SMP 116: Innovative Financing Solutions for Developers to Own Solar Projects

Episode Summary

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Jim Spano who is the Co-Founder, Head of Originations of Sol-REIT and Mark Settles who is the CEO of Sol-REIT.  Sol-REIT offers long-term, fixed rate debt that matches the operational life of an asset and at a lower cost of capital.  Jim and Mark speak about many interesting topics like how developers can keep more of the value that they created with their solar projects, their innovative financing to help developers own their projects, and energy storage financing.

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. 

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.

Jim Spano

Jim has played a key role in the development of projects totaling over four hundred megawatts in solar generation facilities. Through his leadership, Spano Partners Holdings Companies, a founding joint venture partner of Sol-REIT, has become recognized as one of the top privately-owned utility-scale and commercial and industrial (C&I) solar energy developers and financiers in New Jersey.

Mark Settles

Mark served as an executive coach for senior managers and as a senior executive for JPMorgan Chase & Co. for over 20 years. In his highest profile role at the bank, he reported directly to JPMorgan Chase CEO, Jamie Dimon, as the firm’s Managing Director and Diversity Recruiting Executive. In that role, Mark helped the firm find and develop women and ethnic minorities for senior positions at the bank.

Throughout his banking career, Mark served as the head of various fixed income market product teams and as a specialist in central bank and sovereign reserves management.

Stay Connected:

Benoy Thanjan

Email: [email protected] 

LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan

Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com

Jim Spano

Website:  https://www.sol-reit.com

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-spano-ab43521/

Jim Spano was interviewed on the Solar Maverick Podcast Episode 13: How to develop a great solar project and many other interesting topics about solar and entrepreneurship with Jim Spano from Spano.

The link to the Jim's podcast interview is below.

https://spanopartners.com/podcasts/solar-maverick-podcast/

Mark Settles

Website:  https://www.sol-reit.com

Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-settles-b0a93168/

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