Suncast

This is Episode 22 of SunCast, and Episode 4 in the Latam Founders Series, which is being brought to you through a special collaboration with Enphase Energy. Today on SunCast, you'll meet Maximo Torres, founder of Maximo Solar in Puerto Rico, along with his GM, Jonattan Martir.  Today's episode was actually recorded live in Las Vegas during the annual Solar Power Int'l conference. I call Maximo the Solar philosopher, and it's true.  He has an infectious passion for solar, and it's no surprise that his company is one of the strongest in the Puerto Rico market. There are some real goodies in here, so take some time to listen intently, as we discuss: Choosing between the large utility-scale markets, C&I or Residential The importance of having a growth mindset, and the resulting view on competition The value of being extremely customer-centric One internal tool they've used multiple times to expand beyond their current product offering into profitable new segments The two most important people in a solar co

Bienvenidos and Welcome to Episode 21 of SunCast, and Episode 3 in the Latam Founders Series, which is being brought to you through a special collaboration with Enphase Energy.  Today we have a slight departure from the usual format.  No, it's not in Spanish like last week's episode, but it also doesn't follow the typical question flow I've used in the first 20 episodes. In prep for the interviews in this series, I asked my friend Luis over at Enphase if there was anyone on his team who was able to articulate well the challenges they come across in the field, especially from the perspective of financing for C&I customers.  He pointed me to Jake Hoppe.  And after you hear today's conversation, you'll understand why.  I was originally going to use my call with Jake just to backfill with some soundbites on the episodes (like Episode 17 with Jose Zambrano) as a way to provide a third voice explaining some of the intricacies of financing C&I deals.  But after I heard the interview again, I knew it was plen

Bienvenidos and Welcome to Episode 20 of SunCast, and Episode 2 in the Latam Founders Series, which is being brought to you through a special collaboration with Enphase Energy.  If you didn’t have a chance to hear the setup episode last week, go back and check out Episode 16, as I speak with Luis Morales at Enphase about why we wanted to collaborate on this specific series of conversations. As you may have noticed in the show title - today’s episode, and several others in the series, is completely in Spanish, si, totalmente en espanol.  One of the ideas I'm exploring with Enphase's support is whether there is an audience for our content in Spanish.  So, if you don't speak or understand Spanish, you’ll want to key in on the [ES] in the show title, just like today's which let’s you know ahead of time - they're totally in Spanish. If that is you, and you don’t speak Spanish - have no fear, b/c I’ll also be releasing some minisodes like the one I did this past Wednesday with Rod Barfield.  The content will vary,

A few weeks ago we published Episode 15 with my friend Rodrigo Barfield of Long Light Energy.  Last year in 2016, he had moved back to Brazil to run his new company, and we discussed his thoughts on the market. As with many startups, things don’t always go as planned, and I hinted at the end of the show that Rod had an update pending. In this episode of SunCast, we have a follow-up call with Rodrigo.  While he is still actively developing business in Brazil, he has made the decision to return to the US. Today we discuss Rod’s thoughts on the state of Brazil in 2017, what it would take for the market to be "ready" for his project pipeline, as well as why he believes the US market is hotter than ever, especially for DG finance. As always, If you like what you hear, please SHARE it!

In this episode of SunCast, you'll meet Manan Parikh of GTM Research.  Many of you already know who Manan is, but, for the uninitiated, Manan is the analyst at GTM who authors their quarterly Latam PV Playbook - basically the bible on all-things-solar for latin america from market size and potential, to who, specifically, is doing what in each region.  I love catching up with Manan, as he always has his finger on the pulse of what's hot in the region.  And this week he's fresh off publishing the latest quarterly report.   In today’s episode, Manan shares his predictions for markets like Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and more.  You'll want to listen to all 60 minutes of this interview, as Manan is one of the industry experts on where the market is trending and what to look out for. He gets into specific detail about Argentina right out of the gate (the entire first 10 minutes!), so you'll want to tune in if you're at all curious whether that market will meet expectations for the Year of Renewable Energy t

In this episode of SunCast, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Jose Zambrano, Founder & CEO of Galt Energy, one of Mexico’s fastest growing residential and commercial solar installers.  This is the inaugural episode of the "Latam Founders Series", and I really think it’s a great example of the kinds of entrepreneurs we’re seeing arise in the solar industry throughout Latam.  Galt and Jose are emblematic of solid fundamentals, great leadership, and being out ahead of what we believe will be a massive wave of solar growth in Mexico.   In today’s episode, Jose and I dig into exactly how Galt has become one of the fastest growing solar companies in Mexico, maybe in Latin America. It's impressive to see how they’ve built such a successful system to scale the company, and he shares the tools and mindset that have helped them get to this stage in their growth. He even shares the secret hiring tip that took their system failures down to zero. If you've ever wondered how to start and scale a distributed solar

In this episode of SunCast, I'd like to introduce you to my friend, Luis Morales, Head of Latin America for Enphase Energy.  For the last year, Luis and I have been in discussions about an idea that is now bearing fruit in the form of this special Series of interviews we're calling the "Latam Founders Series".  I have spent the last 6 months meeting with or interviewing some of the Enphase customers who are growing the fastest not only in their own countries but in the Latam Region and have taken often innovative approaches to both technology and financing to do so. The thesis is this: If you're building a business you're a maverick. If that business is in the growing but still extremely small niche of solar power, in Latin America, and beyond that, you've done in-depth analysis of cutting-edge technology like Enphase sufficient to standardize (and scale) around it as you grow, there's a chance you have an interesting story to tell. NB: There are 6 episodes (presently) in the series - FOUR of them will be com

015: Brazil is on the rise, with Rodrigo Barfield of Long Light Energy A 2015 Financial Times article says, “Brazil is mired in its worst recession since the 1930’s, but entrepreneurs know how to find opportunities.”  That sentiment is pervasive in the booming Brazilian solar market; despite economic turmoil, sky-high interest rates and fluctuating exchange rates, the Brazilian solar market grew to more than 72MW of interconnected DG systems! Last year, I sat down with my friend Rodrigo because I was really interested in better understanding the Brazil market.  He had just moved back to Brazil to run his new company, so I reached out and we chatted for a bit about what’s going on down there. This is part of what I’m calling The Founders Series, stories from entrepreneurs on the front lines of solar in Latin America. In this episode of SunCast, you'll meet Rodrigo Barfield of Long Light Energy.  Rod has had quite an interesting career from the World Bank and private equity in SE Asia to building Real Infrastru

This episode of SunCast features a discussion with Matthew Harris of Solar Energy International (SEI). Matthew is the Program Manager for SEI’s Spanish-language solar training program, and he’s has been with SEI for over ten years (!), involved in many aspects of their mission of providing industry-leading technical training and expertise in renewable energy to empower people, communities, and businesses worldwide. Matthew has led the development of the Spanish training program for the last 4 years with a focus on Latin America, now boasting over 1000 students and counting.  In today’s episode, we discuss State of the Industry for solar training in Latam Training standards across the region and the need for further advocacy SEI’s innovative partnership model that’s led to relationships with industry titans like First Solar leading their training efforts in Chile In-person vs Online and the future of integrated learning And lastly, we get into one little practice You could be implementing that would boost your

Episode 013: Alvaro Garcia on building trust relationships This episode of SunCast continues our discussion with Alvaro Garcia of X-Elio, a Gestamp subsidiary. Alvaro has built one of the most significant solar projects to-date in Mexico, the 40MW Aura Solar project, and he’s got 3 years of experience there as an expat building 2 different companies.  We dig into stories from Aura, getting buy-in from regulators, the future of C&I as well as resi in Mexico, and finally how Alvaro starts each day on the right foot.  Alvaro is a wellspring of info, and this episode is short but very sweet.

This episode of SunCast features Alvaro Garcia of X-Elio, a Gestamp subsidiary.  Alvaro has the distinction of being chosen, during his Martifer Solar days, as the EPC for the first Utility-scale project ever financed and built in Mexico - the Aura Solar project in Baja California.  And as an ex-pat living in Mexico for more than 5 yrs now, he has some interesting insights into doing business within the confines of the Mexican “economy”.  You’ll be surprised to hear what he says about corruption.  We discuss the value of hiring local, the key roles to fill in your solar startup, and this year’s Mexico solar auctions.  If you’re curious at all about how to develop solar in Mexico, today’s show should scratch your itch.

This episode of SunCast continues our discussion with Karin Berardo of M+W Group. Karin has been a pioneer in solar through her involvement with MuniMae’s MMA Renewables, Cleanpath, and now M+W Group’s global expansion.  In this Episode, we dive into the dynamics of working for a 100 yr old company in a low-margin game, keeping your mind fresh and informed, and how to prioritize and do the right things as a company and individual for maximum impact.  We chat about EPC differentiation, organizing your thoughts, managing a company of 7000 individuals, and which markets she thinks are Hot or Not.  This is a fun conversation, and Karin dispels loads of wisdom. 

This episode of SunCast features Karin Berardo of M+W Group.  Karin has been a pioneer in a number of ways in the solar industry, being involved in what was one of the first companies in the US to finance large-scale solar using a Power Purchase Agreement.  She's now heading up international expansion for M+W and we cover her broad-ranging experience from Brazil to Mexico as well as what it takes to finance a solar project today.

Host Nico Johnson and ABB Global Manager of Microgrids, Pablo Astorga.  Join in as Nico and Pablo discuss the global microgrid market. We talk about definition of microgrid, where microgrids are growing, projections for the global microgrid markets and more.  Pablo has had a nearly decade-long career at ABB, and is leading the effort at ABB to address what could soon be a fast-growing market which is often at the bleeding edge of power delivery and technology development. We really hope you get massive value from this next episode of SunCast!

008: Jeff Atkin Host Nico Johnson and Foley & Lardner Partner, Jeff Atkin.  Join in as Nico and Jeff discuss how their mutual time serving in volunteerism in Latin America (in particular, Guatemala) has informed their professional decisions. We talk about the Horus solar project in Guatemala, one which Jeff’s team at Foley was responsible for structuring; if you’re unfamiliar with this project, it was the first major tender-awarded and utility-scale project in Central America, and it’s one of the largest in the region now at about 75MW AC. Jeff gives his opinion on lessons learned from that project, and what he admired about the way the developer approached the project with the end in mind. We discuss the power of initiative, and how he leveraged the power of a large organization to gain traction in an emerging industry, and subsequently, how Jeff has differentiated Foley among the pool of international firms that have a Latin America focus. And, Jeff confirms the not-so-secret fact that the “wealthy fami

Host Nico Johnson does a solo round this week providing a recap of the past few weeks episodes that constitutes the SunCast launch.  We take a look at 4 tips for positioning yourself as (or finding) a good local partner in Latin America.  And Nico discusses some of the ways he looks at planning for the new year as well as the main tool he uses to keep it all straight - meditation!  We believe today’s episode is value-packed, and trust you will too.

Host Nico Johnson and SolaireDirect Managing Director for Mexico & Central America, Lamberto Camacho.  Join in as Nico and Lamberto discuss the similarities of International development between Africa and Latin America, and go deep on how Lamberto positioned SolaireDirect to win the Panama Solar PV Tender last year.  Lamberto has been involved in solar development for a decade, and has personally developed >200MW of projects on 3 continents.  Nico pulls a lot of tips and insights out of Lamberto to share with the SunCast audience, so listen carefully and probably multiple times, as they discuss Mexico, Central America and the regional differences that a good developer has to consider in market development. We really hope you get massive value from this next episode of SunCast!

Host Nico Johnson takes some time today in this first Question and Answer episode to respond to some questions received from the audience the past few weeks.   There are a lot of requests for whether the show will ever be in Spanish.  The short answer is "maybe" and "it depends".  Nico unpacks it a bit further. In our inaugural episode, there was quite a bit of data and market trend info shared between Nico and Adam James, and many really enjoyed this style approach for the show.  We'll definitely be bringing more of this back, but Adam is moving on from his role at GTM, so the recordings have necessarily been put on the back burner as he makes this transition. Conferences are an important way to gain exposure to the players in any specific region, and Latin America is no different.  Nico's been to, and spoken at most of the regional conferences, and takes some time here to highlight what he sees working. A common hurdle for someone entering into a new market is determining where and with whom they should par

Host Nico Johnson and sPower VP for Latin America, Edgar Arvizu.  Join in as Nico and Edgar discuss the in-detail one of Edgar’s first projects in the region, the 5MW Puerto Rico Convention Center carport project.  Edgar and his team have developed some of the first and largest solar projects in the region, from Puerto Rico to Peru, and this Mexican-born devleper has a deep understanding of both the development and banking aspects of the business.  In this episode, Edgar touches on the variability of the solar tender process, bankability of solar+storage, and volatility in exchange risk as it pertains to getting a project financed. Edgar is one of those experienced developers with a broad range of expertise whose willing to share what he knows.  I really hope you get massive value from this next episode of SunCast!

Host Nico Johnson meets with Greenwood Energy CEO, Camilo Patrignani, live from Solar Power International 2015.  Join in as Nico and Camilo discuss the hard parts of developing one of the largest private solar PPAs in Latin America.  We also cover the decisions behind Greenwood’s JV with Illios in Mexico, and the art of letting go when your partner is courted by deeper pockets.  Camilo gives a little insight as well into Greenwood’s master plan to pivot away from the Utility markets and move towards what he sees as the burgeoning and more cash-cycle-friendly rooftop distributed generation (DG) markets. Camilo helps us delve into the specific variables that can affect the success of a solar project in latin america, and how to avoid common pitfalls.  I really hope you get massive value from this next episode of SunCast!