This is Episode 2 of 5 in our Community Solar Series
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“Many states have made the mistake of making these [community solar] programs very rich, and it encourages this gold-rush mentality, but there are only so many ‘parking spaces’ to put the projects on, from a real estate perspective.”
You have to secure that coveted interconnection position. That’s the lesson learned from countless developers who’ve tried to participate in the booming community solar market as each state rolls out their version of a program to attract developers and investors to their market.
So, how do you see ahead of the curve to get these early “parking spaces” that Dave’s referring to? What are some of the critical elements of developing the project, at a basic level? That’s what this Episode 2 of the Community Solar series aims to help unpack.
In today’s conversation, our Community Solar expert, David Kane, gives us the view from the developer angle.
What exactly is entailed in his role as project developer? How does the organization rely on he and his team for progress?
How does a developer think about policy as an enabler or driver for how to structure his/her time & team?
What does the ecosystem of stakeholders look like? What are the kinds of people that one looks for in “local” partners?
Dave also gives us a glimpse into what is required from a skillset mix of community solar developers, like:
Interconnection & Land are the basic skills
Working with partners to identify sites
Identifying Grid constraints
Understanding environmental constraints
And, I ask the question that seems to really be on many people’s minds: “Are these skills & needs all that different from Utility scale development? And Dave graciously goes into the details that enunciate just how different (and, yes, similar) this vertical is from it’s brethren in the solar development market.
If you’ve been wondering
How do you decide where (market, team requirements, partner development) to focus the effort?
Where do people most often fail or mess up in the development process for community solar?
What sets successful projects apart from the rest - what do you look for in a development partner or project?
Then this next episode of the Community Solar series is for you!
Tune-in, and also if you missed it go queue up Episode 1 from the series with Jeff Cramer of CCSA.
You can learn more about today’s guest and our expert lineup along with what else is to come in the series at www.mysuncast.com/communitysolar
The Community Solar series presented in partnership with EDP Renewables N. America, Distributed Generation.
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And you can always find the resources and learn more about today’s guest, recommendations, book links, and more than 485 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.
You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
Here’s a peak at what’s coming this week on the Community Solar Series
Episode 1: The Role of Policy in Community Solar with Jeff Cramer, CCSA & David Sandbank, NYSERDA
Episode 2: The Project Developer Perspective: Is it really that different?
Episode 3: Federal support for equitable access to solar
Episode 4: Customer acquisition for Community Solar
Episode 5: Understanding the “Value Stack” for Community Solar
TIMESTAMPS:
(03:02) When Dave saw potential in community solar
(04:59) What makes an enabling legislation a key driver
(06:20) Dave's role in EDPR
(08:29) Basic skill sets for community solar developers
(09:48) What makes community solar different from roof top solar for a team of developers
(12:28) How EDPR channels it's development dollars
(16:34) What kind of partners is EDPR looking for
(20:09) Wrap up
ABOUT DAVID KANE:
A renewable energy developer skilled in originating, developing and financing distributed generation projects in the Northeastern US, David’s expertise extends to all of the major solar markets including MA, NY, and NJ. David brings a swiss-army-knife of skills to the development process which includes lead generation, fatal flaw analyses, financial modeling, managing interconnection and permitting, project finance, securing offtake agreements, running a competitive disposition process, and asset management. His insights into the development needs specific to community solar are timely and helpful in setting the stage for how community solar is differentiated from other verticals. David helps us frame the development requirements and hurdles that are specific to this segment of the market.
CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY SOLAR SERIES:
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.