Suncast

008: Jeff Atkin Host Nico Johnson and Foley & Lardner Partner, Jeff Atkin.  Join in as Nico and Jeff discuss how their mutual time serving in volunteerism in Latin America (in particular, Guatemala) has informed their professional decisions. We talk about the Horus solar project in Guatemala, one which Jeff’s team at Foley was responsible for structuring; if you’re unfamiliar with this project, it was the first major tender-awarded and utility-scale project in Central America, and it’s one of the largest in the region now at about 75MW AC. Jeff gives his opinion on lessons learned from that project, and what he admired about the way the developer approached the project with the end in mind. We discuss the power of initiative, and how he leveraged the power of a large organization to gain traction in an emerging industry, and subsequently, how Jeff has differentiated Foley among the pool of international firms that have a Latin America focus. And, Jeff confirms the not-so-secret fact that the “wealthy fami

Host Nico Johnson does a solo round this week providing a recap of the past few weeks episodes that constitutes the SunCast launch.  We take a look at 4 tips for positioning yourself as (or finding) a good local partner in Latin America.  And Nico discusses some of the ways he looks at planning for the new year as well as the main tool he uses to keep it all straight - meditation!  We believe today’s episode is value-packed, and trust you will too.

Host Nico Johnson and SolaireDirect Managing Director for Mexico & Central America, Lamberto Camacho.  Join in as Nico and Lamberto discuss the similarities of International development between Africa and Latin America, and go deep on how Lamberto positioned SolaireDirect to win the Panama Solar PV Tender last year.  Lamberto has been involved in solar development for a decade, and has personally developed >200MW of projects on 3 continents.  Nico pulls a lot of tips and insights out of Lamberto to share with the SunCast audience, so listen carefully and probably multiple times, as they discuss Mexico, Central America and the regional differences that a good developer has to consider in market development. We really hope you get massive value from this next episode of SunCast!

Host Nico Johnson takes some time today in this first Question and Answer episode to respond to some questions received from the audience the past few weeks.   There are a lot of requests for whether the show will ever be in Spanish.  The short answer is "maybe" and "it depends".  Nico unpacks it a bit further. In our inaugural episode, there was quite a bit of data and market trend info shared between Nico and Adam James, and many really enjoyed this style approach for the show.  We'll definitely be bringing more of this back, but Adam is moving on from his role at GTM, so the recordings have necessarily been put on the back burner as he makes this transition. Conferences are an important way to gain exposure to the players in any specific region, and Latin America is no different.  Nico's been to, and spoken at most of the regional conferences, and takes some time here to highlight what he sees working. A common hurdle for someone entering into a new market is determining where and with whom they should par

Host Nico Johnson and sPower VP for Latin America, Edgar Arvizu.  Join in as Nico and Edgar discuss the in-detail one of Edgar’s first projects in the region, the 5MW Puerto Rico Convention Center carport project.  Edgar and his team have developed some of the first and largest solar projects in the region, from Puerto Rico to Peru, and this Mexican-born devleper has a deep understanding of both the development and banking aspects of the business.  In this episode, Edgar touches on the variability of the solar tender process, bankability of solar+storage, and volatility in exchange risk as it pertains to getting a project financed. Edgar is one of those experienced developers with a broad range of expertise whose willing to share what he knows.  I really hope you get massive value from this next episode of SunCast!

Host Nico Johnson meets with Greenwood Energy CEO, Camilo Patrignani, live from Solar Power International 2015.  Join in as Nico and Camilo discuss the hard parts of developing one of the largest private solar PPAs in Latin America.  We also cover the decisions behind Greenwood’s JV with Illios in Mexico, and the art of letting go when your partner is courted by deeper pockets.  Camilo gives a little insight as well into Greenwood’s master plan to pivot away from the Utility markets and move towards what he sees as the burgeoning and more cash-cycle-friendly rooftop distributed generation (DG) markets. Camilo helps us delve into the specific variables that can affect the success of a solar project in latin america, and how to avoid common pitfalls.  I really hope you get massive value from this next episode of SunCast!

Host Nico Johnson and Nextracker COO, Marco Garcia, dive deep into Marco's global experience developing solar energy projects with Powerlight, SunPower, and now Nextracker as he has lived through multiple emerging market growth cycles.  Marco and his team have been present at the birth of most of today's largest solar market booms, and Latin America is no different.  We dig into exactly how they won some of the largest supply deals in the Latin America region, and what Marco has learned over the years about how to get in early and dominate a new market. The depth of solar experience demonstrated in today's show is perfect for young developers and sales engineers who are eager to learn tips and tricks from an old pro.  From how to hit the ground running in a new country to key signs you're courting a winning prospect, Marco lays out some golden nuggets for the discerning listener.  Hope you get as much out of this as I did.

Host Nico Johnson and GTM Sr. Analyst Adam James dig deep into the various solar markets in Latin America that are, or are not, ready for prime time.  Adam provides sweeping perspectives from energy reform in Mexico to Commercial & Industrial solar in Central America, Capacity payments for solar, and the Chilean Auctions.  Near that end, Adam highlights some of the markets he feels are Hot, and some that are Not, along with commentary on success markers in each.

Host Nico Johnson discusses in detail the research, tools and strategies you need to succeed as a solar professional in the Latin America market.  Through regular contributors like Adam James of Greentech Media and interviews with Industry Executives from leading companies like SolarCity, Nextracker, Conergy and others, Nico shares what's hot, what's working, and how you can be a cut above the rest as you take your company into the fastest growing solar market in the world.