Christian Clem
Amsterdam,NH
Summary
Renewable energy expert, consultant, and entrepreneur with 15 years of experience and a finance-driven career. Highly competent in startup and scale ups, with a focus on capital origination, project development, project finance, business development, quantitative analysis, commercial negotiation, and business strategy. Led or supported over 3+ GW of solar project development and transactions. Constant learner with international exposure and a global mindset. Partnering with teams dedicated to the energy transition.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Founder
Coravant Consulting
07.2018 - Current
- Specialized in providing strategic advisory to clients in the renewable energy sector, with a focus on solar developers, IPPs, clean energy tech companies, and energy transition startups.
- Conducted in-depth financial analyses on 250 MW of solar PV projects to assess project valuations, optimize investment decisions, and maximize returns for a global Fortune 500 power company.
- Facilitated negotiations and execution of offtaker agreements and/or PPAs to ensure project financeability across 100 MW of solar PV projects for a large solar developer.
- Supported pitch deck development and capital raising efforts for a newly formed "solar-as-a-service" software startup.
Co-Founder and CEO
Panhandle Solar Group
07.2021 - Current
- Spearheaded the development of a greenfield portfolio of solar PV and BESS projects totaling 1.95 GW in the ERCOT market.
- Led all project development efforts, including portfolio roadmap creation, securing development capital, project finance modeling, and the selection of outside engineering firms, environmental consultants, transmission consultants, and law firms.
- Managed and collaborated with outside partners regarding land leases, project design, permitting topics, transmission studies, and interconnection.
- Guided all negotiations of term sheets with international IPPs seeking project investments in the Texas market.
Director, Solar Asset Management
Zoncoalitie
11.2019 - 06.2024
- Conceptualized and implemented fundraising strategies resulting in €1 million in startup capital.
- Directed the establishment of a new branch within the company dedicated to managing solar assets ranging from 50 kW to 5 MW, and oversaw its seamless integration into the company's operations.
- Managed the acquisition and operations of 30 MW of operational solar assets owned by major real estate investors, providing comprehensive financial oversight and technical reporting.
- Worked closely with organizational leadership to guide overall business direction and strategy.
CFO
360 Managed Services
06.2017 - 07.2018
- Oversaw deployment of strategic business plans to accomplish accounting, investor compliance, and revenue targets.
- Originated a pipeline of 200 MW of solar projects across five states within six months, equating to a $5 million top line revenue opportunity.
- Created prospect outreach lists, manufactured proposals, and negotiated commercial contracts with counterparties overseeing all business development and corporate sales activities.
Director, Business Development
SunShare
06.2016 - 05.2017
- Initiated strategic partnerships and successfully concluded three transactions totaling over $150 million in value for 75 MW of solar projects in Minnesota and Colorado.
- Orchestrated transaction negotiations, conducted comprehensive due diligence, and collaborated closely with legal and technical teams to finalize project purchase agreements.
- Collaborated closely with the CFO on all project finance initiatives for the company, jointly overseeing project modeling and conducting comprehensive valuation analysis exercises.
- Cultivated relationships with external stakeholders, including banks, equity providers, and tax equity firms, to bolster transactional efforts.
Assistant Vice President
EcoMark Solar
10.2015 - 06.2016
- Negotiated terms and conditions and secured a $2 million revolving line of credit with a regional bank.
- Investigated multiple residential rooftop solar leasing structures and solar insurance products with local banks and credit unions in Colorado.
Solar Design Engineer
EcoMark Solar
04.2015 - 10.2015
- Performed load analysis calculations to accurately size system components according to customer needs.
- Optimized solar energy systems by designing and implementing efficient layouts.
- Designed over 150 rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems which are now in operations.
Field Marketing Manager
EcoMark Solar
09.2014 - 04.2015
- Increased rooftop solar sales by conducting door-to-door canvassing, being promoted to a Field Manager within eight weeks.
- Enhanced lead generation through targeted local events and trade shows, breaking multiple company records in terms of leads generated.
- Mentored junior team members, fostering professional development and growth within the department.
Analyst and Investment Advisor
Doyle Wealth Management
01.2012 - 06.2014
- Performed top-down fundamental analysis on public equity targets in the technology, energy, and commodities sectors, identifying high-potential investment opportunities and risks.
- Managed $100 million in investments across 75 clients, coordinating investment strategy and meeting clients quarterly to discuss portfolio performance and market outlook.
- Secured Series 65 license while working at the firm, enhancing ability to provide comprehensive investment advice.
- Authored insightful newsletter articles on industry trends across various asset classes, including topics on renewables and the energy transition.
Analyst, Securities Lending
J.P. Morgan
01.2009 - 06.2010
- Supported the management of a $40 billion portfolio of global securities across multiple asset classes and various continental markets.
- Rebuilt the divisional revenue model within the first 60 days, achieving accounting projections with an accuracy of +/- 5%.
- Observed and reported trends across multiple product lines such as corporate bonds, municipal bonds, derivatives, international equities, domestic equities, and currency-backed securities.
- Managed operational accounting and general ledger reconciliation functions across 50+ sub-accounts.
Education
MBA - Finance
University of Tampa
Tampa, Florida05.2012
Bachelor of Science - Finance
University of Tampa
Tampa, Florida12.2008
Skills
- Strong leadership, managerial, and people management skills
- Outstanding verbal, written, communication, and presentation skills
- Self-starter with exceptional analytical skills and understanding of capital markets, project finance, structured finance, and valuation
- Articulate negotiation, convincing, and relationship building abilities
- Highly organized, numerate, and detail oriented
- Deep sector knowledge across solar, battery energy storage systems, and cleantech
Websites
Certification
NABCEP PV (Photovoltaic) Associate
Languages
English
Native language
Dutch
Intermediate
B1
Volunteer Experience
- Cleantech Open: Cleantech Open runs the world's largest cleantech incubator. Their mission is to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today's most urgent energy, environmental and economic challenges.
- Denver Startup Week: Denver Startup Week is intended to unite the entrepreneurial community in Colorado and celebrate the great startups, innovation and ideas happening in the city and the people and inspiration behind them.
- Rockies Venture Club: RVC hosts events in Denver, Colorado focusing on raising capital for early stage businesses.
Hobbies and Interests
- International travel and culture– visited 20+ countries.
- Sports and fitness– yoga, snowboarding, golf, mountaineering.
Timeline
Co-Founder and CEO
Panhandle Solar Group
07.2021 - Current
Director, Solar Asset Management
Zoncoalitie
11.2019 - 06.2024
Founder
Coravant Consulting
07.2018 - Current
CFO
360 Managed Services
06.2017 - 07.2018
Director, Business Development
SunShare
06.2016 - 05.2017
Assistant Vice President
EcoMark Solar
10.2015 - 06.2016
Solar Design Engineer
EcoMark Solar
04.2015 - 10.2015
Field Marketing Manager
EcoMark Solar
09.2014 - 04.2015
Analyst and Investment Advisor
Doyle Wealth Management
01.2012 - 06.2014
Analyst, Securities Lending
J.P. Morgan
01.2009 - 06.2010
MBA - Finance
University of Tampa
Bachelor of Science - Finance
University of Tampa
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