Solar Maverick Podcast

In this special live episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, host Benoy Thanjan moderates a panel discussion from the MSSIA(“Mid-Atlantic Solar and Storage Association”) Solar and Storage Conference focused on one of the most important topics in renewable energy today: how AI is accelerating solar development, asset management, and O&M. The panel explores how AI is both creating new energy challenges through data center-driven load growth and helping solve some of the industry’s biggest bottlenecks, including permitting, local opposition, distributed energy resource coordination, asset management, O&M, and post-COD performance. Benoy is joined by Anuj Saigal from Spark AI, Anna Gusel from enSights.ai, and Joel Santisteban from EcoSuite. Together, they discuss where AI is actually delivering value today, where the hype still exists, and how renewable energy companies can use AI-enabled tools to move faster, reduce risk, and make better decisions.

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, host Benoy Thanjan sits down with H.G. Chissell, Founder and CEO of AEG (”Advanced Energy Group”), live from DistribuTech 2026 in San Diego. H.G. shares how AEG convenes utilities, regulators, agencies, corporates, and community leaders to turn urgent climate and grid challenges into action through a “competitive collaboration” model built around 12-month goals and 90-day sprints. They discuss why trust and affordability are emerging as defining issues of the energy transition, how human-centered outcomes can accelerate adoption, and what it takes to drive real progress across complex stakeholder groups.

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy Thanjan sits down with Peter Davidson, CEO of Aligned Climate Capital, to discuss how private capital is driving the deployment of solar projects and climate technologies. Aligned Climate Capital manages approximately $2.1 billion in assets and invests in companies and projects accelerating the clean energy transition. Peter explains how climate-focused investors evaluate opportunities, where capital is flowing today, and what separates bankable projects.

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, host Benoy Thanjan sits down with Abu Riaz, CEO and Founder of AMS Renewables, to discuss what it takes to scale a solar and storage EPC in today’s rapidly evolving clean energy market. Abu shares how AMS Renewables grew out of a traditional construction background into a fast-scaling EPC platform, executing projects across commercial, community solar, and utility-scale segments. The conversation highlights why construction discipline, capital planning, and execution are critical differentiators in solar and storage development.

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, host Benoy Thanjan sits down with Jarand Rystad, Founder and CEO of Rystad Energy, one of the world’s leading energy intelligence and data advisory firms. Jarand explains why solar has dramatically outperformed historical forecasts, how rapid cost declines have reshaped global power markets, and why many regions are now facing a new challenge: too much solar at the wrong times. As grids become saturated with midday generation, energy storage has emerged as the critical missing link. The conversation explores why the next five years will belong to energy storage, how batteries enable higher renewable penetration, and what this shift means for pricing, grid stability, and project economics. Jarand also shares insights on powering the AI and data center boom, the evolving role of gas and nuclear, long-duration storage innovations, and why electrification is fundamentally transforming the global energy system.

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, host Benoy Thanjan sits down with Dr. Hunter McDaniel, CEO of UbiQD, a quantum materials company redefining how light interacts with solar technology. Hunter breaks down quantum dots and explains how this nanotechnology can dramatically improve solar performance by optimizing the light spectrum. The conversation dives deep into UbiQD’s landmark supply agreement with First Solar, including how quantum dots can significantly boost bifacial solar efficiency, especially for thin-film modules. The episode also explores broader applications of quantum dots from building-integrated photovoltaics, solar windows, to agriculture and offers hard earned advice for clean-tech and deep-tech entrepreneurs navigating long commercialization cycles.

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy sits down with Rob Sternthal, Managing Director at Expedition Infrastructure Partners, to break down how investors evaluate solar platforms and development pipelines. Rob brings more than 20 years of experience in investment banking, tax equity, structured finance, and renewable energy, and he explains the real criteria that determine platform value today. Benoy and Rob discuss why platforms are being repriced, how rising SG&A and longer development timelines are reshaping exits, and what investors are prioritizing in the current market. They also cover the Pine Gate bankruptcy, the renewed shift toward “develop and flip,” battery economics, tax credit insurance constraints, FEOC uncertainty, and the wave of distress expected to define the industry over the next two to three years.

In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, host Benoy Thanjan talks with Jon Semingson, President of Peak Demand, a leading recruitment firm focused on renewable energy and clean technology. Jon shares an inside look at how the intense growth of solar, storage and broader renewables is reshaping the talent market, what companies are doing right and wrong when hiring, and what candidates should focus on to stand out. Benoy and Jon also dive into how recent policy changes and the “Big Beautiful Bill” landscape are influencing demand for specific skill sets, plus key takeaways from this year’s RE+ Las Vegas and what they signal about the future of the clean energy workforce.