Man sieht in seiner Biographie dass er schon länger in Payom investiert und mit Payom zusammenarbeitet. Man hat sich also keinen Fremden ins Boot geholt! The Renewable Energy Leader's Forum: Joshua Weinstein, AMSOLAR Corporation
Tell us about your company's main technology/service? AMSOLAR’s mission is to bring solar energy to educational institutions across the United States. As a solar developer, we bring our customers a total solar solution including engineering, installation and maintenance. For customers who opt not to own the solar system themselves, AMSOLAR also provides financing through long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Often PPAs can be structured so that our customers save money on their electricity bills from the moment the solar system is switched on. In addition to building a world-class solar energy system, we provide our customers with a customized AMSOLAR GIVING program. AMSOLAR GIVING programs foster renewable energy awareness, education and exploration and can be tailored to any audience. What is unique about your technology/service? We believe that AMSOLAR is unique in our focus on providing solar energy solutions tailored to a specific set of customers: educators. A solar energy system is not simply a power plant – it’s also a teaching tool. We invest considerable resources in understanding the needs of students, teachers and administrators at each of our customer schools to ensure that they realize the economic, environmental and educational benefits of going solar. How will your technology/service transform the energy sector? We stand alongside all other renewable energy providers who are trying bit by bit to transform the energy sector into a more sustainable industry. But AMSOLAR’s approach is also unique and, we believe, positions us to have a significant and lasting impact. With our educational customers, we aim to expand the relationship between individuals and the energy they consume. Whether through classroom activities, public awareness events or grants for students and teachers, AMSOLAR seeks to educate communities about the concrete benefits of sustainable energy production and to empower the next generation to make environmentally friendly behavior a given in their daily lives. How does your company compare to its main competitors? At AMSOLAR, we think of our main competitors as the traditional electrical utilities. It may seem odd, but ultimately, that’s who we need to persuade our target customers to drop in favor of going solar. Compared to utilities, AMSOLAR is small, but we’re also significantly more customer-focused. We work hard to make sure that the experience of “going solar” feels nothing like the old relationship our customer had with their utility. We believe our unique positioning in the market and our value-added services specifically for educational institutions help us achieve that. What specific milestones (technology, corporate and financial) will you achieve this year and next year that are important to the success of your business plan? In 2010, we will complete the installation of a large project at the University of San Diego: a 1.2 megawatt (MW) system that involves 11 rooftops and more than 5,000 solar panels. We will also start construction on a 5.2 MW project for the San Diego Unified School District that will bring solar power to 20 sites. 23,000 solar panels will placed on over 80 rooftops across the district during the installation phase. When activated, the system will save the district between US$13 million and US$20 million against its utility costs over the 22-year term of the Power Purchase Agreement. VISION What are the guiding principles of your company? At AMSOLAR, our goal is to make solar “come alive” for the communities that we serve. This means enabling educational institutions to embrace solar energy without prohibitive up-front costs – and ensuring that our school partners can save money from the first day we turn on the solar energy system. Moreover, we feel it is our obligation and responsibility to give back to our partner communities through AMSOLAR GIVING, ensuring that we inspire the next generation of citizens and energy consumers to be mindful of our collective responsibility to embrace renewable energy. What do you think is the role of government when it comes to growing the renewable and clean energy sector? Globally, renewable energy has been supported by government subsidies. We believe that local, state and national government bodies should support market-based solutions that promote innovation and stimulate adoption of renewable energy. AT AMSOLAR we see it as our responsibility to understand public sector support and package incentives in a way that makes solar affordable for our educational institution partners. When it comes to your business/product, what inspires you? Our team at AMSOLARis inspired by the opportunity to make solar energy affordable and accessible. So many energy providers make power difficult to understand and appreciate. At AMSOLAR, we see providing power as the first step on a broader relationship that enables us to inspire a new generation of citizens, while at the same time saving money for our school partners today. What is your overall outlook of the renewable energy sector over the next 3 years? Is it: very positive -- positive -- neutral -- negative -- very negative? Our outlook is very positive. The opportunities to make renewable energy accessible and affordable are varied. It is our responsibility as providers of renewable energy solutions to transform what has historically been unnecessarily complicated and expensive into a suite of offerings that are sustainable, cost-effective and easy to embrace. Joshua Weinstein's Bio Joshua Weinstein serves as Managing Partner with AMSOLAR Corporation. Mr. Weinstein is an entrepreneur and investor with a proven track record of success in the United States and abroad. As an advisor, investor and operating executive, Josh has been involved with a number of successful companies in the US, Europe and Asia. Mr. Weinstein has been actively involved with the renewable energy sector for five years. Prior to the launch of AMSOLAR, Josh was an investor in and advisor to leading German solar companies Payom Solar AG, SD Solardach GmbH and Wirsol Solar AG. In addition, having lived and worked in Mainland China, Mr. Weinstein has deep relationships in the Asian solar community. Prior to his involvement in the solar marketplace, Mr. Weinstein worked as an investor with Brener International Group, LLC, of Beverly Hills, California, sourcing and executing private equity transactions across a range of sectors, including energy, real estate, media and consumer goods. Josh co-founded a leading Chinese retailer of mobile content (acquired in 2010) and a web-based software company (acquired in 2009). Mr. Weinstein began his career at The Walt Disney Company as manager of Corporate Synergy & Special Projects. He was a White House Intern under Gene Sperling, national economic advisor in the Clinton administration. Mr. Weinstein served as an advisor to QuestBridge and on the board of Indian non-profit Kaivalya Mandirman. He currently serves as a member of the Coalition for Green Capital, a consortium of leaders in energy development enterprises. Mr. Weinstein also oversees AMSOLAR GIVING, AMSOLAR's corporate giving and community action arm. Josh is a graduate of Williams College. |