Energy Jobs: SunEdison, David Danielson, SolarCity, Ygrene, Dividend, UET

Executive and boardroom moves in cleantech, utilities, energy and VC.

Carlos Domenech, ex-president of bankrupt renewables developer SunEdison, has joined with Pancho Perez, former COO of SunEdison’s YieldCo misadventures to form renewable developer ieX Renewables, according to SparkSpread. The report also notes, "Paul Gaynor, former head of the North American utility-scale solar and global wind business at SunEdison, has launched a wind- and solar-focused outfit, Longroad Energy Partners, with several former colleagues." 

David Danielson is now Precourt Energy Scholar at Stanford University. Danielson, who recently served as the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, left his post at the U.S. Department of Energy in April. He was the first program director hired by the DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, which focuses on high-risk, high-reward clean energy technologies. Prior to joining ARPA-E, he was an investor at venture firm General Catalyst Partners. He also founded the MIT Energy Club.

Ygrene Energy Fund, a national provider of residential, commercial and multifamily property-assessed clean energy financing, named Peter Orrell as executive VP of business development and products. Orrell is a consumer finance veteran who most recently worked at the American Express Company. Ygrene has more than $785 million in committed capital and has provided more than $437 million in energy efficiency, renewable generation, water conservation and climate resiliency upgrades.

Flow battery firm UniEnergy Technologies (UET) named Blake Frye as its senior VP of global sales. Prior to joining UET, Frye was VP of sales for Saft America, where he led the company's energy storage business. UET claims to have 80 megawatt-hours' worth of energy storage systems deployed, ordered and awarded.

Dividend Solar and Figtree Financing agreed to merge in the first-ever combination of a residential solar lender and a PACE financing provider. The deal includes a commitment of up to $200 million from LL Funds. As part of the transaction, Shivraj (Raj) Mundy of LL Funds will join Dividend as its executive chairman. Dividend will soon launch a residential PACE program in California before expanding nationally. 

Ryuta Ray Saka, formerly sales manager at TMEIC, is now director of energy storage sales at IHI Corporation.

Alexander Bell, previously a senior research engineer at General Compression, and before that, R&D manager at SustainX, has founded RheOmega, a startup developing near-isothermal foam technology for power generation systems.

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Enertech Search Partners, an executive search firm with a dedicated cleantech practice, is the sponsor of the GTM jobs column.

Among its many active searches, Enertech is looking for a Strategic Account/Channel Manager:

The client is a late stage start-up, backed by one of the most successful cleantech VCs in the country. The client is transforming the energy efficiency market by providing consumers a product that allows them to bundle and finance energy efficiency solutions.   

The client is seeking a Strategic Channel/Partner Manager with 10+ years of proven B2B channel sales experience in high tech, solar, energy or conventional building trades. This is an incredible opportunity to be at the forefront of an industry transformation.

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Jason Chow is now senior partner at China Daisy Group. He's also the current director and senior VP of Elion Resources Group, Chow was responsible for the acquisitions of Solibro, MiaSolé, Global Solar Energy, Engensa and Alta Devices in his previous role as CEO of Hanergy Global Investment & Sales.

Issam Dairanieh is the CEO of CO2 Sciences, developing technologies that convert CO2 into useful products. Previously, Dairanieh served as the managing director for corporate VC at BP.     

OneRoof Energy, a residential solar services provider, announced that Brian Alexson is no longer COO of the firm. According to a press release from May, OneRoof Energy "is realigning its business operations to focus on solar 2.0 opportunities, characterized by distribution and fulfillment partnerships with major consumer services providers with strong existing homeowner relationships." We've heard reports of the layoffs that usually accompany "realigning."

From last week's column:

SunEdison reported that president and CEO Ahmad Chatila has resigned, effective June 16, as per the SEC 8-K document. John Dubel, SunEdison's chief restructuring officer, will lead the company from that role. Dubel is paid a monthly fee of $175,000. 

Micah Myers, previously with Spruce and CPF, is now CEO at Pace Avenue, "an integrated customer acquisition platform dedicated to PACE financing." The company aims to sign up homeowners for PACE financing "and help them plan projects and find good contractors." Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur Gary Kremen, who founded dating website Match.com and Clean Power Finance (now Spruce) is executive chairman.

Beamreach Solar, formerly Solexel, promoted Mark Kerstens to CEO. Beamreach Solar is going after the "underserved" commercial and industrial rooftop market with a lightweight, easy-to-install module. 

Spruce Finance, a provider of consumer financing for residential solar and home efficiency improvements, hired Darren Thompson as CFO. Most recently, he served as CFO and executive VP of strategy at B2R Finance, a technology-enabled lending platform. 

Also: H.L. Mencken on Fitzgerald's Gatsby.