Episode 691

691: Adding Storage to Solar is Harder Than We Thought! Leigh Zanone managed 8Minute/Avantus’s Portfolio & Shares His Insights

Published on: 11th April, 2024

Is solar plus storage magically going to fix our grid? If you listen to many of the conversations I’ve heard the last 2+ years, you’d easily assume “we got this, just throw some batteries out there and we’re well on our way to 100% RE!” 

Turns out it’s not that simple. 

Building hybrid power (solar+storage) projects requires a deep understanding of the unique challenges they present, from how to forecast revenue to  building integrated software solutions that can handle massive complexity.  Leigh Zanone, an 18-year solar industry veteran, shares his insights and experience from working in leadership roles at meteocontrol and Avantus (formerly 8Minute Energy) plus a long tenure in the monitoring & asset management side of the business long before that was even the terminology. Leigh’s expertise spans the technical, legal, and financial aspects of solar project management, and his perspective on what it takes to finance and build these projects will challenge your conventional wisdom. 

Expect to Learn:

  • Why deploying hybrid projects is far more complex than solar-only projects.
  • Why comprehensive software solutions for forecasting and optimization are currently lacking (and how we can solve this issue).
  • How we can better educate investors to help them understand hybrid project risks.
  • The hidden complexities that actually require longer diligence periods for hybrid projects.
  • What factors make solar plus storage almost three times more volatile than traditional solar projects

Press play, get smarter.

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Mentioned in this episode:

CPS July 2024 V2

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About the Podcast

SunCast
Your resource for developing a clean energy or climate tech career
Nico Johnson takes you into conversations with those at the forefront of Renewable Energy.

SunCast gives an inside look into what is happening in renewable energy. From conversations with the biggest Solar Panel manufacturers in the world to the small startups creating the future of renewable energy, such as carbon capture and battery technology breakthroughs.

SunCast is dedicated to providing the knowledge, research, tools and expert guidance you need to understand, grow and be ahead of the curve in the fastest-growing markets in the world.

Featuring over 600 conversations, Nico has interviewed people from Tesla, SolarCity, Trina Solar, Meyer Burger, Conergy, SunEdison, Energy Vault and even the US Government... to name a few. Covering topics such as Solar Power, Wind Energy, Batteries, Electric Vehicles, Carbon Capture, Finance, Hydrogen, and more.

You can watch SunCast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SunCastMedia

...or view the full archive of SunCast episodes here: https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes