In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tom Weirich, the Head of Marketing & Stakeholder Relations - North America at EDP Renewables North America. Tom is also the author of the insightful book "We Took the Risk: The Stories Behind the Early Risk Takers in the U.S. Renewable Energy Industry and the Leadership Traits that Made Them a Success." During our discussion, Tom delves into the essence of his book, sheds light on current trends in the industry, and offers valuable insights for those aspiring to build a career in renewable energy.

 

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.  

 

 

Tom Weirich

Tom Weirich is a key facilitator that has connected pivotal players in the global renewable energy industry for over eighteen years, working with teams that have closed 300+ renewable energy transactions across a variety of technologies. Throughout his renewables journey, it’s been the stories of how colleagues got their start in renewables that continues to inspire and empower him in his daily work.

As an award-winning marketing leader in the energy sector, he’s a frequent industry panel moderator, speaker and OpEd contributor, focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship and market opportunities surrounding the US’ clean energy transition. Weirich’s passion for renewables extends beyond the confines of his day job, with countless hours spent promoting philanthropic efforts focused on technology innovation, career mentoring, workforce development and STEM education.

 

Professional Experience

Weirich previously worked with two key clean energy investment banking advisory firms based in New York as Director of Marketing at Rubicon Capital Advisors and Director of Marketing & Business Development at CohnReznick Capital. Prior to that, Tom was Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations and interim Chief Operating Officer at the American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) in Washington, D.C., where he managed and oversaw corporate relations and public affairs for 12 years working with key global developers, financiers and power generators.

 

Weirich served under the Obama Administration twice in honorary roles, advising both the Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative on renewable energy trade and manufacturing policies. He has been acknowledged for his contributions to the solar industry by Renewable Energy World as part of its inaugural “Top 40 under 40 in Solar”, and has been listed five years in a row on kWh Analytics’ #Solar100 List, which recognizes key solar energy thought leaders in the United States. Weirich is a previous Emerging Leaders in Energy & Environment Program Fellow with the Atlantic Council, as well as the previous Chairperson for North America for the Word Council on Renewable Energy (WCRE).

He serves as an Advisor to The Cleanie Awards, which recognizes innovators and those making an impact in clean energy, and is a Fellow with Humanity in Action (HIA), an international non-profit that educates and connects young leaders on issues related to human and minority rights.

 

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

 

Tom Weirich

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomweirich/

Book’s Website:  https://wetooktherisk.com

 

 

Welcome to our weekly Renewable Energy Briefing! Stay informed on the latest industry trends. Join us for a comprehensive analysis that combines expert commentary with up-to-the-minute news, offering you a strategic overview of the renewable energy market. Don't miss out on the crucial details that can impact your investment decisions. Tune in weekly for your essential dose of Renewable Energy insights! Episode #17 Briefing Highlights:

• Election impacts on the renewable energy industry (or potential lack thereof)

• FERC throws a wrench into AWS and Talen Energy's nuclear plans

• Transformer lead times and prices still increasing

If you have any questions or comments, you can reach out to us at [email protected].

Welcome to our weekly Renewable Energy Briefing! Stay informed on the latest industry trends. Join us for a comprehensive analysis that combines expert commentary with up-to-the-minute news, offering you a strategic overview of the renewable energy market. Don't miss out on the crucial details that can impact your investment decisions. Tune in weekly for your essential dose of Renewable Energy insights! Episode #16 Briefing Highlights:

• Corporate and VC Funding for the Renewable Energy Sector
• New Mexico Expanded Community Solar Program
• Section 48D ITC Guidance Provided
• PJM Interconnection Reform

If you have any questions or comments, please email me at [email protected].

The League - Episode #15

Welcome to our weekly Renewable Energy Briefing! Stay informed on the latest industry trends.

Join us for a comprehensive analysis that combines expert commentary with up-to-the-minute news, offering you a strategic overview of the renewable energy market. Don't miss out on the crucial details that can impact your investment decisions. Tune in weekly for your essential dose of Renewable Energy Insights!

Episode #15 Briefing Highlights:

- NY Stand-Alone BESS Market has only 5 operational projects totaling 100MW but there are Gigawatts worth in the queue

  - DG market has been booming   - Benoy's impressions from NYC climate week   - Some fossil fuel and nuclear plants slated for retirement are likely to remain operational to meet growing energy demands.   If you have any comments, you can reach us at [email protected].

 

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, host Benoy chats with Iñigo Rengifo Melia and Tao Mantaras from Concentro, a platform specializing in distributed generation clean energy tax credits. Iñigo and Tao explore the opportunities presented by the new transferability rules introduced under the Inflation Reduction Act. They also share insights on how the new presidential administration could influence clean energy tax credits and offer valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

 

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.  

 

Iñigo Rengifo Melia

Inigo is the Co-founder & CEO of Concentro. Before Concentro, he spent three years as a consultant at McKinsey, focusing on new business building and clean energy projects. Prior to that, he was the first employee at Neboola, a startup studio, where he was part of the founding team of two startups: Loopas and Bonofit. Inigo holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Electromechanical Engineering.

 

Tao Mantaras
Tao is the Co-founder & COO of Concentro. Before Concentro, he co-founded BibliU, a venture-backed EdTech company that enables universities to access digital learning materials. Earlier in his career, he was a consultant in the energy sector and also gained experience in investment banking. Tao holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a dual Bachelor's degree in Science and Commerce.

 

 

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

 

Iñigo Rengifo Melia

Email:  [email protected]

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/inigo-rengifo-melia/

Website: https://www.concentro.io/

 

Tao Mantaras

Email:  [email protected]

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/taomantaras/

Website:  https://www.concentro.io/

 

Concentro NPM Press Release

Concentro ready to enable USD 300m in tax credit transfers; focus on DG market

https://newprojectmedia.com/news/concentro-ready-to-enable-usd-300m-in-tax-credit-transfers-focus-on-dg-market

 

Join Reneu Energy, Positive Deviancy, Concentro, and the Solar Maverick Podcast for the Winter Solstice Fundraiser

Celebrate the holidays with us at the Winter Solstice Fundraiser, hosted by Reneu Energy, Positive Deviancy, Concentro,, and the Solar Maverick Podcast. This special evening will take place on Wednesday, December 4th, from 6 PM to 10 PM at Hudson Hall in Jersey City, NJ. We'll also be raising funds for the Let's Share the Sun Foundation, which aids impoverished communities in harnessing solar energy. 

Event Highlights:

• Venue: Hudson Hall, a Czech biergarten and smokehouse co-owned by Benoy, CEO of Reneu Energy.
• Time: 6 PM to 10 PM, with an open bar from 6 PM to 8 PM and delicious food throughout the evening.
• Tickets: Early Bird Pricing of $65 per person.  The pricing would be $75 starting on 11/27.   You can RSVP using the link provided below.

Partnership with Grand Stand Sports & Memorabilia: We're excited to partner with Grand Stand Sports & Memorabilia, who will be offering sports memorabilia and experiences for sale. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Let's Share the Sun Foundation.

Sponsorship Opportunities: If you're interested in sponsoring this event and helping make a difference, please contact us at [email protected].

 

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/reneuenergy/1448299

 

 

 

 

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy interviews David Taylor, Andrew Aldama, and Adam Weissman from Anker Solix.  With solar and energy storage technology, Anker SOLIX gives you complete control of your power. Whether you are enjoying the great outdoors, living life on the road, or setting up a home energy system, you can enjoy anytime electricity to live in power.

 

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.  

 

David Taylor

Solutions Expert at Anker Innovations

 

Andrew Aldama

HES Solutions Director

Anker Innovations LTD

 

Adam Weissman

Senior Public Relations Manager

Anker Innovations LTD  

 

 

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

 

David Taylor

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-taylor-2354b020a/

 

Andrew Aldama

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-aldama/

 

Adam Weissman

Linkedn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamweissman/

 

Anker Solix’s website

https://www.anker.com/anker-solix

 

 

 We would like to thank Positive Deviancy for sponsoring this episode of the podcast.

 

Jade Garrett, founder of Positive Deviancy, is a Power Connector for the DOE’s American-Made Program. Since 2018, Positive Deviancy has helped over 400 teams access $14 million in innovation funding from the American-Made Challenges. 

 

Email:  [email protected]

Website:  www.PositiveDeviancy.com/ 

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadegarrett/ 

 

Contact Jade directly via email to get help to apply for these Energy Prizes:  

 

Community Power Accelerator Round 3 Prize - Due  December 17th, 2024

The Community Power Accelerator R3 Prize is designed to fast-track the efforts of new, emerging, and expanding solar developers and codevelopers to grow multiple successful community-benefiting distributed solar projects. 25 teams are each awarded up to $400k.

 

TCU Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize - Due December 4th, 2024

The Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize encourages Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to develop student-led demonstration projects that increase their knowledge on clean energy and food sovereignty on TCU campuses. 30 TCUs can be awarded up to $250k for energy projects. 

 

Join Reneu Energy, Positive Deviancy and the Solar Maverick Podcast for the Winter Solstice Fundraiser

Celebrate the holidays with us at the Winter Solstice Fundraiser, hosted by Reneu Energy, Positive Deviancy, and the Solar Maverick Podcast. This special evening will take place on Wednesday, December 4th, from 6 PM to 10 PM at Hudson Hall in Jersey City, NJ. We'll also be raising funds for the Let's Share the Sun Foundation, which aids impoverished communities in harnessing solar energy. 

Event Highlights:

• Venue: Hudson Hall, a Czech biergarten and smokehouse co-owned by Benoy, CEO of Reneu Energy.
• Time: 6 PM to 10 PM, with an open bar from 6 PM to 8 PM and delicious food throughout the evening.
• Tickets: Early Bird Pricing of $65 per person.  The pricing would be $75 starting on 11/27.   You can RSVP using the link provided below.

Partnership with Grand Stand Sports & Memorabilia: We're excited to partner with Grand Stand Sports & Memorabilia, who will be offering sports memorabilia and experiences for sale. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Let's Share the Sun Foundation.

Sponsorship Opportunities: If you're interested in sponsoring this event and helping make a difference, please contact us at [email protected].

 

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/reneuenergy/1448299

 

 

 

 

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy interviews Jared Haines, CEO and COO of Catalyze.  Catalyze is accelerating the large-scale transition to clean, renewable energy by making it easy and profitable to integrate smart energy resources into new and existing infrastructure.  Jared speaks about how Catalyze differentiates from other Independent Power Producers(“IPPs”), how the company is able to scale asset ownership, and what states they are focused on.

 

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.  

 

Jared Haines

Jared Haines brings over 20 years of senior leadership experience to Catalyze in his role as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operations Officer. Prior to his current role, Jared was Catalyze’s Vice President of Project and Business Development, leading his team in co-developing and acquiring Solar and Storage opportunities across the US with a focus in the NY Metro area. Jared boasts an impressive expertise in the solar sector, co-founding Mercury Solar Systems in 2006 and overseeing several business units as the company’s President before a merger in 2014 with RGS Energy. At RGS, he managed the commercial division as the Chief Revenue Officer. Jared also has experience developing the solar distributed generation team as the Head of Origination for Nextera energy, and providing Community Solar development and consulting services for solar projects as a Principal for Sol Alliance. Jared earned his bachelor’s degree from Tufts University.

 

 

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

 

Jared Haines

Website:  https://catalyze.com/

LInkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-haines-4282b66/

 

 

 

We would like to thank Positive Deviancy for sponsoring this episode of the podcast.

 

Jade Garrett, founder of Positive Deviancy, is a Power Connector for the DOE’s American-Made Program. Since 2018, Positive Deviancy has helped over 400 teams access $14 million in innovation funding from the American-Made Challenges. 

 

Email:  [email protected]

Website:  www.PositiveDeviancy.com/ 

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadegarrett/ 

 

Contact Jade directly via email to get help to apply for these Energy Prizes:  

 

Community Power Accelerator Round 3 Prize - Due  December 17th, 2024

The Community Power Accelerator R3 Prize is designed to fast-track the efforts of new, emerging, and expanding solar developers and codevelopers to grow multiple successful community-benefiting distributed solar projects. 25 teams are each awarded up to $400k.

 

TCU Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize - Due December 4th, 2024

The Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize encourages Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to develop student-led demonstration projects that increase their knowledge on clean energy and food sovereignty on TCU campuses. 30 TCUs can be awarded up to $250k for energy projects. 

 

Join Reneu Energy, Positive Deviancy and the Solar Maverick Podcast for the Winter Solstice Fundraiser

Celebrate the holidays with us at the Winter Solstice Fundraiser, hosted by Reneu Energy, Positive Deviancy, and the Solar Maverick Podcast. This special evening will take place on Wednesday, December 4th, from 6 PM to 10 PM at Hudson Hall in Jersey City, NJ. We'll also be raising funds for the Let's Share the Sun Foundation, which aids impoverished communities in harnessing solar energy. 

Event Highlights:

• Venue: Hudson Hall, a Czech biergarten and smokehouse co-owned by Benoy, CEO of Reneu Energy.
• Time: 6 PM to 10 PM, with an open bar from 6 PM to 8 PM and delicious food throughout the evening.
• Tickets: Early Bird Pricing of $65 per person.  The pricing would be $75 starting on 11/27.   You can RSVP using the link provided below.

Partnership with Grand Stand Sports & Memorabilia: We're excited to partner with Grand Stand Sports & Memorabilia, who will be offering sports memorabilia and experiences for sale. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Let's Share the Sun Foundation.

Sponsorship Opportunities: If you're interested in sponsoring this event and helping make a difference, please contact us at [email protected].

 

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/reneuenergy/1448299

 

 

 

 

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy interviews John Williams, CEO of Virdi.  Virdi designs and builds fail-safe battery energy storage systems with on-demand, affordable power for many different uses.  John speaks about their innovative fail-safe battery technology, the opportunity for energy storage, and his entrepreneurial advice.  Virdi is revolutionizing the way energy is used and stored with commercial-scale lithium-ion-based energy storage systems certified for installation in occupied spaces.

 

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.  

 

John Williams

Jon M. Williams is the CEO of Viridi, a point-of-use energy technology company that is revolutionizing the way energy is stored and used, leading the way to a zero-carbon energy future. Prior to founding Viridi, Jon owned and managed OSC Holdings, Inc. a group of companies in the US and Canada that focused on Environmental Remediation and Redevelopment of former industrial sites.

Jon’s commitment to using the power of business to address the interconnected systems of economic inequality, environmental degradation, and climate change was inspired by his hometown, Niagara Falls, New York. The many abandoned factories there served as reminders of Western New York’s rich history as a thriving manufacturing center for the world and of the devastation to lives and land caused by their abandonment. Most of all, these empty factory towns motivated Jon to help bring them back to life in a way that serves everyone who lives there. 

 

 Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

 

John Williams

Website:  https://viridiparente.com/

Email:  [email protected]

 

We would like to thank Positive Deviancy for sponsoring this episode of the podcast.

Jade Garrett, founder of Positive Deviancy, is a Power Connector for the DOE’s American-Made Program. Since 2018, Positive Deviancy has helped over 400 teams access $14 million in innovation funding from the American-Made Challenges. 

 

Email:  [email protected]

Website:  www.PositiveDeviancy.com/ 

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadegarrett/ 

 

Contact Jade directly via email to get help to apply for these Energy Prizes:  

 

Community Power Accelerator Round 3 Prize - Due  December 17th, 2024

The Community Power Accelerator R3 Prize is designed to fast-track the efforts of new, emerging, and expanding solar developers and codevelopers to grow multiple successful community-benefiting distributed solar projects. 25 teams are each awarded up to $400k.

 

TCU Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize - Due December 4th, 2024

The Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize encourages Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to develop student-led demonstration projects that increase their knowledge on clean energy and food sovereignty on TCU campuses. 30 TCUs can be awarded up to $250k for energy projects. 

 

Join Reneu Energy, Positive Deviancy and the Solar Maverick Podcast for the Winter Solstice Fundraiser

Celebrate the holidays with us at the Winter Solstice Fundraiser, hosted by Reneu Energy, Positive Deviancy, and the Solar Maverick Podcast. This special evening will take place on Wednesday, December 4th, from 6 PM to 10 PM at Hudson Hall in Jersey City, NJ. We'll also be raising funds for the Let's Share the Sun Foundation, which aids impoverished communities in harnessing solar energy. 

Event Highlights:

• Venue: Hudson Hall, a Czech biergarten and smokehouse co-owned by Benoy, CEO of Reneu Energy.
• Time: 6 PM to 10 PM, with an open bar from 6 PM to 8 PM and delicious food throughout the evening.
• Tickets: Early Bird Pricing of $65 per person.  The pricing would be $75 starting on 11/27.   You can RSVP using the link provided below.

Partnership with Grand Stand Sports & Memorabilia: We're excited to partner with Grand Stand Sports & Memorabilia, who will be offering sports memorabilia and experiences for sale. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Let's Share the Sun Foundation.

Sponsorship Opportunities: If you're interested in sponsoring this event and helping make a difference, please contact us at [email protected].

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/reneuenergy/1448299

 

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy and his co-host Nate Jovanelly, CEO of Sunraise Capital, speak about how the renewable energy industry would be impacted by the US Presidential Election.

 

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.

 

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

 

Nathan Jovanelly

SunRaise Capital Website:  https://www.sunraisecapital.com/

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/natejov/

 

 

Nate’s other interviews on the Solar Maverick Podcast

SMP 166: Residential Solar Trends

https://solarmaverick.podbean.com/e/smp-166-residential-solar-trends/

 

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 Positive Deviancy for sponsoring this episode of the podcast.

 

Jade Garrett, founder of Positive Deviancy, is a Power Connector for the DOE’s American-Made Program. Since 2018, Positive Deviancy has helped over 400 teams access $14 million in innovation funding from the American-Made Challenges. 

 

Email:  [email protected]

Website:  www.PositiveDeviancy.com/ 

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jadegarrett/ 

 

Contact Jade directly via email to get help to apply for these Energy Prizes:  

 

Community Power Accelerator Round 3 Prize - Due  December 17th, 2024

The Community Power Accelerator R3 Prize is designed to fast-track the efforts of new, emerging, and expanding solar developers and codevelopers to grow multiple successful community-benefiting distributed solar projects. 25 teams are each awarded up to $400k.

 

TCU Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize - Due December 4th, 2024

The Energy and Food Sovereignty Nexus Prize encourages Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) to develop student-led demonstration projects that increase their knowledge on clean energy and food sovereignty on TCU campuses. 30 TCUs can be awarded up to $250k for energy projects. 

 

Join Reneu Energy, Positive Deviancy and the Solar Maverick Podcast for the Winter Solstice Fundraiser

Celebrate the holidays with us at the Winter Solstice Fundraiser, hosted by Reneu Energy, Positive Deviancy, and the Solar Maverick Podcast. This special evening will take place on Wednesday, December 4th, from 6 PM to 10 PM at Hudson Hall in Jersey City, NJ. We'll also be raising funds for the Let's Share the Sun Foundation, which aids impoverished communities in harnessing solar energy. 

Event Highlights:

• Venue: Hudson Hall, a Czech biergarten and smokehouse co-owned by Benoy, CEO of Reneu Energy.
• Time: 6 PM to 10 PM, with an open bar from 6 PM to 8 PM and delicious food throughout the evening.
• Tickets: Early Bird Pricing of $65 per person.  The pricing would be $75 starting on 11/27.   You can RSVP using the link provided below.

Partnership with Grand Stand Sports & Memorabilia: We're excited to partner with Grand Stand Sports & Memorabilia, who will be offering sports memorabilia and experiences for sale. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Let's Share the Sun Foundation.

Sponsorship Opportunities: If you're interested in sponsoring this event and helping make a difference, please contact us at [email protected].

 

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/reneuenergy/1448299

 

Nate was referring to SolarWakeup which is daily email newsletter about the major events in the solar industry.  The link is below.

https://www.solarwakeup.com/subscribe-2/

 

 

 

 

Welcome to our biweekly Renewable Energy Briefing called the League! Stay informed on the latest industry trends. Join us for a comprehensive analysis that combines expert commentary with up-to-the-minute news, offering you a strategic overview of the renewable energy market. Don't miss out on the crucial details that can impact your investment decisions. Tune in weekly for your essential dose of Renewable Energy insights!

Episode #14 Briefing Highlights:

 

• Impressions from the biggest ever RE+ including:

 

• The rise of stand-alone storage

 

• Grid connectivity challenges with aged infrastructure

 

• Growth vs Demand

 

• New England ISO delaying their implementation of FERC 2023

 

• Market feedback on the NYISO's new transitional cluster study application process

 

If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected].

Welcome to our weekly Renewable Energy Briefing! Stay informed on the latest industry trends. Join us for a comprehensive analysis that combines expert commentary with up-to-the-minute news, offering you a strategic overview of the renewable energy market. Don't miss out on the crucial details that can impact your investment decisions. Tune in weekly for your essential dose of Renewable Energy insights! Episode #13 Briefing Highlights:

• Loan guarantee issued by the DOE to QCells for their 3.3GW module facility to be constructed in Georgia

• LS Power closed on an oversubscribed 2.7 billion fund

• Sunpower has filed for bankruptcy due to depressed residential solar demand

• Grid Scale BESS given a spotlight article in The Economist.

• IEA forecasts that BESS will need to increase from 200GW to 1TW by the end of this decade

If you have any questions or comments, email us at [email protected].