SMP 147: RE+ Conference Takeaways

Solar Maverick Podcast

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Nathan Jovanelly who is the owner of Jovanelly LLC and the CEO and Founder of SunRaise Capital. Nate and Benoy speak about Takeaways from RE+ in Las Vegas in September. RE+ is the biggest renewable energy trade show in the world with over 43,000 people who attended this past year.

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

Jovanelly LLC is a problem solver in the solar industry. Nathan, the CEO, has a proven track record of simplifying complex issues and helping solar companies:

Develop business strategies and tactics to gain a competitive advantage;

Connect to affiliates, partnerships, and vendors to scale faster;

Gain access to project and growth capital;

Increase market share through operational efficiency; and

Coach and mentor sales leadership.

We are not just another consulting firm. Jovanelly LLC works side by side with your team to identify the gaps that are holding you back from reaching your business goals. We develop an implementable plan structured to optimize your current resources, and stick with you all the way through completion. We become part of your team and are invested in your success. Jovanelly LLC focuses on helping your company reach its full potential; making your solar business limitless.

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.

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [e-mail]

LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

Nathan Jovanelly

Email: [e-mail]

Website: https://jovanelly.io/

Limitless Podcast: https://jovanelly.io/limitless-podcast

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

Nate’s other interviews on the Solar Maverick Podcast

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

Reneu Energy and Solar Maverick Podcast Holiday Fundraiser

Reneu Energy and the Solar Maverick Podcast are having their Holiday Fundraiser and Networking Event on Tuesday, December 5th, 2023 from 6pm to 10pm at Hudson Hall in Jersey City, NJ.

Hudson Hall is a Czech Biergarten and Smokehouse. Benoy who is the CEO of Reneu Energy and host of Solar Maverick Podcast is one of the owners.

It is $64 to attend. The Admission Fee goes to two charities that we are fundraising at the event which are Let's Share the Sun Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club and covering our expenses for the event. Appetizers will be served.

We will be partnering with Grand Stand Sports & Memorabilia. They will be selling memorabilia proceeds will go to charities.

At our last two events, we raised $1,450 for the Boys & Girls Club and $1,450 for Let's Share the Sun Foundation. We are raising money for both charities at this event.

If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please email Reneu Energy at [e-mail].

The eventbrite link is below.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reneu-energy-solar-maverick-podcast-holiday-fundraiser-networking-event-tickets-739318971947?aff=oddtdtcreator

We would like to thank our sponsors for the holiday fundraiser which is Summit Ridge Energy and SolaREIT.

Summit Ridge Energy is the nation’s leading commercial solar company. Through its strategic partnerships and project financing expertise, the company develops, acquires, owns, and operates energy projects within the rapidly growing commercial solar and battery storage sectors.

In the past six years, Summit Ridge Energy has deployed over $1.6B USD into cleanenergy assets. With a development pipeline of more than 2 GW, Summit Ridge Energy will have more than 400 MW of PV online by the end of 2023, providing solar power to 50,000 homes and businesses. Learn more at srenergy.com and connect with us on LinkedIn.

SolaREIT, based in Vienna, Virginia, focuses on making investments in acquiring, developing, and managing climate-friendly real estate assets that support solar and battery storage projects, furthering the transformation to a low-carbon economy. SolaREIT offers practical and streamlined financing options that deliver maximum flexibility to developers, project owners and landowners based on their individual needs and financial goals. SolaREIT’s products include land purchases, solar and storage land loans, and lease purchases among other innovative solutions for clients. For more information, please visit www.solareit.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

We would like to thank our sponsor NYSEIA for this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast.

Founded in 1994, New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA) is the only statewide membership and trade association dedicated solely to advancing solar energy use in New York State.

NYSEIA proudly represents hundreds of businesses across New York that employ thousands of workers throughout the solar value chain. Led by its active board of directors, NYSEIA strives to achieve significant, long-term, and sustainable growth of solar energy for New York State.

Founded in 1994, New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA) is the only statewide membership and trade association dedicated solely to advancing solar energy use in New York State.

NYSEIA proudly represents hundreds of businesses across New York that employ thousands of workers throughout the solar value chain. Led by its active board of directors, NYSEIA strives to achieve significant, long-term, and sustainable growth of solar energy for New York State.

If you are interested in learning more about NYSEIA, their website is https://www.nyseia.org/.