Solarplaza Summit Asset Management North America

Thursday 13 April 2023

Program Day 1

08:00

Registration & Early-Bird Breakfast

60 min.

Get yourself checked in, collect your badge (courtesy of Badge Sponsor SOLV Energy), and grab some breakfast bites!

Session Topics:

09:00

Welcome Remarks by the Chairperson

presentation

15 min.

Lisette Buist

Solarplaza

Session Topics:

SESSION 1

Perspective and Outlook for a Dynamic Solar Landscape

09:15

The Big Picture: The State of Climate Change and Climate Tech

presentation

30 min.

Energy futurist Ramez Naam was one of the first to forecast the decline in the cost of technologies like solar and batteries. Now he gives us the big picture on the state of climate tech globally, and what it means for the solar industry.

Ramez Naam

Planetary VC

Ramez Naam

Climate Tech Investor

Planetary VC

Ramez Naam is the founder and Managing Partner of Planetary.VC, which invests in startups addressing the world’s greatest challenges. Ramez has spent the past decade investing in climate and energy technologies and speaking around the world on the future of energy & climate. He was one of the first to chart the exponential cost declines of clean energy technologies such as solar, batteries, and electric vehicles and to predict that clean energy and transport would become cheaper than fossil fuels. Ramez has served for the last decade as the co-Chair for Energy and Environment at Singularity University where he’s helped spread awareness of these trends and has advised the CEOs and executives of some of the world’s largest energy companies on the energy transition. Ramez is also the award-winning author of 5 books, including the Nexus trilogy of science fiction novels. Ramez spent 13 years at Microsoft, leading teams working on email, internet search, and machine learning. He’s the author of more than 20 patents, several co-invented with Bill Gates.

Session Topics:

Where we are in addressing climate change
The $100 Trillion+ yet to be spent on climate technologies
The 4 main drivers of climate tech adoption
Innovations in new technologies that can aid solar developers and asset managers

09:45

Solar and O&M Market Outlook - Key Facts & Figures

presentation

30 min.

Leila Garcia da Fonseca

Wood Mackenzie

Session Topics:

Reviewing North America’s operational solar capacity
Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) on solar’s future in North America
Preliminary analysis of 2023 growth and development forecasts
Trends in technology deployment and O&M

10:15

Surfing the Wave of Solar Growth and Market Dynamics

panel

45 min.

moderator

Melissa Stark

Accenture

Melissa Stark

Global Lead for Energy Transition Services

Accenture

Melissa is Accenture’s Global Lead for Energy Transition Services, one of Accenture’s fastest growing business areas, with 28 years in the utilities and energy industry. Her team has delivered more than 200 renewable and energy transition projects across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. Melissa has authored more than 50 papers and articles on Clean Energy and Energy Transition. She is a Fellow of the U.K. Energy Institute and Chairs the U.K. Energy Institute’s Electricity Board. She also is a member of U.K. National Grid ESO’s Technology Advisory Council; on the advisory board of The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for a project on UK National Security and the Net Zero Transition, and a member of the U.K. Royal Academy of Engineering’s Net Zero Grid Project Working Group. Melissa is a Fellow of the World Economic Forum and the Project Director for Accenture’s work with the World Economic Forum on System Value, Clean Power and Electrification, Industrial Clusters, Net Zero Carbon Cities, Hydrogen, and Managing Investments in the Clean Energy Transition in Emerging Economies. Melissa was recently appointed by Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm as a new member of the US National Petroleum Council. She previously served as Assistant Chair of Technology for the US National Petroleum Council study, Advancing Technology for America’s Transportation Future. She holds a patent for the “Real-time S-curves” tool that uses science and engineering drivers to estimate the cost evolution of nascent technologies. Melissa has an MBA from Northwestern University and a BSc from the University of California at Berkeley.

Zoe Berkery

CleanCapital

Brian Hayes

EDP Renewables

Brian Hayes

Executive VP, Asset Operations

EDP Renewables

Brian Hayes is the Executive Vice President, Asset Operations of EDP Renewables North America LLC (EDPR NA). Brian leads the Asset Management, Wind and Solar Field Operations, Control Center, High Voltage, Health and Safety, and Transmission & Interconnection departments, overseeing the commercial obligations, operational day-to-day activities, performance of EDPR NA’s operating wind farms and solar parks, performance of EDPR NA’s operating wind and solar power plants, and its interconnection-related processes. Brian joined EDPR NA, then Horizon Wind Energy, in 2006, leading the Performance Analysis and Asset Management teams. Since then, the company’s operating fleet has grown from 500 to nearly 9,000 megawatts (MW). Through this growth, Brian led many commercial resolutions with turbine suppliers for specific technical issues, the development of sophisticated performance analysis tools, and the implementation of many new processes to handle day-to-day operations, offtaker and investor obligations, settlements, budgeting/P&L management activities, and safety practices and regulations (ISO registered). To continue to seek opportunities for efficiency and effectiveness in operations, Brian has led the transition from formerly outsourcing many operational activities to bringing many activities in-house, self-performing High Voltage, turbine, and PV solar work. Currently, EDPR NA self-performs maintenance on more than 3,000 MW. Recently, Brian gained responsibility for the Transmission & Interconnection Department where he and the team are working to move EDPR NA to a transmission-led developer to enable efficient development prospecting that results in significant growth opportunities.

David Hochschild

California Energy Commission

David Hochschild

Chair

California Energy Commission

David Hochschild was appointed chair of the California Energy Commission by Governor Gavin Newsom in February 2019. He fills the environmental position on the five-member Commission. Chair Hochschild's career has spanned public service, environmental advocacy, and the private sector. He first got involved in the solar energy field in 2001 in San Francisco as a special assistant to Mayor Willie Brown where Chair Hochschild launched a citywide $100 million initiative to put solar panels on public buildings. He also cofounded the Vote Solar Initiative, a 60,000-member advocacy organization promoting solar policies at the local, state, and federal levels. He was executive director of a national consortium of leading solar manufacturers and worked for five years at Solaria, a solar company in Silicon Valley. From 2007 to 2008, he served as a commissioner at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. For his work to advance clean energy, Chair Hochschild was awarded the Sierra Club's Trailblazer Award, the American Lung Association's Clean Air Hero Award, and the U.S. Department of Energy's Million Solar Roof True Champion Award. Chair Hochschild holds a bachelor of arts from Swarthmore College and a master of public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He also was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs.

Darrin Russell

EDF Renewables North America

Session Topics:

Managing and operating solar assets under new circumstances
Reviewing the opportunities and challenges related to the Inflation and Reduction Act
Taking advantage of hybrid opportunities
Bottlenecks in developing and connecting the US project pipeline of 1 TW renewable power

11:00

Networking Break

Session Topics:

11:00

Workforce Development Strategies

45 min.

Think Tank Session - Turning Key Challenges into Key Opportunities

This interactive session is designed for you to brainstorm in small groups and create best strategies to tackle some of the most pressing topics in the solar industry.

moderator

ShaLonda Dwight

SOLV Energy

ShaLonda Dwight

Talent Acquisition Manager

SOLV Energy

ShaLonda Dwight is an inspiring leader within the People Operations department at SOLV Energy. As Talent Acquisition Manager, ShaLonda develops and implements strategies to recruit and hire talented candidates that align with SOLV Energy’s long-term goals. She also leads the company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program and oversees the initiatives of the RESOLVE DEI Council. Prior to joining SOLV Energy, ShaLonda worked as a Talent Acquisition Manger at ADT where she directly led and developed a team of seven recruiters and two staffing coordinators across five locations. She was also a Diversity Programs Manager at U.S. Cellular Corporation where she acted as key relationship manager for external community partnerships by growing and developing networking connections that served company business objectives. ShaLonda was honored as a HR All-Star at ADT in 2019. She also received a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification by Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). ShaLonda holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Business Management from Robert Morris University.

moderator

Linda Drews

SOLV Energy

Alison Adams

SOLV Energy

Session Topics:

How to navigate labour shortage in a fast-growing industry?

SESSION 2A - Asset Management

Reinforcing the Foundation of Solar

11:45

Managing Solar Assets in the IRA Era

panel

45 min.

moderator

Alex Kaplan

S&P Global Commodity Insights

Will Troppe

Power Factors

Manish Nayar

OYA Renewables

Jaime Carlson

SB Energy (USA)

Jaime Carlson

Head of Commercialization and Market Risk

SB Energy (USA)

Jaime Carlson is head of Commercialization and Market Risk at SB Energy, a climate infra-tech platform backed by Softbank and Ares Capital to develop high capacity solar and storage across the US. Prior to SB Energy, Jaime was Executive Vice President of Operations at Cypress Creek Renewables and Global Director of Finance at SunEdison’s TerraForm Group. Jaime also led M&A in the Americas for Rentech, Inc., a Blackstone-backed $550MM revenue natural resource company. Jaime served in President Obama’s first term as an advisor for finance and operations to former Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. During her three years, Jaime directly oversaw the deployment of over $35B in Recovery Act funds. Bloomberg New Energy Finance named her one of the country’s thought-leaders in Alternative Energy. Jaime received an MBA and MEM from Yale University and a BS from Tufts University. She is currently a Yale University alumni board member, Friends of the LA River board member, Aspen Institute scholar, advisor to UCLA’s Institute for Environment and Sustainability, and Truman National Security Project fellow.

Alison Engelhardt

U.S. Bank

Session Topics:

Challenges with new scale of demand
(Bonus) opportunities for solar deployment
The IRA's support of new technologies

12:30

Tax Equity in the IRA Era

panel

45 min.

moderator

Hilary Lefko

Norton Rose Fulbright

Hilary Lefko

Partner

Norton Rose Fulbright

Hilary Lefko is a Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright’s Washington D.C. office. She focuses her practice on all areas of federal income tax law, with a particular emphasis on tax controversy and renewable energy tax issues. She represents developers and investors in various energy and renewable energy projects, including transactions involving section 45 production tax credits, section 48 investment tax credits, and other renewable energy incentives. Most recently, Hilary has been advising clients on the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. She also advises US and foreign Tax planning for non-US businesses of US companies, offshore funds, domestic and international project finance and a variety of US inbound international business transactions. Earlier in her career, Hilary served as an aide to Senator Joseph I. Lieberman and to Congressman Cal Dooley. Hilary frequently represents purchasers and sellers of ownership interests in single renewables projects and portfolios of renewables projects. She also advises US and foreign Tax planning for non-US businesses of US companies, offshore funds, domestic and international project finance and a variety of US inbound international business transactions.

Gary Durden

CRC-IB

Gary Durden

Partner and Managing Director

CRC-IB

Gary is a Partner and Managing Director with CohnReznick Capital, based in the New York office. He provides transaction management and advisory services for clients in the sustainable energy sector, including corporate M&A, capital raises, and structured finance solutions for wind, solar, and battery storage projects. Gary has closed equity investments in over 5GW of utility-scale and C&I wind and solar projects, including tax equity, cash equity, and sale lease-back transactions. Gary was previously a Senior Vice President at GE Energy Financial Services, where he led deal teams in the structuring, diligence, and negotiation of investments in renewable energy projects in the US and Canada. Prior to GE EFS, Gary worked at Standard & Poor’s, developing models used by commercial banks for assessing the credit risk of C&I companies. Earlier in his career, Gary served as an officer in the United States Navy, supervising the operation of nuclear reactor plants on aircraft carriers and teaching college-level classes to university students enrolled in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps. Gary is a CFA charter holder and earned an MBA from Villanova University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with Highest Honors from the University of Florida.

William Lee

Reunion

Kristine Sinclair

DNV

Session Topics:

Tax credit extensions and bonuses: Implications for solar financing, development and management
Transferability of tax credits: a potential solution to the short supply of traditional third-party tax equity
When ITC versus PTC makes sense
Interplay between PTC on solar and ITC on co-located storage

SESSION 2B - O&M

Reinforcing the Foundation of Solar

11:45

Operating & Maintaining Assets in the IRA Era

panel

45 min.

moderator

Erin Kivlehan

Clenera

Reegan Moen

SOLV Energy

Chioma Enechukwu

Madison Energy Infrastructure

Jared Kirk

Cypress Creek Solutions

Session Topics:

IRA’s impact on O&M contracts
Changing operations commitments on PTC funded assets
Effects of the IRA’s prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements

12:30

Diversifying the O&M and AM Workforce

panel

45 min.

moderator

Amanda Bybee

Amicus O&M Cooperative

Amanda Bybee

CEO

Amicus O&M Cooperative

Ms. Bybee has worked in the solar industry since 2003, first promoting renewable energy policy in Austin, TX while at Public Citizen, and then at Meridian Energy Systems, before finding her home at Namasté Solar. Ms. Bybee joined Namasté Solar in January 2006 as an early member of the team and held numerous roles over her 11 years, from technical sales & design to business development. While there, she worked to obtain a federal charter for a unique financial institution that funds clean energy products and services: Clean Energy Credit Union (www.cleanenergycu.org). This was only the 17th federal charter issued since 2010, and the first in the state of Colorado for over 30 years. She continues to serve as a volunteer on the Supervisory Committee of the credit union. Additionally, in 2016, she helped earn an award from the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative to found the Amicus O&M Cooperative (www.AmicusOM.com). The O&M Cooperative brings together a network of providers across the country to provide coordinated services for geographically distributed portfolios. She now serves as its CEO, and is committed to the mission “to ensure that solar PV fulfills its promise as a responsible and reliable energy source, for generations to come.” She obtained a BA in English and French from the University of Texas at Austin, and through solar, has found her “inner engineer.”

Cynthia Finley

IREC (Interstate Renewable Energy Council)

Sean Bucher

BayWa r.e. AG

Sean Bucher

Director of ROCC & Engineering

BayWa r.e. AG

Sean Bucher leads BayWa r.e. Operation Services’ centralized operations functions, consisting of the Renewable Energy Remote Operations Control Center (ROCC), Performance Engineering and Operations Technology (OT) teams. Sean has over 10 years of utility scale operations experience where he has held numerous leadership roles including Control Center Operations, Field O&M, Maintenance Planning, Engineering, and more. As part of his leadership experience, he has focused on building and implementing training, development and progression plans to enable the success of teams and individuals from varied backgrounds. As someone passionate about diversity, he also has had the opportunity to lead DEI focused Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and helping to cultivate welcoming and inclusive workplaces. Sean holds an MBA from Kogod School of Business at American University, a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Studies from Neumann University, and an Associate of Specialized Technology degree in Power Plant Technology from Williamson College of the Trades.

Anna Bautista

GRID Alternatives

Kamecia Mason

McCarthy Building Companies

Kamecia Mason

VP, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

McCarthy Building Companies

Kamecia Mason serves as McCarthy’s Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion overseeing the firm’s national internal inclusion and external supplier diversity strategy and implementation. Starting out in her career in the A/E/C industry on the sales and marketing side of the business, Kamecia quickly recognized that she had a passion for creating opportunities for small and minority-owned firms interested in growing their business by working for commercial construction companies and on project sites. Since then, she has built a reputation for being a champion for supplier diversity and creating inclusive and equitable environments on construction project sites. Kamecia joined McCarthy in June 2019 as Director of Diversity and Community Outreach for the McCarthy Southern Region. In this role, she helped McCarthy expand mentoring and outreach efforts, including the establishment of a new McCarthy Capacity Building Program optimizing the core business skills of Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) program participants. Her role with the company has since grown to include leading efforts to define a comprehensive strategy for equity and inclusion for the company. She has been recognized by multiple organizations for her commitment to diversity and leadership, including being named to the 2016 “40 under 40” list by the Dallas Business Journal, 2015 Top 50 Black Professionals and Entrepreneurs by D-Mars Magazine, 2014 Luna Women’s Business Advocate of the Year by the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association, and 2013 Advocate of the Year by the Dallas-Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council. She is an active member of Time for Change, a consortium of six general contractors, focused on identifying ways to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the construction industry. Mason holds Certified Diversity Executive credentials from the Institute for Diversity and the Fostering Inclusion and Diversity certification from Yale School of Management.

Session Topics:

Why companies are still struggling with DEI work
Thinking strategically about retention
Key learnings from DEI programs
Leadership involvement

13:15

Lunch Break

Session Topics:

13:15

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

45 min.

Think Tank Session -Turning Key Challenges into Key Opportunities

This interactive session is designed for you to brainstorm in small groups and create best strategies to tackle some of the most pressing topics in the solar industry.

moderator

Tandalea Mercer

Nextracker

Tandalea Mercer

Sr Director Culture, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Nextracker

Diversity and inclusion champion, culture strategist, change agent, leadership coach, professor and subject matter expert are just a few of the words used to describe Professor Tandalea Mercer. Armed with 25 years of progressive corporate experience, Ms. Mercer was born in Brooklyn, NY. Ms. Mercer began her corporate career in local government, with the City of New York in 1999. She went on to work in other areas of the City of NY, local government. She has held various corporate titles and has served at the pleasure of the U.S. Secretary of Labor, as an EEO Compliance Officer for the United States Department of Labor- Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Over the course of time, in addition to working for the public sector at both the local and federal levels, Mercer worked in several other industries including: non-profit, private and in Higher Education, in several capacities within HR compliance, policy, diversity and inclusion and training. Additionally, Ms. Mercer has built her career within Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and has held senior level management positions. She is also an Adjunct Professor at California State University at Northridge, where she teaches African American/Black Politics and Diversity and Equity in Schools at the undergraduate level and she also teaches Best Practices in Diversity and Inclusion and Best Practices in HR at California State University- Los Angeles, for the Masters of Public Administration Program within Political Science Graduate Studies program.

Rodlann Washington

U.S. Bank

Rodlann Washington

Assistant vice president

U.S. Bank

Rodlann Washington is an assistant vice president and signature initiative manager at U.S. Bancorp Community Development Corporation (USBCDC), the community investment and tax credit division at U.S. Bank. He’s responsible for contributing to the success of USBCDC’s product area initiatives centered on racial equity and broader diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. He is also responsible for co-leading Equitable Access to Capital initiatives across several product areas within U.S. Bank Rodlann serves at USBCDC’s DEI Council, co-leading the Data and Insights and Programming committees. In this capacity, Rodlann reviews DEI key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure strategic program alignment and provides recommendations for the development of new KPIs. He also evaluates DEI program feedback and identifies areas for improvement. Rodlann received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcasting and Marketing from the University of Central Missouri State, as well as a Master of Arts degree in Media Communication from Webster University. He also holds a Project Management Professional Certification from the Project Management Institute.

Session Topics:

Why is DEI a pressing issue in the solar industry? DEI in the perspective of recruitment, talent management but most importantly leadership.

SESSION 3A - Asset Management

Capitalizing on Growth Opportunities

14:30

Storage Asset Management

panel

45 min.

moderator

Felix Chow-Kambitsch

Aurora Energy Research

Sara Kayal

Lightsource bp

Robin Gray

Soltage

Gigio Sakota

Avantus

Michael Bohan

Tenaska Power Services

Michael Bohan

VP, Strategic Technologies

Tenaska Power Services

Michael Bohan is vice president, strategic tecnologies at Tenaska Power Services Co. (TPS), the leading provider of energy management and power marketing services in North America. TPS transacts physical and financial wholesale power throughout the United States and Canada, providing a comprehensive suite of energy management, congestion management, scheduling, settlement and market interface services for third-party customers throughout ERCOT, MISO, PJM, SERC, NYISO, SPP, AESO, CAISO, IESO, ISO-NE and WECC. Mr. Bohan’s Strategic Technology group within TPS is focused on emerging markets and resources that require innovative and sophisticated technological solutions. Most recently, his group produced TPS’ ORIGEN energy storage optimization system, which is actively optimizing hundreds of MWs of standalone energy storage, hybrid resources and co-locations in multiple markets. Mr. Bohan has been with TPS since 2004 and has over 25 years of experience leading teams focused on technological innovation solving difficult problems in multiple industries.

Session Topics:

Implications of the different storage business models on managing storage assets
Challenges in merchant projects vs PPA projects
Dealing with uncertainties in battery pricing and supply chains
Budgeting and financing for high augmentation costs and contingency during the full project life cycle
Adapting the role of batteries to increasing renewables

15:15

Harvesting the Double Yields of Agrivoltaics

panel

45 min.

moderator

Shannon Scarbrough

Greenbacker Capital

Shannon Scarbrough

Sustainability Program Manager

Greenbacker Capital

Shannon is passionate about Greenbacker’s mission: deploying sustainable clean energy infrastructure as a solution to the climate emergency. As Sustainability Program Manager, one of her current focuses is implementing scalable solutions to the land-use issues facing solar development and the communities in which these projects operate. Shannon has led the deployment of hundreds of acres of pollinator-friendly and native prairie habitat in regions across the US. She advocates for innovative multiuse approaches to project sites across the company’s growing portfolio, focusing on projects that benefit multiple stakeholders, enhancing ecosystem services and community benefit, while also lowering operations and maintenance costs over the project's lifetime. Shannon currently serves as an industry stakeholder for the AgriSolar Clearinghouse, sits on the Industry Advisory Group for the SETO-funded Pollinator Habitat Aligned with Solar Energy (PHASE) project, and is a member of the American Solar Grazing Association. She is the co-founder of Greenbacker’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. Shannon resides in Vermont and in her free time can be found in the woods.

Nick de Vries

Silicon Ranch

Nick de Vries

Chief Technology Officer

Silicon Ranch

As Silicon Ranch’s Chief Technology Officer, Nick is charged with identifying and leveraging emerging technologies that enable Silicon Ranch to support the US domestic supply chain and demonstrate the sequestration of carbon. Nick has more than 20 years of diverse renewable energy, semiconductor, and military experience that inform his current work, including executive positions at SolarCity, Phoenix Solar, and Applied Materials. Nick’s renewable energy industry expertise spans module and cell manufacturing, photovoltaic project design and operation, auxiliary grid services, as well as the prediction and demonstration of the energy harvest of novel PV technologies. He has also worked on manufacturing amorphous silicon modules, and on process machine control of cell splitting and cascading cell bonding processes with heterojunction crystalline cells. Silicon Ranch owns projects that Nick himself designed nearly a decade ago, including the first transmission interconnected PV plant in the Southeast. Nick holds patents in both PV module manufacturing and design. While at Applied Materials, he advanced the use of statistical process control to enhance the reliability of production equipment. He has led the commissioning of process equipment at Intel semiconductor factories in both the U.S. and Europe, and entire solar cell factories in India, Germany, Spain, and China. Nick served his country on active duty as an Infantry Captain in the United States Army, with tours in Kuwait and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Nick is currently leading Silicon Ranch’s efforts to develop Cattle Tracker, working with the DOE, leading universities, and regenerative ranchers; Cattle Tracker is Silicon Ranch’s Integrated PV System Design and Management Platform for the co-optimization of cattle-grazing and PV solar generation while measuring the impacts of these efforts on the surrounding ecosystem dynamics and soil health.

Iain Ward

Solar Agricultural Services (SolAg)

Iain Ward

CEO

Solar Agricultural Services (SolAg)

Iain Ward is an experienced farmer with two decades of experience working with farmers as a USDA-NRCS Technical Service Provider specializing in Conservation Planning. His work has been featured in NPR, Business Wire, Washington Post, and The New Times. Iain has worked extensively with Ocean Spray both as a strategic advisor and on the Grower Council representing Massachusetts grower-owners. In addition to owning his own 1st generation cranberry and livestock farm for 14 years, Iain has helped farmers with planning, conservation, and diversification across the United States and Canada. As CEO of SolAg, Iain leads a dedicated team trusted by both farmers and developers to be the liaison that understands the economic, environmental, and social dynamics of family farms. Iain's representation of farmers in solar development for the last five years combined with three years of management and actual hands-on farming experience on some of the nation’s first agrivoltaic projects makes him and the SolAg team uniquely qualified to facilitate and effectuate the development and implementation of agrivoltaic projects. When family farms disappear, the direct connection to our food source goes away, and small towns lose their rural character. Iain’s mission is to implement regenerative systems that revitalize farmland, farmers, and food.

Lucy Bullock-Sieger

Lightstar Renewables

Session Topics:

Scoping the different Agri-PV applications: livestock and crops
The farmers’ experiences in Agri-PV so far
Case studies from developers and farmers

SESSION 3B - O&M

Capitalizing on Growth Opportunities

14:30

Optimizing O&M Through Automation and Digitalization

panel

45 min.

moderator

Leila Garcia da Fonseca

Wood Mackenzie

Brad Johnson

Univers

Sally Starnes

Invenergy Services

Nikhil Vadhavkar

Raptor Maps, Inc.

Fernando Rodriguez Alvarado

Greenbacker Capital

Fernando Rodriguez Alvarado

Vice President of Engineering

Greenbacker Capital

Fernando is the Vice President of Engineering at Greenbacker where he oversees a team covering performance monitoring, BESS development & operations, technical site onboarding, SCADA/DAS, and fleet analytics. Fernando joined Greenbacker in 2021, coming from Cypress Creek Renewables where he was the Senior Director of Control Center Operations. In that position, he was responsible for the performance and reliability of 3.5+ GW in solar PV assets and managed the operations engineering, control center operations, planning/scheduling, and reliability engineering teams. Fernando received his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from MIT, his Master’s in Solar Photovoltaic Energy from Universidad Politecnica de Madrid. Additionally, Fernando holds a Professional Engineering (PE) license in North Carolina. Fernando’s focus in 2023 will be to continue to leverage data generated by the organization to inform the company’s decisions as our fleet continues to grow and to provide prompt and accurate technical guidance to optimize plant performance while maintaining high system availability.

Session Topics:

AI and data mining: How smart can we get?
The use of data in prioritizing O&M decisions
O&M solutions of the future
The role and future development of robotics

15:15

Optimizing Storage System Performance With Proper O&M Processes

panel

45 min.

moderator

Hugo Lapie

Prescinto

Bill Reaugh

VDE Americas

Chase Warr

Arevon Energy

Garima Kalra

NovaSource Power Services

Session Topics:

What’s needed to move to consolidation in OEM and O&M supplier contracts
Safeguarding O&M performance guarantees
Maintaining equipment warranties
Emergency response plans and how to maintain them

16:00

Networking Break

Session Topics:

16:00

Sustainability & Circularity

45 min.

Think Tank Session - Turning Key Challenges into Key Opportunities

This interactive session is designed for you to brainstorm in small groups and create best strategies to tackle some of the most pressing topics in the solar industry.

moderator

Jesse Simons

SOLARCYCLE

Michael Parr

Ultra Low-Carbon Solar Alliance

Session Topics:

How to transform the solar industry into a truly sustainable and low carbon emitting industry, with responsible end-of-life management; fostering a circular solar economy?

SESSION 4

Initiatives Towards a Firm Fundament

16:45

Turning Key Challenges into Key Opportunities

presentation

15 min.

Short recap of the key insights from today's Think Tank Sessions

Lisette Buist

Solarplaza

Session Topics:

Workforce Development Strategies
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

17:00

Roadmap for a Sustainable Domestic Supply Chain and Workforce

panel

40 min.

moderator

Sylvia Leyva Martinez

Wood Mackenzie

Sylvia Leyva Martinez

Senior Research Analyst

Wood Mackenzie

Sylvia is a Senior Research Analyst in Wood Mackenzie’s Power & Renewables Practice and leads the North America Utility-scale Solar service. Her research coverage includes market dynamics, business models, market developments, and financial strategies of utility-scale solar PV projects in the United States and Canada. In her previous role as a Senior Consultant in the Power and Renewables team, Sylvia participated in and led commercial advisory and transaction support projects, energy and asset management engagements, project development and operations, competitive analysis and forecasting, and renewable asset valuation. She has experience in power markets, energy transition, renewables, and ESG in the United States, Canada, and Colombia. As a Performance Improvement Consultant, she participated in cost optimization and portfolio management engagements with NOCs, IOCs, Majors, and Supermajors in the Middle East, United States, Colombia, and Mexico. Prior to Wood Mackenzie, Sylvia was an Energy Consultant at Accenture Strategy Energy, where she participated in cost optimization, portfolio optimization, and talent management strategy projects for NOCs in Latin America. She also worked in solar project development for SPIE Sud-Est in France, focusing on coupling energy storage systems with mid-scale solar PV assets. Sylvia holds a Master’s degree in Traditional and Renewable Energies from EPF - École d’Ingénieurs (France) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics from ITESM Monterrey (Mexico).

Erin Kivlehan

Clenera

Deepak Gupta

Nextracker

Deepak Gupta

Senior Director Global Supply Chain

Nextracker

As Senior Director of the Nextracker supply chain team, Deepak is responsible for the company’s global materials management team. This team forms the backbone of gigawatts of tracker product orchestration which involves moving close to 10 million parts on weekly basis from 90+ vendor locations around the world to over 150+ projects sites to over 30 countries. Since joining Nextracker in 2015, Deepak spearheaded the development of the materials management organization which includes (planning, procurement, and reverse logistics) from the ground up. From scaling the team from four people to a global organization of more than sixty staff with employee presence in India, China, Brazil, and Spain, Deepak is an experienced supply chain leader in the solar industry. Prior to joining Nextracker, Deepak worked at SunPower in various roles leading sales and operations planning, contract manufacturing and sourcing teams. Before SunPower, Deepak was at Yahoo Inc. Deepak earned his MBA from Georgetown University in Washington DC, and his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology in Surat, India. He serves on the board of DripWorks Inc. which is a company focused to serve DIY gardeners and evangelizing water conservation.

Matt Murphy

Greenbacker Capital

Matt Murphy

COO

Greenbacker Capital

Mr. Matt Murphy is the Vice President of Fleet Management for Greenbacker Renewable Energy where he is responsible for day to day operations and maintenance, fleet performance, and technical due diligence. In his current position Matt oversees a portfolio of over 200MW of residential solar, commercial and utility solar, and wind power plants across 18 States. During his time at Greenbacker he has been instrumental in building systems and processes to enable the successful rapid growth of the Greenbacker fleet. Previously Mr. Murphy was Director of Operations & Maintenance for Borrego Solar where he oversaw a fleet of 500 Megawatts of solar power plants across 11 states. Matt managed a national O&M team and was responsible for the highest level of escalation within the department. On a daily basis he ensured that each region was performing optimally. He also served as the department’s data & communications technical expert. Previously, Matt was the East Coast O&M Manager for Borrego Solar, where he oversaw the East Coast fleet as it grew from five to fifty megawatts. Matt’s specialties included data and electrical troubleshooting, lean management implementation, risk mitigation, insurance claim management, data analysis, and CMMS infrastructure build out. Prior to joining Borrego Solar, he worked for five years at the Vermont-based electrical contracting company Peck Electric, where he was instrumental in creating and running Peck’s solar PV division (now in the top 30 solar installers in the country) and was responsible for every job function from sales to system commissioning. While at Peck, Matt oversaw the design, development, construction, and maintenance of over 5 MW of solar PV capacity. Matt also has five years of experience teaching PV construction and troubleshooting to electricians at the Vermont NJATC training center, where he prepared students for the NABCEP certification test. Matt is a licensed electrician in several states and is NABCEP certified.

Kelly Weger

Qcells

Session Topics:

Perspectives on the future
Timeline for onshoring a manufacturing supply chain of clean technology
Ensuring quality along the way
Opportunities and challenges related to workforce development

17:45

Networking Drinks

Session Topics:

19:00

Networking Event

Add on / Networking pass Activity

Session Topics:

Friday 14 April 2023

Program Day 2

07:30

Early Bird (Sport) Activities

90 min.

Add on / Networking pass Activity

Session Topics:

09:00

Registration & Welcome Coffee

30 min.

Session Topics:

09:30

Welcome Remarks by the Chairperson

presentation

10 min.

Lisette Buist

Solarplaza

Session Topics:

Short recap of the key insights from Think Tank Session on Sustainability & Circularity

SESSION 5

Re-evaluating Revenue Strategies to Solidify Yield

09:40

Futureproofing Revenue Strategies

presentation

20 min.

Leigh Zanone

Avantus

Douglas Stiegler

Ørsted

Session Topics:

Future of fully merchant-based PV projects
The latest trends in Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)
Ramping up energy storage

10:00

Effectively Tackling Solar Asset Underperformance

panel

45 min.

moderator

Jason Kaminsky

kWh Analytics

Lynsey Tibbs

Silicon Ranch

Michael Eyman

Origis Services

Michael Eyman

Managing Director

Origis Services

Michael Eyman leverages over 25 years of leadership, operations, and business experience in his role as Managing Director, Origis Services. Under his leadership, Origis Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Origis, manages a growing portfolio of utility scale and distributed generation solar and storage assets across the United States. Prior to joining Origis, Mr. Eyman served as the Vice President of Business Development for MaxGen Energy Services, where he drove significant growth across the distributed generation and utility markets. He also held positions as Director DG O&M and Director of Business Development and Senior Manager for Supply Chain Strategy over 5 years with SunPower. Before taking solar industry leadership roles, Mr. Eyman had a 21-year career in the United States Navy as a Naval Aviator. He served in multiple theaters over 13 deployments and retired at the rank of Commander. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas, a Master of Science in Military Strategy and Foreign Affairs, from Air University, and a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography from Texas A&M University.

Anna Waters

Omnidian

Session Topics:

What's driving underperformance, the asset or the model?
Key developments in PV plant performance modelling
Drivers of field underperformance
Trends in servicing and O&M best practices

10:45

Networking Coffee Break

Session Topics:

10:45

Stakeholder Engagement

45 min.

Think Tank Session - Turning Key Challenges into Key Opportunities

This interactive session is designed for you to brainstorm in small groups and create best strategies to tackle some of the most pressing topics in the solar industry.

moderator

Kristine Sinclair

DNV

Jacqueline Sukhlall

GreenPowerMonitor

Session Topics:

How to engage with and generate buy-in of critical stakeholders who are essential to drive the solar deployment process forward

SESSION 6A - Asset Management

Solutions and Strategies to Mitigate Asset Risk

11:30

Fortifying Cyber Security

panel

45 min.

moderator

John Franzino

GridSME

Keith Rose

Operant Networks

Loggan Purpura

SOLV Energy

Jamie Lynn Bussin

DeNexus

Session Topics:

Balancing the needs of operations, compliance, and security
Planning for upcoming compliance changes, specifically NERC CIP
Proactively implementing security programs

12:15

The Future of Solar Insurance

panel

45 min.

moderator

Sam Jensen

STANCE: Renewable Risk Partners

Isaac McLean

kWh Analytics

Sara Kane

CAC Specialty

Sara Kane

Sr. VP Global Energy Practice

CAC Specialty

As Co-Leader of the Power and Renewables Practice and Executive Vice President of CAC’s Natural Resources Practice Group, Sara Kane is responsible for delivering on the growth and strategic objectives of the group. Having devoted a large portion of her career to the renewable energy sector, Sara comes to CAC from Beecher Carlson, where she was Managing Director in the Global Energy Practice. Prior to Beecher Carlson she served as risk manager at SunEdison, a large manufacturer of renewable energy equipment and owner/operator of renewable energy projects and helped navigate the insurance components of a complicated bankruptcy proceeding. She has also spent nearly a decade working on the carrier side of the insurance industry, holding underwriting and product development positions at AXIS Capital, GCube Insurance Services, and AIG. Sara’s experience is in conceptualizing and negotiating complex insurance programs for renewable energy companies of all sizes. She is adept at representing her clients interests to both the underwriting and lending communities. Sara is a graduate of Duke University. She holds a Master of Business Administration from Yale University’s School of Management and a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. She also completed the Yale Certificate in Financing and Deploying Clean Energy in 2020. Sara was named a 2017 Leading Risk Manager and a 2020 Power Broker by Insurance Business.

Mauricio Paredes

U.S. Department of Energy

Session Topics:

The evolution of insurance contracts
Shift in risk sharing and impact on asset management
Valuing risk mitigating AM practices into insurance pricing

SESSION 6B - O&M

Solutions and Strategies to Mitigate Asset Risk

11:30

Mitigating Extreme Weather Risks

panel

45 min.

moderator

John Sedgwick

VDE Americas

Kristen Wagner

Clean Power Research

Nicole Thompson

kWh Analytics

Kevin Christy

Lightsource bp

Session Topics:

Fighting impact of extreme weather events with preventative measures
Strategies preventing hail incidents
Trends in durable equipment
Role of data in understanding your exposure and in quantifying impacts and risks

12:15

Vegetation Management: Cut to the Chase

panel

45 min.

moderator

Cedric Brehaut

Omnidian

Jeremy McKellep

Canadian Solar

Angela Burke

Pivot Energy

Nathan Wojcik

SWCA

Session Topics:

O&M costs and strategies: low-tech and high-tech ways to optimize results
CapEx vs. OpEx: investing upfront to reduce vegetation management costs
The role of vegetation management in wildfire and flood prevention
Beyond vegetation management: what is land stewardship?

13:00

Lunch Break

Session Topics:

13:00

Assembling Your Spare Part Supply Chain Strategy

45 min.

Think Tank Session - Turning Key Challenges into Key Opportunities

This interactive session is designed for you to brainstorm in small groups and create best strategies to tackle some of the most pressing topics in the solar industry.

moderator

Sylvia Leyva Martinez

Wood Mackenzie

Sylvia Leyva Martinez

Senior Research Analyst

Wood Mackenzie

Jeff Wang

Stäubli

Session Topics:

How to manage material shortages and supply chain delays in maintaining and operating solar assets?

SESSION 7A - Asset Management

Futureproofing Solar Asset Management Strategies

14:15

Asset Sales, M&A, and Refinancing Opportunities

panel

45 min.

moderator

John Gottshall

Thomson Reuters

Bailey Plummer

Greenbacker Capital

Samuel Van Dam

Wells Fargo

Gary Durden

CRC-IB

Gary Durden

Partner and Managing Director

CRC-IB

Session Topics:

Selling down positions in investments post PTC/ITC benefits
Refinancing deals with lower cost debt post acquiring solar assets
Key learnings for refinancing projects

SESSION 7B - O&M

Futureproofing Solar Asset Management Strategies

14:15

Repowering Damaged or Ageing Assets

panel

45 min.

moderator

Ian Steele

DEPCOM Power

John McCauley

Solar Support

Jason Cannon

Southern Company

Shyam Lohidakshan

SMA

Session Topics:

My asset is reaching end-of-life: What’s next?
Dealing with repairs outside of warranty
Translating component repowering into feasible business models
Lessons learned from use cases

15:00

Short Break

Session Topics:

SESSION 8

The New Solar Future Ahead

15:15

Turning Key Challenges into Key Opportunities

presentation

15 min.

Short recap of the key insights from today's Think Tank Sessions

Lisette Buist

Solarplaza

Session Topics:

Stakeholder Engagement
Assembling Your Spare Part Supply Chain Strategy

15:30

Game-changers That Will Shape the Future of the US Solar Industry

panel

45 min.

moderator

Rob Andrews

Heliolytics

Christopher Wienbeck

Global Head of Sales and Marketing & Head of USA

In addition to his role as Global Head of Sales and Marketing, Chris Wienbeck is also 5B’s Head of USA, based in Austin, Texas. He is responsible for driving the US operations, including the establishment of a 5B factory in the US next year, while nurturing 5B’s commercial growth in North America. Chris started his career in different industries, before transitioning to the energy sector where he has spent over a decade working at General Electric throughout Europe, Middle East, South East Asia and the Americas. During this tenure, he also spearheaded General Electric’s sales organisation for new units in the Americas, while also running the aftermarket/services and digital efforts in Central and South America for the Steam Power business. Chris is passionate about the energy sector and loves driving the expansion of companies in new markets. He has a MBA in International Business and Strategic Management from The George Washington University School of Business. He believes it’s from life’s challenges that we derive a sense of success.

Michael Bolen

SB Energy (USA)

Michael Bolen

Director of Innovation

SB Energy (USA)

Michael Bolen is the Director of Innovation at SB Energy. He is responsible for identifying, evaluating, demonstrating, and implementing innovations in technology, processes, business models to make SB Energy a leading provider of flexible renewable energy. Dr. Bolen has over a decade of experience in the solar industry. Prior to SB Energy, he was the Head of Solar Generation at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) where he managed applied research relating to Renewables Economics, Solar Generation, and Environmental Aspects of Solar. His responsibilities included creating and executing programmatic strategy, managing and developing experienced individual contributors, allocating resources, and business development. Dr. Bolen was also a senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office (a.k.a., SunShot Initiative). He helped develop strategy, write funding opportunities, and select, negotiate, and manage awards. He advised more than 30 solar hardware projects totaling over $200 million in federal funds awarded to universities, national labs, start-ups, consortia, and established domestic solar companies. Dr. Bolen was also a post-doctoral researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where he researched novel, low-cost techniques to make crystalline silicon solar cells on metal foils and methods to increase their electrical performance. Dr. Bolen received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering and M.B.A. in strategic management and entrepreneurship from Purdue University in 2010. He received his Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University in 2005.

Deise Yumi Asami

The AES Corporation

Lee Connor

Closing Remarks by the Chairperson

15 min.

Lisette Buist

Solarplaza

Session Topics:

16:30

Closing Networking Drinks

Session Topics:

Solarplaza Summit | Asset Management North America

Registration & Early-Bird Breakfast

Welcome Remarks by the Chairperson

Perspective and Outlook for a Dynamic Solar Landscape

The Big Picture: The State of Climate Change and Climate Tech

Solar and O&M Market Outlook - Key Facts & Figures

Surfing the Wave of Solar Growth and Market Dynamics

Workforce Development Strategies

Reinforcing the Foundation of Solar

Managing Solar Assets in the IRA Era

Tax Equity in the IRA Era

Reinforcing the Foundation of Solar

Operating & Maintaining Assets in the IRA Era

Diversifying the O&M and AM Workforce

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Capitalizing on Growth Opportunities

Storage Asset Management

Harvesting the Double Yields of Agrivoltaics

Capitalizing on Growth Opportunities

Optimizing O&M Through Automation and Digitalization

Optimizing Storage System Performance With Proper O&M Processes

Sustainability & Circularity

Initiatives Towards a Firm Fundament

Turning Key Challenges into Key Opportunities

Roadmap for a Sustainable Domestic Supply Chain and Workforce

Early Bird (Sport) Activities

Registration & Welcome Coffee

Welcome Remarks by the Chairperson

Re-evaluating Revenue Strategies to Solidify Yield

Futureproofing Revenue Strategies

Effectively Tackling Solar Asset Underperformance

Stakeholder Engagement

Solutions and Strategies to Mitigate Asset Risk

Fortifying Cyber Security

The Future of Solar Insurance

Solutions and Strategies to Mitigate Asset Risk

Mitigating Extreme Weather Risks

Vegetation Management: Cut to the Chase

Assembling Your Spare Part Supply Chain Strategy

Futureproofing Solar Asset Management Strategies

Asset Sales, M&A, and Refinancing Opportunities

Futureproofing Solar Asset Management Strategies

Repowering Damaged or Ageing Assets

The New Solar Future Ahead

Turning Key Challenges into Key Opportunities

Game-changers That Will Shape the Future of the US Solar Industry

Closing Remarks by the Chairperson