Interconnection: Renewable Energy USA
Welcome to Megawatt Recruitment’s monthly newsletter to keep you connected to what’s going on in the renewable energy industry in the United States and provide more insight, knowledge, and connection to the people and companies who drive our industry.
What People Are Talking About
- Stonepeak closed its oversubscribed middle-market infrastructure fund, the Stonepeak Opportunities Fund, at $3.15B focused on communications, transport and logistics, and energy and energy transition assets in North America and Europe.
- New York-based LS Power raised $2.5B for its 5th fund with $1.6B committed to North America.
- Goldman Sachs made a $440 million strategic investment into BrightNight Power, an energy development company that pairs renewable energy with either storage or conventional power to create reliable power that avoids the peakiness traditionally associated with renewable energy.
- UK-based Langley Holdings acquired GKN Hydrogen, an Italian H2 storage and P2P firm, from UK-hq’ed Dowlais Group. GKN has 18 production facilities in Europe and the US (Carlsbad, CA) and over 5,000 employees.
- Chinese inverter manufacturing and BESS integrator, Sungrow Power Supply Co, signed a deal with Spearmint Energy to supply 1+ GWh of BESS for projects in Texas.
- $2.2B in federal grants awarded to 8 projects + $10B in private investment into our grid = 13 GW of clean power added according to Canary media. This is in addition to the $3.5B awarded in Oct 2023 which will allow 35 GW of new clean energy capacity to come online.
- In May, Avangridagreed to be taken private by its parent company, Spanish developer and utility, Iberdrola in a $2.6B all-cash deal.
- Korean company OCI Solarrebranded to OCI Energy to better reflect the company’s goal to develop not only solar energy solutions but also battery energy storage.
- Radial Power, a C&I and DG developer, acquired 22.3 MW of community solar from Galehead Development in New York state.
- Nexamp and Starbucks have partnered to deploy 40+ MW of solar through 6 community solar projects in Illinois with Starbucks as the anchor.
- According to a FERC report, solar accounted for 79% of newly installed power capacity in the U.S. through the end of May 2024 with 251 new installations totaling over 10.5 GW.
- Australian company Redflow which manufactures large-scale flow batteries based on zinc-bromine liquid electrolytes and zinc plating entered into voluntary administration (bankruptcy). It completed a 2MWh C&I project in California, was in process of building a 20MWh project in California, and had a microgrid pilot project through the U.S. DOE.
- A 20MW facility in Wisconsin by Italian company Energy Dome will both capture CO2 from coal and natural gas plants as well as add back-up generation to Alliant Energy’s grid by compressing carbon-dioxide when electricity prices are low and expanding to drive a turbine for electricity production when prices are high, is one of the newest “battery” technologies.
- BOEM gave the go-ahead for offshore wind lease sales off the coast of Oregon which should be open for bidding later this year.
Recent Personnel Moves and Promotions
RWE Clean Energy appointed Kevin Kroll as COO for the USA, based in Austin, TX. He joined from McKinsey & Company where he was a Partner in the Global Renewable Energy business and Energy Transition leader.
Solar tracking company FTC Solar welcomed Yann Brandt as its new CEO from FlexGen, an energy storage and ESS technology provider, where he was Chief Commercial Officer.
Joseph Fiori joined EDP Renewables as Head of Business Development & Sales from Nexamp where he was VP of Energy Sales based in Boston.
Trail Ridge Power gained a new VP of Development Engineering with the addition of Lucas Titolo, formerly VP of Engineering with Solar Landscape.
Kelly Trahan’s new job is General Counsel for Sol Source Power, formerly a partner at Shipman & Goodwin LLP in Stamford, CT. Also joining Sol Source Power are Ashely Fletcher as Civil Engineering Manager and J. Tucker Ozburn as Director of Interconnection.
Global real estate company CBRE hired Harrison Palmer as Director of Engineering from Tesla where he was a Design Lead for Charging Infrastructure.
Solar distributor Soligent hired Justin Kohrs, based in Bedford, TX, as Regional Sales Manager from Milwaukee Tool where he was Regional Manager for the South
Industry veteran Hayley Karicofe-Manning joined Voltus, a DER platform and VPP operator, as Director of Sales, previously with Novitium, A National Energy Partners Company, where she was a Solar Consultant.
Camelot Energy Group, a solar technical advisory firm, brought on two new team members: Lynn Appollis-Laurent as Director of Owner’s Engineering and Mark Warner as Project Manager on the Owner’s Engineering Team.
EDF Renewables hired Kristinko Mato as Project Developer for the Northeast and Canada from Sustainable Finger Lakes where he was a Field Project Coordinator.
Brendan Smith joined the Connecticut Green Bank as Battery Energy Storage Subject Matter Expert from Environmental Systems Corporation where he was Field Project Coordinator.
Departing NovaSource, one of the U.S.’s largest O&M providers for utility-scale solar is Garett McDermid, who joined Trimark Associates as Engineering Project Manager.
Aygul Sanzyapova joined Jefferies as VP of Energy Transition Investment Banking from Marathon Capital where she was VP of Clean Tech and Renewables Investment banking based in NYC.
Glenn Gavi, formerly with DNV as a Data Scientist and Senior Engineer for for Energy Efficiency programs, joined EcoMetric, a demand-side management platform and energy conservation consulting firm, as Senior Managing Consultant, based in Seattle.
Featured Interview: Inside Sinovoltaics
| Inside Sinovoltaics: Zero Risk® Initiatives for Utility-Scale PV and BESS Projects Can you start by telling us about Sinovoltaics’ technical services? Dricus de Rooij (CEO, Sinovoltaics): Absolutely. Sinovoltaics specializes in quality assurance for the solar photovoltaic (PV), battery energy storage system (BESS), and balance of system equipment industries. We provide comprehensive inspection and risk management services under our Zero Risk Solar® initiative. This program leverages our proprietary AI-based electroluminescence technology, SELMA, to inspect 100% of a client’s PV modules for defects such as microcracks before they are shipped. This thorough inspection process ensures that every module delivered is free of defects, significantly reducing the risk of underperformance and increasing the reliability of solar projects. What sets your Zero Risk Solar® services apart from others in the industry? Dricus de Rooij: The key differentiator of our Zero Risk Solar® services is our commitment to 100% inspection. Unlike traditional sampling methods, we inspect every single module, ensuring that no defective products reach our clients. This meticulous process is backed by Munich Re, a leading global insurance company, which allows us to offer a unique quality guarantee. If a warranty claim is filed within three years, we cover costs related to de-assembly, manpower, and logistics. This guarantee is a testament to our confidence in the quality of our inspections and the reliability of the modules we deliver. Do you have any differentiator in the battery storage space? Arthur Claire (Head of Technology, Sinovoltaics): At Sinovoltaics we are always pushing the envelope with respect to how much relevant data we can collect to help our clients have the best-preforming equipment. We are rolling out our latest technology to support our Zero Risk BESS® initiative. We have developed BESSential 100% Module Analysis to detect thermal, electrical, and capacity disbalance during Factory Acceptance Testing. As a software solution, our 100% Module Analysis adds no time to your production but has a huge impact on project safety. How do your services impact the long-term performance and investment returns of utility-scale PV and BESS projects? Arthur Claire: Utility-scale PV and BESS projects often have a lifespan of up to 30 years, but many projects face performance issues that require additional investments to maintain their output. This negatively impacts the internal rate of return (IRR) for stakeholders. Our Zero Risk® services mitigate these risks by ensuring that only high-quality components are used, which helps in maintaining consistent performance over the project’s lifespan. Additionally, our data-driven inspections provide insights and unbiased risk assessments, allowing stakeholders to make informed decisions and secure confidence in their investments. Can you elaborate on the technologies and methodologies you employ to achieve such high standards? Arthur Claire: Our flagship technology, SELMA, uses advanced AI-driven electroluminescence analysis to detect microcracks and other cell-inherent defects that are often missed by traditional inspection methods. Since implementing SELMA in 2020, we’ve inspected over 4 million PV modules, with replacement rates of 1% to 3% at Tier 1 factories, preventing hundreds of thousands of defective modules from being shipped. Additionally, we adhere to rigorous quality standards, being certified to ISO 17020 and ISO 9001, and our team includes CQI/IRCA-accredited and SA8000-certified auditors. These credentials underline our commitment to delivering the highest quality assurance in the industry. How do your core values influence the way Sinovoltaics operates and serves its clients? Dricus de Rooij: Our core values—accountability, expertise, resourcefulness, proactivity, and curiosity—are the foundation of how we operate. They guide our approach to every project, ensuring that we deliver the highest quality PV and BESS components, meet our deadlines, and provide a true quality guarantee. We continuously strive to innovate by incorporating cutting-edge software solutions and staying ahead of the latest techniques in quality assurance. This proactive approach not only helps in creating investor confidence but also ensures that we can guide our clients through the complexities of PV and BESS projects with the latest market intelligence and risk mitigation strategies. What’s next for Sinovoltaics? Dricus de Rooij: We are excited about our expansion into the U.S. market and continuing to support global PV and BESS projects. Our focus remains on delivering Zero Risk Solar® and Zero Risk BESS® solutions that guarantee performance and investor confidence. We are also looking to enhance our technologies further and explore new methods to ensure that our clients always receive the best quality products and services. Our goal is to help our industry achieve sustainable, long-term success with high-performing, reliable solar and storage projects. Towards that goal, I’m thrilled to introduce Rylan Gordon, our new Director of Business Development in the United States. Rylan’s background in material physics and extensive experience in utility-scale solar development make him a perfect fit for our team. He has a deep understanding of photovoltaic fabrication and deployment. Rylan gained invaluable insights into the renewable energy sector through his EPC work across the East Coast. Rylan was drawn to Sinovoltaics for our commitment to unbiased analysis and forward-thinking research, and he is dedicated to solving transparency and quality issues in renewables while shaping the standards of tomorrow. His honest and charismatic leadership will undoubtedly help us build a future of stable, reliable, and sustainable energy infrastructure. He is always enthusiastic about engaging with industry members, so feel free to connect with him on LinkedIn. |
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Thank you for joining us for another issue of Interconnection: Renewable Energy USA. We hope you enjoyed it and we look forward to keeping in touch and exchanging ideas, insights, and opinions. If you are a company considering hiring, we welcome the opportunity to present our services and capabilities. If you are a candidate, please check our jobs page or reach out to us to discuss your background, skills, and future aspirations.