renewable energy

I am entering a full time MBA program (M7 program with a strong finance reputation) with the goal of exiting to renewable/clean energy IB upon graduation. I am hoping for some advice on which firms to target. My understanding is that renewable/clean energy teams will be grouped into the energy group of most banks. Can anyone speak to that? The school has fantastic access to IB firms but the recruiting starts early. I am hoping to have a game-plan for recruiting come fall. In order to do that I will need to have a better understanding of which firms are the big players in that space. Anyone

26 May 2020

After beginning my career in energy (primarily o&g) I've become far more interested in moving to a firm focused exclusively in the renewables space. I am more interested in boutique firms rather than power groups in larger banks. One name I have come across that seems to have less info published on it than say Greentech or Marathon Capital is CohnReznick Capital. I'm wondering if anyone here has any info or experience working with the firm and its perception within the industry? Any info at all is appreciated!

24 May 2020

Hey folks. Spent a lot of time as a ghost on these forums back when I was trying to figure out what I was doing - figured I'd give back a little for anyone who's looking at the renewable energy infra/project finance space, with specific emphasis on the buy side. ### Background I've got a slightly non-traditional background and got pretty lucky joining the firm that I did (top public school, no finance background). I taught myself project finance and started a consulting business for 2-3 years building complicated deal models (learned on the fly) for various parties. One of my clients was a

04 Jul 2019

Many of the finance / investing magnates got their big break by being ahead of the curve or simply being in the right place at the right time. If you were a trader at a bank in the mid 70s, you likely made a boatload of money in the 80s when that business took off. Similar situation to when Institutional Private Equity took off in the mid to late 1980s, Tech in the early 2000s, you get it. The guys that were involved in those fields before the explosive growth typically made tons of money. So my question is, why aren't more finance students today dying to get into renewable energy investing

21 Dec 2019

Hey everyone! I was wondering if there is an energy banker here who can explain to me the difference between a Project Finance valuation of a solar plant and a wind plant. I did not find a financial model on the topic so if somebody has some materials, I would love to see them. Thanks!

06 Feb 2021

I'm a junior applying for IB summer analyst positions for this summer and I want to work with clean tech, is that something that I should bring up in the cover letter and interview or should I figure it out later? Thanks!

24 Sep 2019

Hi, question up front: I am interested in getting into energy infrastructure investing, specifically renewables, hydrogen, power transmission, etc., either on the equity or debt side. I am wondering whether the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) cert is a possible way in as someone from a non-finance background. I am in Europe and would prefer to work in either Europe, the Middle East (Dubai), or Canada. Additional details: I am currently working at a Big 4 in Europe mostly doing due diligence on integrity, reputational, and regulatory risks (i.e. corruption, bribery, conflicts of

08 Nov 2020

Hi guys Was wondering what sort of career prospects are there from doing some time in a renewable energy / sustainable tech growth capital / venture capital firm? Could one move onto a more traditional VC firm? Funds raised are worth 100-200m a piece (not sure how many currently though) and part of a much larger organisation. Strong track record in the industry and solid top people - albeit a small out fit in itself. All of it seems very interesting work and I've had some similar experience but i got a bit concerned when i read some threads here (trying to find them now again to give context)

13 Sep 2018

Going to keep this short. What are people's opinions on cleantech IB? Any thoughts on places like Greentech Capital Advisors or ThinkGreen! for example? I'm extremely focused and dedicated to IB -- but I'm trying to specialize into cleantech/renewables because it's been an interest of mine for quite a long time, and I figure it would work well together. Anyone have advice for going down this route, stories, etc?

17 Jul 2015

All, I'd love to get some feedback on a few things. Quick spiel: started as a finance major (3.75) but I changed to mech eng. w/ minor in sustainable energy tech (now have 3.2). I knew from friends and family that I could easily teach myself modeling and accounting principles, but not the quant skills learned as an engineer. Anyways, I'm graduating this spring and I have about a years worth of experience doing M&A, project development/finance (tax equity), and cap raising. First of all, I'd love to hear any ideas on PE/tax equity funds that do energy/infrastructure if you have em (preferably

07 Feb 2020

Hey guys, I have 2 offers (Graduating Senior) and need a little help on Pro's and Cons for exit opps, b-school, etc. Goldman Sachs Technology Division-- Software Developer --vs.-- Renewable Energy Solar Company-- Business Development (Small, more startup culture, yet heavily funded and invested) Obviously, they are extremely different roles. The Business Development team is brand new at the renewable energy company and I would be one of the first employees. I would have a direct impact on bottom-line revenue as well. It might be kool-aid, but my manager already told me that he foresees me

03 Sep 2015

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on 30 May that Germany, the world's fourth-largest economy and Europe's biggest, would shutter all of its 17 nuclear power plants between 2015 and 2022, an extraordinary commitment, given that they currently produce about 28 percent of the country's electricity.

19 Oct 2011

Seeking some insight into Renewable Energy sector. I roughly have 3 years of experience working for a Boutique/Middle Market bank in the Consumer Products sector; However, now I am independent consultant and I have been contracted by individual to create a model for a start-up renewable energy - Wind Technology company and I wanted to get some insight from you Monkey's, since a lot of you may be experts in the sector. Any insight you can provide would greatly appreciated... Also, I would be open to contracting a person to create the financial model if you have expertise in the sector and can add tremendous value to the project. - PM if you are interested. Also if there are any resources online to help me better understand the sector and become a better expert fairly quick that would appreciated as well.. Please only provide constructive and positive comments - I only put this since I have read many of the responses given to others in the forums. Thanks in advance!

20 May 2010

Anyone have insight into the hours, compensation, and/or exit opps for Bryan Garnier & Co ? If you have info on comparable boutiques (in Europe), that would help too. Thanks !

09 Apr 2011

Given the rapid drop in cost of Natural gas, where do you see the future of renewable energy? Is it sensible to invest in that technology given the tremendous reserves of natural gas or do you think that future technology improvements will make it cost-competitive with natural gas?

18 Jul 2014

The domestic alternative energy policy in the US seems to rotate on semantics and adding words to other words to make it look like something is going on. However, the truth of the matter is, energy policy is as defunct as ever and on most fronts the US is lagging far behind. Mostly it is a disregard of what the economist Herman Daly has pointed out about the macro-view of the macro-economic system. His idea is that the ecological system is closed and finite, not infinite created by God for our own personal use, which needs to be included into economic models. As pointed out by this author in

08 Aug 2011

Would a commercial analyst position at a renewable energy company allow me to eventually move into a corporate strategy/development role? My background consists of a non-target undergrad, top U.S. MSF, and I interned in investment banking (M&A). I interviewed for a few corp dev analyst positions out of my MSF but wasn't able to land offers. Is there anything else I should do to try and eventually move into corp strat/dev? I'll be taking CFA Level I this summer as well. Thanks in advance.

10 Mar 2016

As Oilprice.com embarks on its Top 5 series, we thought it expedient to begin with our take on the key figures shaping and influencing U.S. renewable energy efforts, not least because the issue of energy security is being prioritized in campaigning ahead of U.S. presidential elections. In considering from the numerous choices for these top five slots, we take into account a number of variables, including investment in renewable energy, the ability to influence policy and shape public opinion, and advocacy efforts. This goes well beyond simply counting coin – it is about innovation, imagination, vision, risk and patience. Arguably, these people will play an important role in your life and leisure, for better or worse. These are our picks:

27 Apr 2012

In any country, at the end of the proverbial day, both energy utilities and consumers are finally interested in the technologies that generate a kilowatt of electricity most inexpensively, all other considerations aside. Accordingly, all countries involved in solar energy are optimists, but nascent industrial efforts to generate power on a commercial scale from the sun are without exception dependent upon current government subsidies to enter the market, which is littered with optimism, the failure of U.S. federally subsidized company Solyndra being Exhibit A. But countries worldwide are seeking government support to shield their embryonic solar industries from market realities until conditions improve, and few countries are more caught between the realities of

28 Oct 2011

Greening the European Union has suffered a setback. The European Biodiesel Board is reporting that the European Union biodiesel industry production forecasts are noting a 2011 decrease in output, the first since data has been gathered, down from 2010 figures of 9.57 million tons. The European Biodiesel Board reported that biodiesel generation in Europe in 2010 grew by 5.5 percent over 2009 production figures, while in 2009 the European Union's biodiesel industry grew by 17 percent. Recently the European Union's best year for biodiesel output was 2008, when the growth rate surged 35 percent over 2007 levels. Germany and France are the European Union's leading biodiesel producing nations, followed by Spain and Italy.

21 Oct 2011

Alternative energy (or renewable energy) is a new manufacturing industry paradigm that is in its infancy. However, the discussion is not new, and it looks as if the United States has positioned itself to be behind history on what can be a very promising industry for a stumbling economy. After the oil shortages in the 70's, government officials began discussing energy policy as a matter of national security, but this misses the point of a globally competitive economic world. It was too early then to begin thinking that China could out-invest the United States in order to produce an alternative

25 Jul 2011

The Asian Development Bank launched a $9 billion solar power initiative to develop projects generating 3,000 megawatts by 2012. The announcement, which came at the regional lending agency's annual meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, said that Central Asian countries would be prime candidates for siting the projects. "Given Central Asia's growing demand for electricity, the availability of desert land for large- scale solar energy development, and their stated commitment to offset high carbon emissions, several countries in the region are excellent candidates for ADB support through this initiative," ADB managing director general Rajat Nag said. Full article at: Solar Energy

05 May 2010

The U.S. Department of Energy is using funds from last year's economic stimulus package to guarantee $1.37 billion in loans for a solar energy project in California's Mojave Desert. The project mounted by BrightSource Energy would be the world's largest solar thermal power plant when built. "We're not going to sit on the sidelines while other countries capture the jobs of the future," Energy Secretary Stephen Chu said in announcing the conditional loan commitment. "We're committed to becoming the global leader in the clean energy economy." Full article at: Solar Power Project

23 Feb 2010

Wind energy business comes under fire over subsidies and corruption. We also look at the Obama administration's geothermal program, climategate and renewable energy issues. Full article at: Renewable Energy

03 Feb 2010