About this episode
What if the strongest opportunities in renewable energy aren’t in massive utility projects, but in the overlooked middle of the market where disciplined operators consistently outperform?In this episode of Green Giants: Titans of Renewable Energy, Wes Ashworth sits down with Mike Silvestrini, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Energea. After developing more than 500 solar projects across three continents and scaling Greenskies into a national C&I leader, Mike is now opening global solar investing to everyday investors.He unpacks the hard realities, the operational lessons, and the global opportunities most people never see.Inside the episode:How Greenskies scaled from a two-person startupWhy being undercapitalized became their advantageHow Walmart and Target reshaped the businesssWhat selling the company taught Mike about timingHow Energea was createdThe financing gap Mike discovered while meeting solar companies around the worldWhy emerging markets offered high-quality projects but little access to capitalHow Energea structures diversified portfolios with monthly dividendsGlobal markets and performanceWhy Brazil became a breakout successHow South Africa’s unstable grid drives demand for solar-plus-storageWhy Colombia’s hydro volatility creates huge opportunityOperating solar assets in the real world Why theft is often a bigger threat than weather Why key O&M and customer functions stay in-house How experience shapes better underwriting and better assetsMike also shares why he believes solar is positioned to win on economics, even if public perception lags behind.If you want a clearer view of how global solar projects are financed, built, and operated, this conversation delivers rare insight from someone who has been in the trenches for nearly two decades.Links:Mike Silvestrini on LinkedInEnergea's WebsiteEnergea - Get StartedWes Ashworth: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weslgs/ Email: wes@leegroupsearch.com https://leegroupsearch.com/green-giants-podcast/ https://leegroupsearch.com/
