SMP 283: How Solar and Storage Are Saving Lives in Puerto Rico?

Episode Summary In this special episode of Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy Thanjan sits down with Russell LaPlante, Flavia Cabral, and Stephen Jordan to reflect on the November 2025 Puerto Rico delegation with Let’s Share the Sun. The group reflects on their time in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, where they helped install solar and storage systems, spent time with beneficiary families, and saw firsthand why energy resilience can be life-changing.  The episode also touches on the importance of energy independence, the challenges facing Puerto Rico’s grid, the role of solar and storage in building resilience, and why service-based experiences can create deeper relationships than traditional networking or industry events. Biographies Benoy Thanjan Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, a solar development and consulting firm, and a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups. Over his career, Benoy has developed more than 100 MWs of solar projects across the U.S., helped launch the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered $50 million in Renewable Energy Credit transactions. Prior to founding Reneu Energy, Benoy was the Environmental Commodities Trader in Tesla's Project Finance Group, where he managed one of the largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated REC trades and co-developed a monetization and hedging strategy with senior leadership to enter the East Coast market. As Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, Benoy crafted project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. His role at Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with 125 MW of U.S. renewable assets, involved evaluating renewable energy projects and maximizing the performance of the assets. He also played a key role in the sale of the firm's renewable portfolio. Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte &amp; Touche and Financial Advisory Services at Ernst &amp; Young, following an internship on the trading floor at D.E. Shaw &amp; Co., a multi-billion-dollar hedge fund. Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a BS in Finance and Economics from NYU Stern, where he was an Alumni Scholar. Russell LaPlante Russell LaPlante is the Chief Financial Officer of Convergent Energy and Power, a leading energy storage solutions provider in North America. He has spent more than 17 years in the renewable energy industry, with experience across finance, project development, M&amp;A, and energy storage. In this episode, Russell reflects on his November 2025 Let’s Share the Sun delegation to Puerto Rico, where he installed a solar panel for the first time despite nearly two decades in clean energy. His perspective brings together project finance, energy resilience, and the personal impact of seeing solar and storage deployed directly for families in need. Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-laplante-cfa-42353510/ Steven Jordan Stephen Jordan is Director of Marketing for Jordan Energy and is closely involved with Let’s Share the Sun Foundation. He is passionate about storytelling, community, clean energy, and using solar as a tool to empower people. Stephen has experience on the installation side of solar and helps share the mission of Let’s Share the Sun through writing, video, voice, and community engagement. He is also a published author and has worked in music therapy, including with Voices of Our City Choir, which received the Golden Buzzer on America’s Got Talent. In this episode, Stephen reflects on the November 2025 Puerto Rico delegation, the next generation of Let’s Share the Sun leadership, and why solar, storage, and community-building are deeply connected. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-jordan-062413159/ Flavia Cabrel Flavia Cabral is a singer and vocal coach originally from Argentina and joined the November 2025 Let's Share The Sun delegation alongside her husband Russell.  She brings a deeply human perspective to this conversation about service, community, and energy access. During the November 2025 Let’s Share the Sun delegation to Puerto Rico, Flavia formed powerful connections with beneficiary families, especially the women she met during the trip. She shares how listening, empathy, and making people feel heard can create meaningful bonds across cultures and backgrounds. In this episode, Flavia reflects on the importance of showing up, giving back, and understanding the real-life impact of reliable electricity for families facing outages, medical needs, and hardship.  Instagram:  @flavia.111 Stay Connected Benoy Thanjan Website: https://www.reneuenergy.com  Podcast: https://www.solarmaverickpodcast.com Let's Share The Sun Website:<a href=