Solarplaza Summit Asset Management North America

Seminar & Networking Event

Building a Resilient, Skilled & Diverse Solar Workforce

Wednesday 6 April 2022

Program Day 1

08:00

Welcome Coffee and Registration

presentation

60 min.

Session Topics:

09:00

Welcome Remarks by the Conference Chairman

presentation

10 min.

Alfonso Barrenechea

Solarplaza

Session Topics:

Session I

Solar’s Future in North America

09:10

Is the Solar Industry Ready for Adulthood?

presentation

30 min.

Benoit Allehaut

KKR

Session Topics:

What to expect when you are expecting. Are you really ready?
Is the deflationary environment and low interest party over?
A new generation of asset owners. What do they want? What should they want?
A new generation of products. Dispatchable power is coming of age. Time to adapt.

09:40

Solar Market Outlook

presentation

20 min.

Leila Garcia da Fonseca

Wood Mackenzie

Session Topics:

Reviewing North America’s operational solar capacity
Preliminary analysis of 2022 growth and development
Trends in technology deployment

10:00

Moving to the Next Level in Solar Deployment

panel

45 min.

moderator

Eric Wesoff

Canary Media

Danny Splettstosser

AES

Zoe Berkery

CleanCapital

Session Topics:

Reviewing the energy plans of the Biden administration
ITC extension effects
Key themes that have shaped solar in the past year

10:45

AM Networking Break

Session Topics:

Session II A

Futureproofing Operations & Maintenance

11:30

Don't just centralize, integrate!

panel

15 min.

Christos Georgopoulos

Power Factors

Session Topics:

The data quality pillar and its pitfalls
Solving inefficiencies of different platforms, systems, onboarding methods, and costs
Leveraging technology to manage cost-effectively an increasingly distributed portfolio
Transparency between Asset Owners, O&M providers, and Asset Managers

11:45

Improving Asset Value Through O&M Digitalization

panel

30 min.

moderator

Vania Mesrob

Goldman Sachs

Rue Philips

365 Pronto

Blaine Sundwall

EDF Renewables North America

Session Topics:

Next step in operations digitalizations
Separating digital facts from fiction
Creating a feedback loop that will facilitate asset management

12:15

O&M Contracting in a Consolidating Industry

panel

45 min.

moderator

Paul Whitacre

SDCL Group

Nikhil Vadhavkar

Raptor Maps, Inc.

Chioma Enechukwu

Madison Energy Investments

Jason Feng

Omnidian

Myra Gardiner

Bay4 Energy Services, LLC

Session Topics:

Effects of secondary markets
The role of labor
Key contract elements to look for when doing M&A

Session II B

Safeguarding Portfolio Value

11:30

Lessons Learned from the Growing Solar Fleet

panel

45 min.

moderator

Hao Shen

kWh Analytics

Lynsey Tibbs

Silicon Ranch

Kevin Christy

Lightsource bp

Anand Narayanan

Arevon Energy

Session Topics:

State of the growing US Solar Fleet
Performance modeling: assumptions and learnings
Performance management and operational excellence: KPIs and benchmarking

12:15

Secondary Markets and M&A

panel

45 min.

moderator

Lorena Nieuwenhoven

Solarplaza

Asif Alam

Thomson Reuters Document Intelligence

Britta von Oesen

CohnReznick Capital

Scott Byer

Lightsource bp

Session Topics:

Valuation of contracts with service providers and offtakers
Due diligence process
M&A strategies: how to grow portfolios

13:00

PM Lunch Break

Session Topics:

Session III A

Plant Resilience & Performance

14:15

Forecasting

panel

40 min.

moderator

Ann Gaglioti

GroundWork Renewables

Jon Previtali

Wells Fargo

Patrick Keelin

Clean Power Research

Chris Raupp

SOLV Energy

Session Topics:

Uncertainty in solar irradiation modelling: changes in the last few years
The use cases for real-time solar irradiance datasets in asset management
Effective vs calculated irradiance
Making a case for providing additional data for loss factors

15:00

Extreme Weather Impacts

panel

45 min.

moderator

Jason Raymond

Boralex

Kaushik Roy Choudhury

DuPont

John Schroeder

DEPCOM Power

Travis McKee

Sungrow

Session Topics:

How to minimize risk of damage from natcat events
What can be insured and what can not?
Resolving damage after it’s done

Session III B

Derisking Revenue

14:15

Merchant Hedging Strategies

panel

40 min.

moderator

Tara Narayanan

BloombergNEF

Joe Kastner

Radian Generation

Rohit Ogra

AP Solar Holdings

Session Topics:

Potential solutions for developers and owners to balance power pricing
What role do asset managers play in a project with a merchant strategy or hedge
Short term vs long term contracts
Aligning plant design with merchant strategy

15:00

Storage Asset Management: Managing Operations

panel

45 min.

moderator

Jenya Meydbray

PVEL - PV Evolution Labs

Leigh Zanone

Avantus

Will Troppe

Power Factors

Session Topics:

Implications of the different storage business models on managing operations
Operating storage assets: O&M considerations
Learnings from the early stage operations of storage assets

15:45

PM Networking Break

Session Topics:

Session IV

Closing Panel Day 1

16:30

True Cost of O&M and Asset Management

panel

45 min.

moderator

Tim Montague

Clean Power Consulting Group

Michael Eyman

Origis Services

Erin Kivlehan

Clenera

Anand Narayanan

Arevon Energy

Session Topics:

Scoping contract responsibilities: what is in and out of scope?
Who is bearing what risk?
Hidden costs: where can unexpected surprises pop up?

17:15

Networking Drinks

Session Topics:

19:00

Networking Dinner (sold out)

Session Topics:

Thursday 7 April 2022

Program Day 2

08:30

Welcome Coffee and Registration

60 min.

Session Topics:

09:30

Welcome remarks by the Conference Chairman

presentation

10 min.

Alfonso Barrenechea

Solarplaza

Session Topics:

Session V

Enabling a Holistic Transition

09:40

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Solar Asset Management

presentation

50 min.

moderator

Amanda Bybee

Amicus O&M Cooperative

Ajulo Othow

Carolina Solar Services

Kate Collardson

Omnidian

Aaron Bingham

BayWa r.e.

Session Topics:

Beyond race and gender: thinking expansively about diversity
Best practices in hiring, managing and company culture
Deploying the benefits of solar to more communities

10:30

AM Networking Break

Session Topics:

Session VI A

O&M Planning for Long-Term Applications

11:15

Design & EPC Considerations for Optimal Operations

panel

45 min.

moderator

Reegan Moen

SOLV Energy

Nick de Vries

Silicon Ranch

Brian Mills

Stäubli

Rob Andrews

Heliolytics

Session Topics:

“Greening up” your practices
Importance of documentation
A holistic approach to your project

12:00

Solar Insurance: Paradigm Shift in the Market

panel

45 min.

moderator

Isaac McLean

kWh Analytics

Alan Stearns

Lockton Companies LLC

Ray Casey

Nextracker

Kait Adler

Goldman Sachs

Jonathan Fort

MaxSolar

Session Topics:

Aligning price expectations with pricing realities
Key indicators for good and bad insurance contracts
O&Ms increasing importance in the insurance schemes

Session VI B

Managing Growth Sustainably

11:15

Managing Scale and Growth in DG sustainably

panel

45 min.

moderator

Gregory Shambo

Borrego

Zoe Berkery

CleanCapital

Kelsey Wood

Greenbacker Capital

Diana Weis

U.S. Bank

PJ Vigilante

EDP Renewables

Session Topics:

Effective asset management strategies across different regions
Scaling up asset management practices in growing DG portfolios (labour component)
Efficient asset aggregation and financing structures to minimize due diligence and transaction costs

12:00

Large Scale Portfolio Growth

panel

45 min.

moderator

Marc Toy

CAC Specialty

Blerta Kumbaro

BayWa r.e.

Sharifa Dunn

AlsoEnergy

Jason Raymond

Boralex

Session Topics:

Challenges in growing your portfolio sustainably
Identifying processes that can be automated
Pain Points when scaling your utility scale portfolio
Sharing success stories & learnings

12:45

PM Lunch Break

Session Topics:

Session VII A

Optimizing Operations

14:15

Repowering

panel

45 min.

moderator

Sean Hackett

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

Chris Frantz

Excelsior Energy Capital

Dave Doerner

ICF

Auston Taber

Solar Support

Session Topics:

Inverter replacement: process review
Technological pitfalls to take into account
Understanding solar degradation assumptions
Translating component repowering into feasible business models

Session VII B

Minimizing Risk

14:15

Refinancing

panel

45 min.

moderator

Sarath Srinivasan

kWh Analytics

Alain Halimi

Nomura

Camelia Miu

Nautilus Solar

Chaim Grushko

Soltage, LLC

Session Topics:

Refinancing motivations of project sponsors
Bridging the “no man’s land” between asset management and finance
Optimizing operational considerations around refinancing
The logistical works of a refinancing effort

Session VIII

Plenary Closing

15:00

The Offtaker Perspective

presentation

20 min.

Mark Porter

CEBA

Session Topics:

Trends in sourcing renewable energy by corporations
Their efforts and toughest barriers in reaching climate goals
How renewable energy (especially solar) contributes to reaching carbon reduction goals
How energy suppliers can accommodate energy buyers in their needs (meeting of supply and demand)

15:20

Realizing The Next Generation of Solar Assets

panel

40 min.

moderator

Alfonso Barrenechea

Solarplaza

Etienne Lecompte

PowerHub

Andrew Griffiths

Nextracker

Sarie Lovell

Generate Capital

Session Topics:

Developments in project financing
Challenges as the industry continues to grow and deploys more assets
Future proofing asset management practices

16:05

Closing Networking Drinks

Session Topics:

Solarplaza Summit | Asset Management North America

Welcome Coffee and Registration

Welcome Remarks by the Conference Chairman

Solar’s Future in North America

Is the Solar Industry Ready for Adulthood?

Solar Market Outlook

Moving to the Next Level in Solar Deployment

Futureproofing Operations & Maintenance

Don't just centralize, integrate!

Improving Asset Value Through O&M Digitalization

O&M Contracting in a Consolidating Industry

Safeguarding Portfolio Value

Lessons Learned from the Growing Solar Fleet

Secondary Markets and M&A

Plant Resilience & Performance

Forecasting

Extreme Weather Impacts

Derisking Revenue

Merchant Hedging Strategies

Storage Asset Management: Managing Operations

Closing Panel Day 1

True Cost of O&M and Asset Management

Welcome Coffee and Registration

Welcome remarks by the Conference Chairman

Enabling a Holistic Transition

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Solar Asset Management

O&M Planning for Long-Term Applications

Design & EPC Considerations for Optimal Operations

Solar Insurance: Paradigm Shift in the Market

Managing Growth Sustainably

Managing Scale and Growth in DG sustainably

Large Scale Portfolio Growth

Optimizing Operations

Repowering

Minimizing Risk

Refinancing

Plenary Closing

The Offtaker Perspective

Realizing The Next Generation of Solar Assets