SMP 286: How AI Is Making Project Finance 10x Faster

Episode Summary: In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy speaks with Inigo, co-founder and CEO of Concentro and founder of Folio, about how AI is helping streamline clean energy project finance. Inigo shares the story behind Concentro and how tax credit transferability created new opportunities in the market.  The conversation focuses on Folio, an AI-powered platform created by Concentro that helps project finance teams organize data rooms, manage diligence, extract key information from documents, and prepare projects for financing.  Biographies Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, solar developer and consulting firm, and a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed over 100 MWs of solar projects across the U.S., helped launch the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered $50 million in Renewable Energy Credits (“REC”) transactions. Prior to founding Reneu Energy, Benoy was the Environmental Commodities Trader in Tesla’s Project Finance Group, where he managed one of the largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated REC trades and co-developed a monetization and hedging strategy with senior leadership to enter the East Coast market.   As Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, Benoy crafted project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. His role at Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with 125 MWs of U.S. renewable assets, involved evaluating investment opportunities and maximizing returns. He also played a key role in the sale of the firm’s renewable portfolio. Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young, following an internship on the trading floor at D.E. Shaw & Co., a multi billion dollar hedge fund. Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern, where he was an Alumni Scholar.   Guest Information Iñigo Rengifo Melia Iñigo Rengifo Melia is the co-founder and CEO of Concentro and Folio, two companies transforming how clean energy projects are financed and managed.  An electromechanical engineer by training with a strong background in energy, Inigo began his career as the first employee at a startup studio, where he was part of the founding team of two early-stage companies. He then joined McKinsey as a management consultant, specializing in energy  including a nearly 10-month engagement helping one of Spain's largest utilities build and launch a distributed generation platform.  Inigo went on to earn his MBA from Harvard Business School, where he met his co-founder Tao.  Concentro is a hands-on tax credit transferability platform focused primarily on distributed generation, managing the entire process from diligence to transaction management to legal documentation. The firm works with both sellers (IPPs, developers, sponsors) and buyers (corporations seeking vetted tax credits).  Folio, spun out from Concentro's internal tooling, is an AI-powered diligence and project finance platform that helps clean energy teams process documentation faster, maintain precision, and manage the full lifecycle from financing preparation through asset management.   Stay Connected: Benoy Thanjan Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn: Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com Website: https://www.solarmaverickpodcast.com/   Iñigo Rengifo Melia Folio Website: getfolio.io Concentro Website: concentro.io Email (Folio): [email protected] Email (Concentro): [email protected]  LinkedIn: Iñigo Rengifo Melia — Concentro   Solar Maverick listeners can request a free two-month trial of Folio — mention Solar Maverick when reaching out. Prior Episode of the Solar Maverick with Inigo and Tao from Concentro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgIbZo4upM8 Summer Solstice Fundraiser A special thank you to everyone who attended and supported the Summer Solstice Fundraiser benefiting Let’s Share the Sun. It was an incredible evening bringing together the clean energy community to support solar and battery storage for communities in Puerto Rico. We are grateful to our sponsors and partners who helped make the event possible, including Folio, Concentro, SolHarvest Energy, Kinetic Communities Consulting, Jordan Energy, Positive Deviancy, New Energy Equity, Reneu Energy, the Solar Maverick Podcast, and Let’s Share the Sun. We also want to thank everyone who made additional donations, attended the event, shared the fundraiser, and helped bring the community together. Your support helps advance clean energy, resilience, and community impact where it is needed most.   Please provide 5 star reviews      If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and share the Solar Maverick Podcast so more people can learn how to accelerate the clean energy transition.    Reneu Energy Reneu Energy provides expert consulting across solar and storage project development, financing, energy strategy, and environmental commodities. Our team helps clients originate, structure, and execute opportunities in community solar, C&I, utility-scale, and renewable energy credit markets. Email us at [email protected] to learn more.