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How did Zvi Alon become Chairman and CEO of one of the early module-level power electronics (MLPE) pioneers, Tigo Energy?
Today, we get a rare glimpse of the inside story from the man himself.
Zvi says that he had Always been looking for the pioneering position in whatever industry he targeted. Indeed, when Zvi decided to come to the US from Israel in the 80’s it was because “it’s a place that was successful in bringing technology to market and I wanted to figure out how to get that knowledge.” Those of you who know the computer industry history will be familiar with Intel’s Microprocessr 80286 - Zvi was part of that team. He later went on to build NetManage and take it public in under 3 yrs! Then he Built NetVision, the largest internet provider in Israel. Zvi is an entrepreneur (and investor) I’ve long-anticipated would endure me for a 90-minute session and we finally nailed him down.
Many of you who are familiar with the Tigo Energy story will know just how far ahead of its time that product was. Tigo is in the class of MLPE products that pioneered the category and changed the way rooftop (in particular C&I) solar is done. I met past guest (and true solar warrior) Paul Grana while he was at Tigo. I could write a book on the smart people and strategies I’ve seen Tigo employ to stay alive in a cut-throat market where MLPE always held potential.
So, how did Zvi keep Tigo alive? By believing in the strategy he mapped out and invested in! When the original founders lost hope in the plan, Zvi stepped in, and the rest is history. We get into the details, in the episode, and now you can hear how one of the intrepid power electronics companies birthed here in Silicon Valley stayed alive amidst the Asian manufacturer influx to the solar power electronics sector. Tigo didn’t just stay alive, but managed to thrive, driving innovation across the value stream, pioneering & championing change in the way rooftop solar was installed throughout the Americas.
Listen in as Nico & Zvi discuss
what surprised him that came from competitors like Enphase & SMA
What did Enphase do right
What did others do wrong
and key elements of the decision to sell a controlling stake to SMA
Zvi recently hired past SunCast guest (and longtime friend) Jing Tian as their Chief Growth Officer. Jing & I worked together at Trina to launch the (tigo-powered) Trinasmart product way back in 2013, so it was great to have Jing joins Zvi and learn how & why she was compelled to go in-house at Tigo at this critical time in their growth. And, of course, we get into their big news, the launch of a residential storage product to compete head to head not just with Enphase and Solaredge but Tesla, Generac and the rest of the field!
I’m grateful for the opportunity to have time with Zvi, which I have patiently waited for since I first met him in 2017! Now, you don’t have to wait.
Press Play. You’re welcome.
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES:
“You really need to get in line with your partners at the most granular level, in the gut.”
“Every morning, put on your dancing shoes and go dance. Every morning.”
“The storage industry has a very fast growth projection.”
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ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 15-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.