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
Tuesday Sep 03, 2024
Tuesday Sep 03, 2024
⚡ The League ⚡-Weekly Energy Insights Episode #8 is LIVE! 🔌 💡
Dive into this week’s segment on the worlds latest energy updates with Benoy Thanjan and David Magid :
- California Public Utilities Commission's rejection of the California Community Solar Program
- Impressions from the ACORE Finance Forum
- Highs and lows of recent PPA pricing
💡 Don’t miss out – Watch the full clip here and stay ahead in the energy game!
If you have questions or comments, please email us at info@reneuenergy.com.
Tuesday Aug 27, 2024
Tuesday Aug 27, 2024
Episode Summary
In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy Thanjan, the host of the Solar Maverick Podcast, was interviewed by Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco on his podcast called "What Are You Made Of?."
Benoy speaks about current solar industry trends and his entrepreneurship and podcast experience.
Benoy Thanjan
Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies. He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.
This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing
and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the
transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable.
Before founding Reneu Energy, he was the SREC Trader in the Project Finance Group for SolarCity which merged with Tesla in 2016. He originated SREC trades with buyers and co-developed their SREC monetization and hedging strategy with the senior management of SolarCity to move into the east coast markets.
Benoy was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects. He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio. Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.
He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young. Benoy received his first experience in Finance as an intern at D.E. Shaw & Co., which is a global investment firm with 37 billion dollars in investment capital. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.
Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco
Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco is the Co-Founder of the innovative tech platform blooprinted, the powerhouse behind the "What Are You Made Of?" podcast, and the best-selling author of ROCKET FUEL Convert Setbacks. Become Unstoppable.
He is a performance coach, author, dynamic public speaker, tech visionary and thought leader.
He has been featured by Yahoo! Finance as one of the Top Business Leaders to Follow in 2020 and is on a mission to build unstoppable people. He is consumed with the passion to help people break free from the confines of complacency and propel to untapped levels of success.
Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
Email: info@reneuenergy.com
LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan
Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com
Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco
"What Are You Made Of?" Podcast
We would like to thank Summit Ridge Energy for sponsoring this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast.
As the nation’s leading commercial solar company, Summit Ridge Energy merges financial innovation and industry-leading execution to deliver clean, locally generated energy. This has made Summit Ridge one of the fastest-growing energy companies in America.
Since launching in 2017, the company has deployed over $2B into clean energy assets and controls a development pipeline of more than 3GW that will provide solar power to homes and businesses nationwide. Learn more at srenergy.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.
https://srenergy.com/
Tuesday Aug 20, 2024
Tuesday Aug 20, 2024
Power Up with the Latest in Renewable Energy!
We're thrilled to bring you the latest episodes of the League Newsbriefing, your go-to source for renewable energy updates! 
Hosted by David Magid and Benoy Thanjan, each episode packs a punch with key insights and trends. You give us 5 minutes, we give you the latest clean energy trends. Check out the highlights from episodes #5 to #9:
Episode #7 Highlights:
- FERC Order 1920
- Appalachian Power's 800MW RFP
- Increasing clean energy-related tariffs
Don't miss out on these episodes! Tune in now. Your 5-Minute Guide to Clean Energy Trends!
#CleanEnergy #RenewableEnergy #EnergyTransition #SolarEnergy #BatteryStorage #EnergyNews
If you have questions or comments, please email us at info@reneuenergy.com.
Tuesday Aug 13, 2024
Tuesday Aug 13, 2024
Episode Summary
In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Jim Howard, President at Dudley Ventures, and Derek Gabriel who is the COO & Head of Originations at SunRocket Capital. They speak about how their structured finance solution ensures access to construction funding and long-term financing for developers who want to preserve their equity in their projects.
Benoy Thanjan
Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies. He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.
This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing
and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the
transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable.
Before founding Reneu Energy, he was the SREC Trader in the Project Finance Group for SolarCity which merged with Tesla in 2016. He originated SREC trades with buyers and co-developed their SREC monetization and hedging strategy with the senior management of SolarCity to move into the east coast markets.
Benoy was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects. He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio. Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.
He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young. Benoy received his first experience in Finance as an intern at D.E. Shaw & Co., which is a global investment firm with 37 billion dollars in investment capital. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.
Jim Howard
James D Howard, Jr. is the President of Dudley Ventures, LLC is an investment and advisory services firm specializing in congressionally sanctioned tax credits and other tax advantaged investments. DV has a 20+ year track record of success with the vision, staff and values to succeed. Dudley Ventures is a subsidiary of Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ:VLY), one of the top 30 publically traded banks with $50B in assets,
A native of The Bronx, New York, Mr. Howard earned his degree from The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1980 and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1984.
Dudley Ventures was founded by Mr. Howard in 1996. Dudley Ventures has been an innovator in tax credit investment and Mr. Howard has authored numerous articles on tax credit investing and is a regular speaker at conferences. Dudley Ventures has invested and manages over $2 billion in tax credit investments.
Mr. Howard is a Board Member of the New Markets Tax Credit Coalition.
Derek Gabriel
With over 15 years of experience in the renewable energy sector, Derek is a passionate and driven leader who strives to make a positive impact on the environment and society through innovative and sustainable solutions. As the Chief Operating Officer at SunRocket Capital, Derek oversee the daily administrative and operational functions, as well as the origination, development, and financing of solar projects across various markets and segments. Derek leverage my extensive network of over 15 years in the solar industry, and my deep knowledge of solar policy, tax equity, and debt financing to create value for our clients, investors, and partners.
In his previous role as the Executive Vice President and Head of Originations at Sol-REIT, Derek was responsible for business development in providing debt and arranging tax equity for solar and renewable energy projects, ranging from C&I, community solar, portfolio transactions, to utility-scale. Derek engaged a team of solar lending analyst, underwriters, and established strong relationships with key stakeholders, such as EPCs, developers, off-takers, and lenders. Derek also contributed to the strategic direction and growth of the company, and supported the development of new products and services. Some of the skills that Derek applied and developed in this role include organizational development, business development, negotiation, risk management, and financial analysis.
Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
Email: info@reneuenergy.com
LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan
Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com
Jim Howard
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesdhoward/
Dudley Venture Website: https://www.dudleyventures.com
Derek Gabriel
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-g-a754a748/
Website: https://www.sunrocketcapital.com
Press Release dated June 24, 2024
SunRocket Capital and Dudley Ventures Arrange to Provide $100+ Million to Monetize Tax Credits in Commercial, Industrial and Community Solar Developments
https://www.sunrocketcapital.com/news/sunrocket-capital-and-dudley-ventures-to-monetize-tax-credits
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Monday Aug 05, 2024
Power Up with the Latest in Renewable Energy!
We're thrilled to bring you the latest episodes of the League Newsbriefing, your go-to source for renewable energy updates! Hosted by David Magid and Benoy Thanjan, each episode packs a punch with key insights and trends. You give us 5 minutes, we give you the latest clean energy trends. Check out the highlights from episodes #5 to #9:
Episode #6 Highlights:
- High interest rates impacting the energy transition
- EIA study on the future of solar energy in the USA
- DOE's identification of 10 critical transmission corridors for the energy transition
- Maryland SREC updates
Don't miss out on these episodes! Tune in now. Your 5-Minute Guide to Clean Energy Trends!
#CleanEnergy #RenewableEnergy #EnergyTransition #SolarEnergy #BatteryStorage #EnergyNews
If you have questions or comments, please email us at info@reneuenergy.com.
Friday Aug 02, 2024
Friday Aug 02, 2024
Power Up with the Latest in Renewable Energy!
We're thrilled to bring you the latest episodes of the League Newsbriefing, your go-to source for renewable energy updates!
Hosted by David Magid and Benoy Thanjan, each episode packs a punch with key insights and trends. You give us 5 minutes, we give you the latest clean energy trends. Check out the highlights from episodes #5:
Episode #5 Highlights:
- FERC Order 2023: Major changes to the NYISO interconnection process and the wholesale market
- Tax credit transfer market forecasts
- President Biden's transmission upgrade plan
- Massachusetts' expanded net metering
Don't miss out on these episodes! Tune in now. Your 5-Minute Guide to Clean Energy Trends!
#CleanEnergy #RenewableEnergy #EnergyTransition #SolarEnergy #BatteryStorage #EnergyNews
If you have any questions or comments, reach out to us info@reneuenergy.com
Friday Jul 26, 2024
Friday Jul 26, 2024
In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Nate Jovanelly, CEO of Sunraise Capital, and Jason Steinberg who is the CEO of Scanifly.
Scanifly, a software platform for PV design and field operations, has partnered with SunRaise Technology, a leading solar fintech company, to accelerate Service-level agreement(“SLAs”) for residential solar leasing.
They speaks about residential solar trends like improving customer experience, automating the sales and construction process, and how to improve solar production.
Benoy Thanjan
Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies. He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.
This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing
and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the
transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable.
Before founding Reneu Energy, he was the SREC Trader in the Project Finance Group for SolarCity which merged with Tesla in 2016. He originated SREC trades with buyers and co-developed their SREC monetization and hedging strategy with the senior management of SolarCity to move into the east coast markets.
Benoy was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects. He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio. Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.
He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young. Benoy received his first experience in Finance as an intern at D.E. Shaw & Co., which is a global investment firm with 37 billion dollars in investment capital. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.
Nathan Jovanelly
Nate is the CEO and Founder of SunRaise Capital’s mission is to provide affordable and accessible renewable energy options to homeowners, while reducing carbon footprints and creating a sustainable future for generations to come. They achieve their mission by partnering with industry leading solar installers to provide our customers with the best possible solar experience at competitive rates.
As the CEO of an innovative residential solar lease company, he spearheads strategic initiatives aimed at harmonizing the objectives of our funding partners, installation teams, and homeowners. With a relentless focus on alignment, he cultivates collaborative relationships to ensure mutual success and satisfaction across all stakeholders. Through innovative leadership and a commitment to transparency, he drives sustainable growth while delivering exceptional value to our investors, installers, and customers alike.
Jason Steinberg
Jason is the CEO of Scanifly and oversees the operational and financial aspects of Scanifly. Scanifly is the only drone-based solar software committed to improving the efficiency, accuracy and safety of solar projects globally. Previously, Jason helped finance over $3 billion of renewable energy projects and companies as a banker for CohnReznick Capital. Prior to that, Jason worked for Bloomberg New Energy Finance as a lead North American data researcher. Jason’s first job in the industry was installing solar arrays on rooftops in New Jersey. Jason is a CFA Charterholder and a NABCEP PV. Associate.
Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
Email: info@reneuenergy.com
LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan
Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com
Nathan Jovanelly
SunRaise Capital Website: https://www.sunraisecapital.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natejov/
Jason Steinberg
Email: jason.steinberg@scanifly.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-steinberg-48356017/
Press Release dated July 18, 2024
Scanifly Integrates with SunRaise Technology for Streamlined Financing Approval
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/scanifly-integrates-with-sunraise-technology-for-streamlined-financing-approval-302200077.html?tc=eml_cleartime
Nate’s other interviews on the Solar Maverick Podcast
SMP 150: How SunRaise Capital is innovating residential solar financing?
https://solarmaverick.podbean.com/e/smp-150-how-sunraise-capital-is-innovating-residential-solar-financing/
Solar Maverick Episode 147: RE+ Takeaways
https://solarmaverick.podbean.com/e/smp-147-re-conference-takeaways/
Solar Maverick Episode 139: Opportunities and Challenges with the PJM Solar Market
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u14GHBkqcqo
Solar Maverick Episode 134: 2023 Solar Predictions
https://solarmaverick.podbean.com/e/smp-134-2023-solar-predictations/
SMP 131: How Technology and Software are innovating the Solar Industry?
https://solarmaverick.podbean.com/e/smp-131-how-technology-and-software-is-innovating-the-solar-industry/
SMP 100: US Residential Solar, Storage, and Electric Vehicle Trends
https://solarmaverick.podbean.com/e/smp-100-us-residential-solar-storage-and-electric-vehicles-trends/
SMP 74: Impact on COVID-19 on Residential Solar
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/smp-74-impacts-of-covid-19-on-residential-solar/id1441876259?i=1000475840259
SMP 58: Residential Solar Financing and Other Interesting Topics
https://podcasts.apple.com/tc/podcast/smp-58-residential-solar-financing-other-interesting/id1441876259?i=1000459212910
SMP 20: The Solar Intrapreneur Story: How Nate helped IGS become one of the biggest solar asset owners in the US
https://podcasts.apple.com/tc/podcast/smp-20-solar-intrapreneur-story-how-nate-helped-igs/id1441876259?i=1000432329129
We would like to thank Summit Ridge Energy for sponsoring this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast.
As the nation’s leading commercial solar company, Summit Ridge Energy merges financial innovation and industry-leading execution to deliver clean, locally generated energy. This has made Summit Ridge one of the fastest-growing energy companies in America.
Since launching in 2017, the company has deployed over $2B into clean energy assets and controls a development pipeline of more than 3GW that will provide solar power to homes and businesses nationwide. Learn more at srenergy.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.
Tuesday Jul 16, 2024
Tuesday Jul 16, 2024
🌞 Weekly Energy Briefings - Episode #4 is NOW LIVE!
🌍 'The League' 5-Minute Weekly Briefing with Benoy Thanjan and David Magid !
🚀 Dive into the world of clean energy with us. Give us just 5 minutes, and we'll bring you the latest trends in the industry!
🔗 April 2024 Briefing Highlights:
-Potential Tariffs: Exploring the impact of potential tariffs on solar panels from Southeast Asia.
-Industry Insight: Residential solar contractors share their perspectives on the current solar market.
-Future Focus: Unpacking NYS DPS Order 'The Grid of the Future' with insights from the NY PSC. Virtual Power Plants
-Data Centers: How data centers are integrating renewable energy solutions. Reneu Energy
🔋 Stay Informed and Empowered: Our series is your go-to weekly power hub for the latest in project finance, renewable energy, and power generation.
If you have any questions or comments, reach out to us info@reneuenergy.com.
Wednesday Jul 10, 2024
Wednesday Jul 10, 2024
Episode Summary
In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Garrett Peterson who is the Co-Founder of Sigma Renewables. Sigma offers land and building owners multiple ways to monetize their property value without giving up ownership and keeps owner priorities at the forefront when developing projects. Garrett speaks about solar and storage development, why to get early in different markets, and what he learned from being an entrepreneur.
Benoy Thanjan
Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy and he is also an advisor for several solar startup companies. He has extensive project origination, development, and financial experience in the renewable energy industry and in the environmental commodities market.
This includes initial site evaluation, permitting, financing, sourcing equipment, and negotiating the long-term energy and environmental commodities off-take agreements. He manages due diligence processes on land, permitting, and utility interconnection and is in charge of financing
and structuring through Note to Proceed (“NTP”) to Commercial Operation Date (“COD”). Benoy composes teams suitable for all project development and construction tasks. He is also involved in project planning and pipeline financial modeling. He has been part of all sides of the
transaction and this allows him to provide unique perspectives and value. Benoy has extensive experience in financial engineering to make solar projects profitable.
Before founding Reneu Energy, he was the SREC Trader in the Project Finance Group for SolarCity which merged with Tesla in 2016. He originated SREC trades with buyers and co-developed their SREC monetization and hedging strategy with the senior management of SolarCity to move into the east coast markets.
Benoy was the Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners which is a national solar installer where he focused on project finance solutions for commercial scale solar projects. He also worked for Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund, where he analyzed potential investments in renewable energy projects and worked on maximizing the financial return of the projects in the portfolio. Benoy also worked on the sale of all of the renewable energy projects in Ridgewood’s portfolio.
He was in the Energy Structured Finance practice for Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services practice at Ernst & Young. Benoy received his first experience in Finance as an intern at D.E. Shaw & Co., which is a global investment firm with 37 billion dollars in investment capital. He has a MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Benoy was an Alumni Scholar at the Stern School of Business.
Garrett Peterson
Garrett is the co-founder of Sigma Renewables. Sigma Renewables is an independently owned solar and storage development firm focused on markets with emerging or existing community solar and energy storage programs. Sigma offers land and building owners multiple ways to monetize their property value without giving up ownership and keeps owner priorities at the forefront when developing projects. Previously, Garrett worked as Senior Vice President of Project Development at Pivot Energy. He has over 16 years of energy experience at Pivot Energy, Sunshare, Namaste Solar, SunEdison, and REC Solar.
A dynamic leader with sixteen years of energy industry experience, with the past fourteen focused on the solar and energy storage sector. Possesses a unique skill set gained by working from the ground up within a broad range of established solar companies and startups, combined with post graduate level education, and focus on executive leadership, project development, financial, and technical aspects of the energy industry.
Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
Email: info@reneuenergy.com
LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan
Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com
Garrett Peterson
Website: https://sigmarenewables.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrett-peterson-29062879/
Tuesday Jul 02, 2024
Tuesday Jul 02, 2024
The League is a new podcast with my co-host David Magid! You give us 5 minutes, we give you the latest clean energy trends.
Weekly Energy Briefings Episode #3 is live .
Episode 3 - March 2024 Briefing Highlights:
-Basel III Implications on the tax equity market
-Insights on the community solar expansion introduced in Virginia
-updates on community solar in California
-news about the new “advanced grid enhancing technology act” introduced by Senators Peter Walsh and Angus King
Exclusive insights from industry experts navigating the constantly changing renewable energy industry.
Keeping YOU in the know and empowered, this series is your weekly power hub for the latest in project finance, renewable energy, and power generation. If you have any questions or comments, email us at info@reneuenergy.com.