The SunEdison Origin Story

The Energy Gang

Wood Mackenzie

Alternative Energy, Tech News, 958784, Environment, Technology, Renewable Energy, Energy, Business, Sustainability, Wind Energy, Climate Change, Cleantech, News, Solar Energy, Innovation, News Commentary

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 26 March 2018

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the early 2000s, investors weren't very interested in SunEdison's business plan to finance solar with power purchase agreements.

"No one wanted to hear about physical infrastructure," said Jigar Shah, who drafted the business plan and co-founded the company.

It took until 2006 to raise venture capital. But soon after, PPA customers started rolling in: Staples, Ikea, then Whole Foods.

"It was an idea who's time had come," said Shah. The PPA is now the backbone of solar.

In this week's edition of the live podcast series Watt It Takes, Shah sits down with Powerhouse CEO Emily Kirsch to discuss his career in solar -- from Astropower to the Department of Energy to BP Solar and, eventually, to founding (and leaving) SunEdison.

Jigar talks about why he left SunEdison, why he thinks Goldman Sachs was a terrible board member, and why cleantech entrepreneurs are taking really dumb money.

Watt It Takes is a live interview series produced by Powerhouse in partnership with GTM. The conversation was recorded live in Oakland, California.

This podcast is brought to you by CPower Energy Management. Find out more about CPower's demand-side energy management solutions.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	So I closed on a house recently and money's a bit tight for me now as you might expect
0:05.4	But then the other day I got a check back from my lawyer for seven bucks. We laughed about it
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0:45.0	helping them reach their green goals and earn those green backs.
0:48.0	Seriously, your accounting department is going to track you down and give you a big hug.
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1:00.0	Seepower Energy Management.
1:02.0	Find out more at seepower Energy Management. Find out more at C Power Energy Management.com.
1:06.2	From Green Tech Media, this is the Energy Gang, a weekly digest on energy, clean tech, and the environment.
1:15.5	I'm Stephen Lacy, welcome.
1:19.9	Did you know that Jiggershaw can climb a flight of stairs with roller skates or
	...

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