power of saying no to things - that sometimes is hard to do when starting up your business but learning to say no to the wrong opportunities will gain you more time and gain you more business over time.” Li Wang, Episode #16.
Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
LinkedIn.com/bthanjan
Facebook: Reneu Energy
www.reneuenergy.com
[email protected]

Li Wang:
MJWangMedia.com
Instagram: @liwang22
[email protected]
37 min

About Solar Maverick Podcast

From the publisher's feed

The Solar Maverick Podcast is the insiders guide to where the solar and energy markets meet entrepreneurship and trailblazing. Hosted by Benoy Thanjan - a serial entrepreneur and founder of Reneu…