The REM Podcast - Renewable Energy Movement

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...

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 wi...

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...

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 , incl...

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...

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 me...

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 scal...

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, c...

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...

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 scratch Competing wi...

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...

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 development What Germany got right a decade ago that the Netherlands failed to plan for Why energy transparency on a consumer...

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/tome...

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 mor...

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 m...

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...

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 trend...

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 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 mar...

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...