The REM Podcast - Renewable Energy Movement

There Is No Going Back: Ksenia Balanda on Floating Offshore Wind in Italy!Ksenia has spent nearly 20 years at the absolute edge of the energy business. She started with building a 45-person team in nine months in Russia to mastering Italian in "survival mode," her career has been defined by rapid scale and frontier markets.Now, as the Head of Offshore Wind Italy for Nadara, Ksenia is leading one of the most ambitious energy projects in the Mediterranean: the development of six floating offshore wind farms across Southern Italy and Sardinia, representing a massive 5 GW of capacity.In this conversation with Tom Essex, Ksenia breaks down what floating offshore wind actually requires to succeed, why Italy’s regulatory environment is currently the biggest bottleneck, and how the country’s ports and supply chains are quietly preparing for a generational industrial shift.In this episode, we cover:The "Generalist" Advantage: How starting in economics led Ksenia to lead billion-euro energy projects.Rapid Scale: The reality of building a 45-person renewable energy team from scratch in just nine months.The Mediterranean Opportunity: Why floating wind in Italy is a global game-changer and a gateway for the region.The "Three Projects in Parallel" Strategy: Understanding the unique complexity of developing floating technology.Regulatory Bottlenecks: Navigating Italy’s policy gaps and what needs to change to unlock construction.The Talent Shift: Upskilling workers from legacy coal and naval industries for the offshore future.Frontier Leadership: The art of hiring talent and then getting out of their way.WindEurope Insights: Key takeaways from Madrid regarding the future of wind in Italy, Portugal, and Greece.Connect with the Movement:Guest: Ksenia Balanda (Head of Offshore Wind Italy, Nadara)Host: Tom EssexSubscribe to the Renewable Energy Movement Podcast to stay updated on the people and technology driving the global energy transition. Powered by: Kigyo

Stefano Girolami arrived in London from Naples nearly 15 years ago planning to stay six months. He stayed for over a decade, built a career across five countries, and eventually joined a six-person startup that has since scaled to over a hundred people across Europe.He is now the Group CTO of Innovo Renewables. But this isn’t just a conversation about technology todays episode taps into a masterclass in leadership, resilience, and why your professional relationships are your most valuable currency.As Stefano sits down with Tom Essex to discuss the "scars" of the feed-in tariff crash, the reality of managing teams more senior than yourself at 25, and why he chose the chaos of a startup over the security of a global utility, they discuss the following:The Pivot: From Naples to London and finding a footing in the UK solar market.The Market Crash: Surviving the feed-in tariff collapse and being made redundant twice before age 30.The "Young Leader" Challenge: Managing peers and senior experts as a first-time manager.Scaling a Giant: Navigating the Solar Century acquisition by Statkraft and the transition to corporate life.Startup DNA: Joining Innovo at the ground floor and building a team of 100+ from scratch.Hiring Strategy: Why he prioritizes junior talent and "proceduralized" workflows.The Horizon: Future predictions for the Italian and European solar markets over the next 24 months.Connect with the Movement:Guest: Stefano Girolami (Group CTO, Innovo Renewables)Host: Tom EssexSubscribe to The Renewable Energy Movement Podcast to never miss an episode on the people and technology driving the global energy transition.Powered by: Kigyo

Alexis Gonzalez graduated as a mechanical engineer in Venezuela in 2001 and walked straight into one of the biggest petrochemical projects in the country’s history. That early exposure to scale and complexity shaped everything that followed.Over the next 25 years he worked his way through oil and gas, biofuel, offshore wind, hydro and now data center infrastructure. He has managed over $20 billion worth of projects, led teams spread across nine different countries and built a career defined by one consistent belief: that nothing is impossible if you have the right team.He is now Director of Project Controls at Andritz in Montreal, working on the refurbishment of hydro power facilities across North America that were built 50 to 100 years ago and now need a new generation of turbines.In this conversation with Tom Essex, Alexis reflects on everything the journey has taught him, and shares a candid read on where the data center and energy industries are heading, he talks about: ∙ Starting in Venezuela’s oil and gas mega projects and what that teaches you about scale ∙ A biofuel project in Canada that turned garbage into ethanol ∙ Supporting Horn Sea 2 for Ørsted, one of the world’s biggest offshore wind farms ∙ What Nordic work culture gets right that North America does not ∙ The transformer lead time problem quietly threatening the data center boom ∙ Why some hyperscaler projects will not survive to the end of the decade ∙ China’s nuclear and hydro infrastructure play and what the US might learn from it ∙ Why retention is always a byproduct of culture and not of salaryThe Renewable Energy Movement Podcast is powered by Kigyo.

Philipp Walther didn't plan to work in renewables.A conversation with a headhunter after a career in sales leadership opened the door and he didn’t hesitate to walk through it.What followed was a journey through the biggest names in German renewable energy, Notus, Uniper, Aukera. Each role added a new perspective concerning development, leadership, and what it actually means to build something long-lasting.Today, Philipp is Senior Vice President Development at Emernor, the German arm of Norwegian investor Magnora.It's a Small team that highly specialized with a serious pipeline.In this episode, we dig into the reality of the German market and more on:The Sales Edge: Why a background in sales is the perfect (if unlikely) preparation for project development.The Grid Bottleneck: Why grid connections remain the defining challenge across Europe.BESS as Essential: Why Battery Energy Storage is no longer an "optional add-on" for the transition.And, Market Consolidation: Philipp’s prediction on why many companies active today won’t be standing in five years.His view on municipality relationships is an attention grab. In a competitive market, they are the only foundation that matters.The full episode is live!#RenewableEnergyMovement #BESS #EnergyTransition #Leadership #Germany #Emernor

Andrea Sivini has spent more than 25 years on the vendor side of infrastructure projects. ABB. Siemens. Schneider Electric. Wind farms in Italy. Solar farms in southern Italy. A three-year substation project in Uganda. Data centers across Poland, Israel and the rest of Central and Eastern Europe. And in 2024 he crossed the table.He is now Country Manager for Italy at MICIM, a UK company building critical infrastructure for data center and renewable energy customers across Europe and beyond. This conversation is about what that shift looks like from the inside, and where he believes the industry is heading.Andrea is one of those guests who has clearly thought deeply about leadership, clearly as a management concept and also as a practical discipline shaped by years of working with multicultural teams under serious pressure. His views on talent retention are particularly worth sitting with. And his vision for integrated renewable and data center infrastructure is already in motion.In this episode:The three projects that defined his career including three years in UgandaWhat managing cross-continental teams across cultures actually requiresThe difference between attracting talent and retaining itWhy data centers are more complex than renewables and what that means for leadersItaly as a Mediterranean gateway to North Africa and the Middle EastThe integrated data center, solar and battery storage vision he is already working onWhy universities are the most underused talent pipeline in the industryThe Renewable Energy Movement Podcast is powered by Kigyo.

What do you do when the support you need doesn’t exist? You build it!This week I sit down with Julia Ward, Project Director at Xela Energy and founder of FLISS a free UK-based mentoring charity supporting women in STEM. Julia’s career spans chemical engineering, carbon capture, solar development, coal asset operations, batteries, and private wire renewables. And somewhere in the middle of all of that, she noticed a gap and decided to fill it herself.This Wednesday Julia talks through all of it, the career pivots, the moments of clarity, the transferable skills she picked up in unexpected places, and what it actually takes to retain good people in a market that moves faster than almost any other. She also makes a compelling case for why everyone should have three mentors, not one… and what the difference between a mentor and a sponsor actually is.In this episode: Chemical engineering to renewables, an 'unconventional' path E.ON’s graduate scheme and a solar placement in San Francisco What coal asset management taught her about project delivery How FLISS was born and what’s next for the charity The three-mentor framework and how to think about job movesPrivate wire energy (the model and the market) UK renewables predictions for the next 12 to 18 monthsThe Renewable Energy Movement Podcast is powered by Kigyo.FLISS — Free Mentoring for Women in STEM: https://www.fliss.uk/

Yvonne Strzys didn’t plan to spend her career in solar but a rooftop system she spotted at a friend’s house in 1999 set everything in motion.Today she’s Head of Project Development at MaxSolar GmbH, leading a Berlin office that scaled from 3 to 30 people in three years, overseeing a pipeline of ground-mounted solar and multi-utility projects across Germany.In this conversation Yvonne gets honest about what the German renewable energy market actually looks like from the inside the grid connection bottlenecks, the influx of international competition, the maturity that comes with economic pressure, and why the industry’s next chapter has to be built on collaboration.She also speaks candidly about navigating engineering as a woman, the value of community through programs like Women of New Energy, and what she looks for when building teams people genuinely want to stay in. A thoughtful, grounded conversation about the realities of project development in one of Europe’s most active solar markets.In this episode: ∙ The engineer-to-developer career transition and why it’s an advantage ∙ Germany’s grid connection landscape in 2026 ∙ Scaling from rooftop to large-scale ground-mounted solar ∙ Building and retaining diverse teams in a competitive market ∙ Multi-utility projects: solar, wind and battery working together ∙ Her advice to young women entering engineering todayThe Renewable Energy Movement Podcast is powered by Kigyo.

How do you go from navigating two insolvencies to building one of Europe’s most resilient solar developers? This week I sat down with Bernd Kipping, VP Finance, Procurement, Innovations & Technologies at Chint Solar Europe. His career is basically a timeline of everything this industry has been through. We get into:The Solar Valley Era: What it was really like at Q-Cells when Chinese competition started changing everything.The Startup Grind: Building Chint Solar Europe from 5 people to 130 across 8 markets.The Multi-Utility Shift: Why Bernd thinks pure-play solar is no longer enough and what BESS, wind and hydrogen change about the model.Navigating the TSO: The early Dutch grid connection story that says everything about what it means to build from scratch.Market Predictions: Why the UK and Southern Europe are the ones to watch, and his long view on green hydrogen.Connect with Bernd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernd-kipping-7131093a/Powered by Kigyo

For Kim Collins, Director of Project Development for Clear Light Energy, the answer was simple: She wanted to put the puck in the net.In this week’s episode, Kim shares how she deliberately stepped back from seniority to master the technical "weeds" of protection and control. It’s a move most wouldn't have the humility to make, but for Kim, it was the catalyst for everything that followed.She’s since gone on to oversee more than 5GW of wind, solar, and storage across North America.Whether you're an engineer, a developer, or just navigating your own career pivot, Kim’s perspective is as honest as it gets.#RenewableEnergy #CleanEnergy #EnergyTransition #WomenInEngineering #Podcast #CareerStrategyTom Essex: linkedin.com/in/tomessexKim Collins: linkedin.com/in/kimvandenheuvelpeng

In this episode of the REM Podcast, Tom speaks with Moritz Duhm, Regional Manager Onshore Wind & PV at ENERGTRAG, about how Germany’s wind market got to where it is today.Moritz shares hard-earned lessons from over a decade in the industry, including the unintended consequences of the 2017 tender reform, the risks of developer saturation, and how the legal framework is shaping the onshore wind space.They discuss:How Germany’s early wind boom led to a correction that caught many developers off guardWhy permitting bottlenecks have been replaced by tender oversubscriptionHow strategic bidding created a legal and commercial minefield in 2017–2020The future of consolidation and professionalisation in Germany’s renewables sectorIf you work in onshore wind, policy, or development strategy, this episode offers a great insight to the evolution of one of Europe’s most important renewable markets.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BgbD2KDOSSYODOs398hiWKg%3D%3DConnect with Mortiz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moritz-duhm-b664a2257?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BCghAjOfYQh%2BA3tJtc0dY1g%3D%3D

In this episode of the REM Podcast, Tom speaks with Mathieu Lassagne, CEO of ZE-Energy, about building a hybrid solar and storage company before it was mainstream.Before founding ZE-Energy, Mathieu spent several years at ENGIE, where he worked on corporate strategy and led the acquisition of Solairedirect, a successful solar developer in France at the time. Now, with ZE-Energy, he’s applying the lessons he learned to build a different kind of company. One that combines solar, storage and real-time optimisation to respond to market needs in real time.They discuss:- Why being first to market with hybrid storage was a risk worth taking- What real-time optimisation actually looks like in asset management- Why grid congestion can’t be solved by infrastructure alone- The challenges of re-powering older PV sites post-subsidies- What he learned from ENGIE’s acquisition of Solairedirect- The experiences that shaped him as an entrepreneurConnect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Mathieu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathieu-lassagne-994406/

In this episode of the REM Podcast, Tom speaks with Nikolaos Karagiovanidis, Director of Project Development at Chint Green Energy, about what it really takes to build successful solar and battery projects across multiple European markets.Nikolaos shares lessons from a career that’s taken him from EPC work in Greece and Turkey to leading development across the Balkans, Baltics, and Nordics , including why local team structure, grid access, and cultural fit matter so much in this industry.They discuss:The shift from EPC to full project development and what that changed for himWhy Chint’s vertical integration helps them move faster and cheaper than competitorsHow lean teams can outperform large teams if you hire the right peopleWhy grid congestion is now the biggest bottleneck in EuropeHow collocated BESS (battery + solar) is the best solution to the grid bottleneckIf you’re operating across multiple markets, managing development teams, or navigating grid constraints, this episode is packed with sharp insights from someone building at scale.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Nikolaos: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolaoskaragiovanidis-executive/

In this episode of the REM Podcast, Tom sits down with Filippo Ricci, General Manager Italy at Recurrent Energy (subsidiary of Canadian Solar), to talk about what really drives success in renewable energy: projects and people.They cover:- Why “projects and people” are the two real assets in renewable energy- How M&A experience shapes leadership and commercial decisions- What growing a team from 30 to 60 people taught him about culture and capability- What’s on the horizon for the Italian market- Why the energy transition must be cost-competitive, in addition to ESG compliantIf you're thinking about how to scale responsibly, build the right team, or focus your pipeline, this one’s worth a listen.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Filippo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/riccifilippo/

In this episode of the REM Podcast, Tom sits down with Luca Marini, CEO of LIO DC - the data centre platform of LIO Factory, a real estate holding company investing in infrastructure, renewables and beyond.Luca shares why LIO is one of the few platforms in Italy designing renewables and data centres together from day one, rather than treating them as separate industries. He talks about what it means to build infrastructure from the land up, and why being involved from the very first step (land and local execution) is what sets them apart.This episode covers:Why the AI revolution demands renewables and data centres grow hand in handThe value of developing from 0 to 0.2 instead of trying to do everythingHow Lio is attracting long-term foreign capital to ItalyWhy doing fewer projects, but doing them better, is a winning strategyIf you’re interested in early-stage infrastructure, the intersection of energy and digital, or what real long-term value creation looks like in practice - this one’s worth a listen.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Luca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariniluca/DisclaimerThis was our first in-person recording, so we ran into a few minor technical issues. The audio quality is a bit variable - both mics were affected, but Tom’s more noticeably.The video also cuts out near the end, though the full conversation was captured in audio.We felt the insights were too valuable not to share, so we hope you enjoy the conversation nonetheless!

In this first ever in-person episode of the REM Podcast, host Tom Essex speaks to Rodolfo Bigolin, CEO of Innovo Group - a true serial entrepreneur who’s built multiple infrastructure companies across renewables, EV charging and data centres.He explains why his team took construction in-house, how they managed to deliver 11 solar plants at once, and why retention and culture have been key to scaling sustainably.This episode covers:What different European markets taught him, and where the next opportunities areWhy they acquired an engineering firm to control risk and delivery qualityHow they scaled while maintaining almost zero staff turnoverWhy fast-growth playbooks don’t work in long-term infrastructureHow they’re applying lessons from solar to adjacent markets like EV and dataIf you want to understand what it really takes to build energy infrastructure that lasts, this episode is packed with real-world insight from a team that’s doing it at scale.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Rodolfo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodolfo-bigolin-24333115/

In this episode of the REM Podcast, Tom speaks with Carlo Toic, Co-Founder and COO of SOL-R Global Infrastructures, a real estate platform specialising in land strategies for renewable energy projects.Carlo makes a bold case: IPP ownership of land is bad finance. From tax inefficiencies to illiquidity, he explains why mixing real estate and energy assets on the same balance sheet hurts returns, complicates exits, and inflates project risk.They talk about:Why leasing land instead of owning it creates a cleaner, more scalable project structureHow to separate real estate and energy assets to improve liquidity and resale valueWhat solar can learn from the telecom industry’s tower aggregation modelWhy 20% of projects are rejected by IPPs- and how Carlo’s firm targets them profitablyWhat makes a project exit-friendly, especially in early-stage developmentThis episode is packed with deep insight for developers, investors, and operators navigating land risk, exit timing, and long-term portfolio value.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Carlo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drazen-toic/

In this episode of the REM Podcast, host Tom speaks with Laurens van Ochten, Head of BESS at R.Power, a fast‑growing European renewable energy developer specialising in large‑scale solar and battery storage.Laurens shares deep insights into the challenges of scaling battery storage across multiple countries, while managing market differences, grid bottlenecks and team structure. He also explains why R.Power chose to centralise their entire BESS team.They talk about:Why easy grid access in Germany backfired, and what other countries can learn from itHow “paper projects” are hurting hiring, planning, and long-term confidenceWhy Portugal is ahead of other markets when it comes to hybridisationWhat makes a BESS project actually work in real-life conditionsAnd why bureaucracy isn’t always a bad thing when it comes to project qualityConnect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Laurens: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurensvanochten/

In this episode of the REM Podcast, host Tom Essex speaks with Francisco Díez Quiralte, former Global Head of Business Development at Zelestra.Francisco’s career spans three continents, having originated large-scale renewable energy projects across Spain, Germany, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, India and more.They talk about:How he built a 100+ person team across Latin America from scratchCompeting with global players like Enel and ENGIE, winning hybrid auctionsWhy India is years ahead of Europe in designing truly dispatchable renewablesWhat Spain could have learned from Chile’s early grid failuresWhat he misses about the chaos of a global career, and what he’s building nextConnect with Francisco: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francisco-díez-quiralte-21863637/Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/

In this episode of the REM Podcast, Tom sits down with Alexandros Kalargyros, Head of Engineering & Construction at EDP Renewables.Alexandros’ career has taken him across four continents, from small villages in Zambia, to large solar farms in the US.They discuss:His experiences delivering renewable energy projects in Africa, the US and Europe.How Greece is positioning itself as a strategic energy hub between Europe and the Middle East.Why he believes every energy professional should work abroad at some pointWhy scaling the industry isn’t about the technology, but rather about the peopleIf you’re interested in international project construction, leading diverse teams and adapting to life in vastly different countries - this is the episode for you.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Alexandros: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandros-kalargyros-0b783a88/

In this episode of the REM Podcast, Tom sits down with Roderik von Meyenfeldt to discuss his journey from real estate to his current role as Regional Director of Development at Sunrock.Roderik explains:Why the Dutch grid is overwhelmed by going too far too fast with solar developmentWhat Germany got right a decade ago that the Netherlands failed to plan forWhy energy transparency on a consumer level is needed to help fix grid congestionWhat he’d tell anyone entering the renewable energy sector for the first timeThis episode is full of lessons that can be learned from a country that's already quite far ahead in the energy transition.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Roderik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roderik-von-meyenfeldt-0a194027/

In this episode, Ilona Németh-Kiss shares her journey from a legal career in Hungary to becoming the Commercial Project Director in the offshore wind sector at Vattenfall in Germany. She discusses the challenges of transitioning to a new industry and country, the changes in the industry post-covid, and the importance of diversity in the workplace. Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Ilona: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilonanemethkiss/

In this episode, Tom Essex talks to Nick Lagrilliere, the European Director of Project Delivery at GreenGo Energy.Nick has an unconventional transition from the oil and gas industry to renewable energy, driven by personal values and the desire for a more sustainable future. He shares insights on the challenges and opportunities in the renewable sector, particularly in Denmark, and some of the more unexpected cultural differences he’s encountered in international projects.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Nick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicklagrilliere/

In this episode, Tom Essex talks to Barrie Davies, Founder and Entrepreneur of Beyond Green and New Energy Integrations. Barrie shares his journey from finance to renewable energy, discussing his roles at Jinko and Trina Solar, where he built teams and established strategic relationships with investors.Barrie highlights the importance of carbon markets and the need for a decentralised market to meet future energy demands.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Barrie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrie-d-0a247b83/

In this episode, Tom Essex chats with Natalia Paraskevopoulou, Head of Wind Business Development for EMEA at Lightsource bp.Natalia shares her journey into the renewable energy sector, starting from her education in Greece to her experiences working in South Africa and the UK. She discusses the challenges and opportunities she faced, the importance of cultural adaptation, and her current role in expanding Lightsource bp's global footprint. She also highlights the need for more women in the energy sector and offers advice for young professionals entering the field.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Natalia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalia-paraskevopoulou-88119634/

In this episode of the REM Podcast, Tom Moon, Head of Business Development for Solarport, shares his journey into the renewable energy sector, the importance of events in the industry, and the challenges and opportunities of expanding a UK company into the European market. He discusses the significance of quality in project development, leveraging LinkedIn for business growth, and the future trends in the solar industry.Connect with Tom Essex: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Tom Moon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommoon89/

In this episode of the REM Podcast, host Tom Essex chats with Jan Rosenow, a leading expert in the energy sector with over 20 years of experience. Jan shares his journey into sustainability, the evolution of renewable energy over the past two decades, and the critical role of government and collaboration between sectors in driving the energy transition. He discusses the importance of universities in demonstrating decarbonisation strategies and the changing landscape for young professionals entering the field. Jan emphasises the need for optimism and proactive networking in the renewable energy sector, while also addressing the challenges and future predictions for energy transition.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Jan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janrosenow/

In this episode of the Renewable Energy Movement podcast, Tom Essex interviews Dirk Holzrichter, Head of Market Entry & Intelligence for Goldbeck Solar. Dirk shares his journey from a legal background to leading market entry strategies for countries like the UK, South Africa, Turkey, UAE, Iran, Italy, and Romania among others . He discusses the challenges and opportunities in international markets, the importance of cultural understanding, and the evolving landscape of the EPC sector. Dirk emphasises the need for curiosity and adaptability in the fast-changing renewable energy industry, offering valuable insights for aspiring professionals.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Dirk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirk-holzrichter-7aa1a15a/

In this episode of the Renewable Energy Movement podcast, Tom Essex interviews Nicolas Sadon, a seasoned expert in the renewable energy sector. Nicolas shares his journey from working in governmental roles to co-founding Solairedirect, a leading solar company in France. He discusses the challenges he faced in the early days of solar energy, the expansion of his company into Latin America, and the acquisition by ENGIE. The conversation also delves into the future of solar energy, the integration of AI in the industry, and advice for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in the renewable energy space.Connect with Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomessex/Connect with Nicolas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-sadon-2760571b/