Episode Summary
In this episode of Solar Maverick, David Buckner recounts how and why he left the world of finance to start Solar Energy Systems, a full-service solar energy company that has become a leader in the Northeastern solar market. David and Benoy talk about specialization in the solar industry, how to grow as a company in an evolving industry, and what they both love about the solar market.
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.
David Buckner
As a founding member of Solar Energy Systems (SES), David has been with the company since its inception in 1998. His first two years building SES were spent after-hours “moonlighting” on his day job. He’d been a government bonds broker for a Wall Street brokerage firm and enjoyed most of it, but yearned for more diversity in his daily activity, including time outside, and he discovered he loved being up on the roofs. So he quit his Wall Street gig in 2000 to dedicate everything to SES.
Today as President, David does everything from meeting with clients and vendors to taking a delivery if no one is available or if he just needs some exercise. He thinks longevity in the solar industry is an asset: “I’ve seen many ups and downs as the industry has grown from a heavily subsidized start-up to what is increasingly becoming a mature space. I respect the effort it takes to organize people and get projects constructed. And I enjoy developing new opportunities, but it's really about executing for the clients who have already committed to working with us.” He believes that life is a team sport.
David has a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Fordham University and is certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). He was actually one of the first to take and pass the test back when NABCEP began testing in 2004.
David has 5 bikes and 4 BMX scooters — he likes to take clunkers and put minimal cost and effort into making them rideable.
Insights from this episode:
Quotes from the show:
Resources Mentioned:
Long Island Power Authority (LIPA)
Partnership Fund for New York City
City University of New York (CUNY)
Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC)
Stay Connected:
Benoy Thanjan
Email: info@reneuenergy.com
LinkedIn: @bthanjan
Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com
David Buckner
Email: info@solaresystems.com
LinkedIn: David Buckner
Website: Solar Energy Systems
Sponsor:
We would like to thank Schwerd Consulting for sponsoring this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast.
Schwerd Consulting is a leading solar consulting firm dedicated to design, engineering, and owner representation in all areas of solar photovoltaics (PV) for the Commercial & Industrial and Utility markets.
At Schwerd Consulting they like to say that We Know Solar. We don’t just Do Solar. What sets them apart is their 100% focus on solar and understanding the business of their clients.
In its 5 years of business, Schwerd Consulting has provided services for approximately 450 MW of PV across over 330 sites and 15 states plus the Caribbean. That total includes 300MW of completed designs and engineering, and 150MW of consulting and owner rep services.
Let Schwerd Consulting take the burden off you and bring ease and expertise in all areas of Engineering & Design or help you navigate the technical world of solar.
If you are interested in learning more about Schwerd Consulting, you can call 215-219-6718 or email at admin@schwerdconsulting. Schwerd Consulting’s website is www.schwerdconsulting.com.
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This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)
SMP 39: Why Landowners Should Look at Solar?
SMP 38: Why Commercial & Industrial Building Owners Should Go Solar?
SMP 37: Guest Episode - Making an Impact While Saving the World - Benoy Thanjan on the Create Your Life Series
SMP 36: The State of the Project Finance Market for Solar Energy
SMP 35: Development Capital Funding for Early Stage Solar Projects
SMP 34: The importance of solar estimating in the construction of a solar project
SMP 33: The New York Solar Market
SMP 32: The NJ Solar Market
SMP 31: Why Operations & Maintenance is so important for the useful life of the solar project
SMP 30: How to construct a great solar project
SMP 29: SREC 101
SMP 28: The Virginia Solar Market
SMP 27: How Climate Change has impacted the Economy? The PG&E Example.
SMP 26: A Developer's Perspective on the US Solar Market
SMP 25: Unique Customer Acquisition and Financing Solutions for the Commercial Energy Market
SMP 24: 2019 US Solar and Energy Storage Discussion and Solar Opportunity Zone Investment
SMP 23: Community Solar 101 with Suzanne Waters
SMP 22: US Solar Module Market Discussion and Female Entrepreneur’s Perspective with Lauren Carson
SMP 21: An Investor's Perspective on the US Solar Market
SMP 20: The Solar Intrapreneur Story: How Nate helped IGS become one of the biggest solar asset owners in the US
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