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 Energy
Episodes
Oct 29, 2019
Oct 29, 2019
35 min
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.
- Books and podcasts that have influenced Benoy and Li and the Solar Maverick Podcast.
- The crucial role customer service plays in business and how you represent your brand.
- The details on Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and how they are affecting financing and the development of the solar pipeline.
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
- “Personal branding is so huge.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #52
- On news that US Utility Solar Pipeline has hit a new high: “It shows you that people are confident about what is happening in the solar industry. Not all these projects in this pipeline are going to get developed, but it shows you that people are confident about what is happening in the solar industry.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #52
- “But, really, just get involved in the industry. We think all parts of the industry are going to grow.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #52
- “The real value that we are seeing from a career perspective is a project developer.“ – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #52
- “Any investment involves risk, but combined with the federal incentives and the terms I’m looking at it seems like accessibility to financing is pretty good for those who do want to get involved in solar.” – Li Wang, Episode #52
- “In the past, there were a lot of good projects and not enough financing. Now there is so much financing and not a lot of good projects.” – Benoy Thanjan, 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
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:
The Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
PV Magazine; Off-site, In Mind
Achieving Affordable, Clean Energy Goals Through Off-Site Corporate PPAs
Conferences Mentioned:
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.
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: info@reneuenergy.com
LinkedIn: @bthanjan
Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com
Li Wang
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on itunes, Podbean and youtube.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
Oct 22, 2019
Oct 22, 2019
25 min
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.
- The differences in the New Jersey pilot program versus other Community Solar programs.
- How Community Solar programs are growing and what challenges are facing those programs.
- How the SREC and ITC may affect the future of these programs and customers.
- Specifics on the New Jersey incentives and their effect on other markets.
Quotes from the show:
- “Community Solar is one of the next big things in solar.” – Suzanne Waters, Episode #51
- “Seems like financiers of community solar projects are getting comfortable with having a substantial number of the customers as residential and there is no long-term contracting.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #51
- “Politicians love community solar because it provides access to people who would not normally have solar.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #51
- Referring to the SREC: “What’s been challenging, actually, for developers who have been trying to develop projects in New Jersey for Community Solar is that they’re not sure they’ll get approved for the project and for the projects built, if they’ll qualify for that 5.1%.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #51
- “The word mediocre stings a little bit when you hear it.” – Suzanne Waters, Episode #51
- “If you really want to do big things, you have to be uncomfortable.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #51
- “Carpe Solum. For those of you that don’t know, it means: seize the sun” – 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:
Business Energy Investment Tax Credit (ITC)
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) - Community Solar
Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
Email: info@reneuenergy.com
LinkedIn: @bthanjan
Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com
Suzanne Waters
Email: suzanne@reneuenergy.com
LinkedIn: Suzanne Waters
Website: www.reneuenergy.com
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on itunes, Podbean and youtube.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
Oct 15, 2019
Oct 15, 2019
38 min
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.
- What kind of an investment you need to make in podcast technology.
- How climate change is affecting the solar industry and panel recycling.
- The effects of technology on the shape of solar panels and increases in efficiency.
- The impact of these podcasts and the future of Solar Maverick.
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:
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: info@reneuenergy.com
LinkedIn: @bthanjan
Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com
Li Wang
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on itunes, Podbean and youtube.
This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
Oct 8, 2019
Oct 8, 2019
44 min
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.
Insights from this episode:
- What separates Infiniti Energy Services from competitors and what markets they are focused on.
- How PPAs and the difficulties of financing can affect potential projects.
- How a background in real estate development can make it easier to develop solar projects and mitigate perceived risk.
- How educating customers adds value to projects and being transparent creates stronger relationships and better business.
- The benefits of the pilot program in New Jersey and how similar programs going forward will affect the industry.
- What entrepreneurship in solar means and ways to succeed in business ownership by developing a loyal staff.
- Different methods used to successfully balance life and business, such as meditation and turning off notifications.
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
- “You’re basically customizing solutions that add the most value to the customer. Whereas other parties might try to push a solution that might not necessarily be a good fit.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #49
- “We like to be able to bring creative solutions to folks who want to move forward with potential projects. ” – Michael Kushner, Episode #49
- In regards to financing solar “It shouldn’t be as complicated, I think, as some other finance companies make it. ” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #49
- “When you conduct business transparently and openly, there is so much time that you can save. ” – Michael Kushner, Episode #49
- “Beyond business, it’s just human interaction. ” – Michael Kushner, Episode #49
- On creating a business team “It isn’t only about are they right for my company, but is my company right for them. ” – Michael Kushner, Episode #49
- Regarding approach to success in entrepreneurship “You always have to think strategically.” – Benoy Thanjan, 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: info@reneuenergy.com
LinkedIn: @bthanjan
Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com
Michael Kushner
Email: infinitiES@optimum.net
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)
Oct 1, 2019
Oct 1, 2019
43 min
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.
- Why proven results are a must.
- The benefits to business of interacting socially and professionally.
- How to build strong relationships with customers.
- How recycling solar panels can further the strong idea of renewable energy.
- What trends may be affecting the solar industry.
- How the efficiency of solar transfer is perceived.
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
- “You need to be able to enjoy their company socially because it can be challenging enough professionally.” – Steve Schwerd, Episode #48
- “These are huge points that anyone can use in any type of partnership.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #48
- “I think that people are looking for people that are authentic, that are themselves. I think people appreciate it.” – Benoy Thanjan, Episode #48
- “Quality and value is first and foremost, but we want everybody involved in the process to be comfortable. You have to have a likeability factor because at the end of the day people are putting their trust in you. ” – 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:
SEIA - Solar Industries Energy Association
Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency®
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: info@reneuenergy.com
LinkedIn: @bthanjan
Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com
Steve Schwerd
Email: admin@schwerdconsulting.com
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)
Sep 24, 2019
Sep 24, 2019
34 min
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
- How internships shape your future
- The importance of mentors and relationships
- How and why video helps to establish trust
- Secrets to financing Solar Projects
- The blueprint to solar financing 101
- Insight to solar tax incentives and upcoming changes
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
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: info@reneuenergy.com
LinkedIn: @bthanjan
Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com
Li Wang
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on itunes, Podbean and youtube.
Sep 17, 2019
Sep 17, 2019
36 min
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
- Strategies to understanding brownfields
- Secrets to solar market mixers
- How to make a market when it does not already exist
- Strategies on how brownfields can help the solar industry
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: info@reneuenergy.com
LinkedIn: @bthanjan
Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com
Dan French
Email: info@brownfieldlistings.com
Call: 312-988-0256
Website: https://brownfieldlistings.com/
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Sep 10, 2019
Sep 10, 2019
45 min
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
- How to stay in the present
- How to manage your time
- Strategies to finding future talent and consumers
- How to have a healthy company environment
- How to use Dale Carnegie’s advice
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: info@reneuenergy.com
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
Sep 3, 2019
Sep 3, 2019
25 min
SMP 44: Community Solar 201
Episode Summary
In this episode, Benoy and Suzanne talk about community solar and how it’s one of the fastest-growing areas of solar. They discuss the benefits and trends of community solar, and they go into the four different business models through which community solar projects get done. They also discuss legislation to keep the Investment Tax Credit at 30%.
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.
Suzanne Waters
Suzanne Waters is the Vice President of Business Development at Reneu Energy. She 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. Additionally, she collaborated on structured finance for large scale, multimillion-dollar projects.
Insight from this episode:
- Strategies to understanding community solar trends
- Secrets to community solar business models
- How to make community solar accessible to LMI customers
- Strategies on federal incentives for solar
- Strategies to keeping the Investment Tax Credit at 30 percent
Quotes from the show:
“Obviously the question you’re all asking, if you’re listening to this episode is ‘what is community solar?’... According to SEIA community solar is a situation where a center solar array is built either by utility, municipality, or some other third party owner.” – Suzanne Waters, Episode #44
“Today many American households and businesses don’t have access to solar because they rent, live in multi-tenant buildings, have roofs that are unable to host a solar system, or experience some other type of mitigating factor.” – Suzanne Waters, quoting from SEIA Episode #44
“Community solar expands access to solar for all, including, in particular, low to moderate-income customers most impacted by a lack of access, all while building a stronger distributed and more resilient electric grid.” – Suzanne Waters, quoting from SEIA Episode #44
“So what we’re finding is that financing communities are slowly getting more comfortable in having customers that are 100% residential. Where there’s no long-term contract. Where there’s no penalty if the customer opts out.” - Benoy Thanjan Episode #44
“So right now, what the investment tax credit is, it’s a credit on your taxes for 30% of the cost of the [solar] system. There’s actually a step down over the next couple of years, so till the end of 2019 it’s 30%, come 2020 it will be 26%, in 2021 it’s a 22% credit, and then in 2022 it’s 10%. – Suzanne Waters Episode #44
“If you want to take advantage of the 30% tax credit you have to have 5% of the [community solar] project procured by the end of 2019. And the biggest thing we see is that people will buy and secure the panels for their project.” – Suzanne Waters Episode #44
“The most common [business model for community projects] is a Special Purpose Entity, which is the SPE model… In this approach individuals or companies join in a business enterprise to develop a community solar project… Organizations may take advantage of incentives and tax credits that are available, that are unavailable to utilities.” - Benoy Thanjan Episode #44
Resources Mentioned:
For more information on community solar:
Listen to Episode #23: Community Solar 101
Listen to Episode #19: Customer Acquisition and Billing in Community Solar
Listen to Episode #42: How Solar Technology Is Changing the World!
Benoy referred to the eBook titled “Community Solar: What You Need To Know” created by Standard Solar. The link to the eBook is below.
Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
info@reneuenergy.com
Suzanne Waters
suzanne@reneuenergy.com
www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-waters-01bb6077/
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on itunes and Podbean
Aug 27, 2019
Aug 27, 2019
27 min
SMP 43: 2019 Energy Storage Trends
Episode Summary
In this episode, Benoy and Li talk about energy storage and how it’s a huge game changer. They go into the many benefits and trends in energy storage. They also discuss legislation to keep the Investment Tax Credit at 30%.
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.
Insight from this episode:
- Discuss energy storage trends
- Discussion on federal incentives for solar
- Potential Extension of Investment Tax Credit at 30 percent
- How to control your ego
Quotes from the show:
- “So prices are going down, capacity and efficiency is increasing. So has that recent combination of factors, sort of accelerated the advancement of [energy] storage?” - Li Wang Episode #43 “Definitely!” - Benoy Thanjan Episode #43
- “I guess the best way to look at [energy storage] is like landlines and cellphones. You know, you need the infrastructure with the landline, and then basically what energy storage allows is you can be decentralized vs. having a central network and connecting it.” - Benoy Thanjan Episode #43
- “You know we are seeing more blackouts. If anyone was in New York three weeks ago on a Saturday, from midtown to… on the west side, there was a power outage… and you would think ‘wow 2019. How is that kinda still happening?’”- Benoy Thanjan Episode #43
- “Energy storage is a great way to help with bringing energy back into the grid. It’s a lot faster for energy to come from an energy storage unit that having a peak or natural gas plant.” - Benoy Thanjan Episode #43
- “I think one thing that I didn’t realize about the Tesla [electric car] is it’s also performance wise and safety wise so incredible too. You know, one of the features in a crash, it has a lot of capacity to absorb damage… so when I shop for cars, you know I have young kids, so I’m thinking safety. So that hugely impresses me.” – Li Wang Episode #43
- “It’s been exciting actually what happened in the past few days. The House and Senate introduced legislation for a 5-year extension of the solar investment tax credit… you know, please reach out to your representative and lawmakers to pass this critical legislation.” - Benoy Thanjan Episode #43
- “So [energy storage] is huge for, you know, countries that don’t have already electricity infrastructure. You know, particularly in emerging countries, and then obviously in the U.S. we haven’t upgraded the transmission and distribution grid in a long time.” - Benoy Thanjan Episode #43
Resources Mentioned:
Gary Vaynerchuk, Youtube Channel
Featured Book:
Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
Featured Quote:
“Since 2005, when ITC was first passed by the Republican led congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush. The ITC has created hundreds of thousands of jobs. Sparked more than $40 billion in pride investment and helped solar grow by more than 10,000 percent.” – Abigail Ross Hopper, CEO of Solar Energy Industry Association
Featured Link:
Benoy spoke about the Energy Storage Midyear Snapshot by Nikola Power
https://nikolapower.com/blog/2019/7/1/energy-storage-midyear-snapshot
Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
info@reneuenergy.com
Li Wang
Subscribe to our podcast + download each episode on itunes and Podbean