Sustainability Business

On this episode Russell Reading sits down with Miguel Gil and Ally Charlton from Schneider Electric’s Renewable Energy and Carbon Advisory team to unpack highlights from the Perspectives event: the push for closer timing and location matching of renewables, supply‑chain decarbonization and buyer collaborations, evolving reporting guidance and deadlines, and growing focus on demand optimization and flexibility.

Want to learn more or get involved? The guests invite listeners to reach out and continue the conversation at upcoming events.

See the events coming up: Events at Schneider Electric

Host Russell Reading speaks with Kenny Schoolcraft about the U.S. Section 232 measures announced Aug 6 that set minimum import prices for polysilicon, ingots/wafers, cells and modules and add a 15% duty on covered downstream products. The rules, effective Dec 4, 2026, are intended to onshore manufacturing but will raise import costs and change project economics.

The episode covers the specific price floors, anti‑stockpiling limits, uneven geographic impacts, possible PPA price increases (broadly a 2%–7% equipment effect with some developers already moving prices higher and an estimated directional impact of about $2–$5/MWh), and how developers and corporates should manage and allocate delivery risk when negotiating PPAs.

In this episode Russell Reading speaks with Jorge Arenillas, Managing Director of Encavis Energy Solutions, about how energy customers have become more sophisticated and why renewable producers must shift from single-asset PPAs to integrated, multi-technology, multi-country solutions.

They cover the value of operational excellence, portfolio management, batteries for flexibility, the balance between global scale and local market expertise, and the growing importance of data, short‑term trading, and reliable partners to deliver tailored, credible decarbonization solutions.

In this episode Russell Reading speaks with Stuart Lemmon, Head of Global Practices for Sustainability at Schneider Electric, about the shift from sustainability as a moral imperative to a strategic business driver. They discuss valuing climate risk, supply-chain emissions, long-term asset resilience (with data-center examples), and how organizations can turn sustainability into measurable financial and operational value.

Stuart shares practical advice on starting the journey, building cross-functional capability, and prioritizing actions that mitigate risk and unlock opportunity for lasting business success.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• The financial case for sustainability
• The repricing of compute

Russell Reading interviews Esther Finidori, Schneider Electric’s Chief Sustainability Officer, about how sustainability is embedded into company strategy and operations. They cover long-term planning, the AirSet innovation replacing SF6, packaging and fleet changes, supplier engagement, and the Impact 2030 framework.

Takeaways: sustainability creates resilience and purpose, digital tools are essential to scale progress, and collaboration across the value chain is key to achieving net-zero and circular economy goals.

Russell Reading and Rain Bliss dive into part 2 of their Mexico series, explaining the self-consumption model for systems between 700 kW and 20 MW. They cover how these projects differ from distributed generation, the importance of on-site storage for reliability, and the distinctions between interconnected and non-interconnected systems.

The episode also discusses commercial and strategic benefits—cost savings, resiliency, and high-quality certificates—plus practical considerations like roof space, supply contracts, permitting timelines, and next steps for evaluating candidate sites.

In this episode Russell Reading speaks with Rain Bliss from Zeigo Network about on‑site solar in Mexico. They explain the two main models—distributed generation (up to ~700 kW) and the larger self‑consumption model—who makes a good candidate, and why distributed generation can be fast to permit and attractive thanks to retail net‑metering.

The conversation covers practical first steps for corporates: prioritize owned sites with sufficient roof or land space, check daytime load and power costs, align internal stakeholders, and engage a trusted developer or Zeigo Network to move projects forward.

In part 2 of the Renewable Roundup podcast, Energy Markets expert Russell Reading and Energy Consultant, Zander Dale explain why environmental attribute certificates (EACs) are rising on corporate agendas, how they differ from carbon credits, and which sectors are most likely to use them.

They cover practical examples (steel, cement, fuels, agriculture), market opportunities and risks, and give clear steps for buyers: match activity, use recognized methodologies, verify data, be transparent, and avoid overclaiming.

This episode of the Renewable Roundup podcast explains environmental and commodity attribute certificates (EACs), how they differ from physical low-carbon products, and how they act as a financing and reporting mechanism to scale low-carbon commodities when direct sourcing isn’t possible.

Russell Reading and Zander Dale discuss the mitigation hierarchy, the distinction between environmental outcomes and reporting rights, the role of registries and assurance, and how SBTi Net-Zero 2.0 integrates market instruments into target implementation.

Russell Reading interviews Jimmy Scott, co-founder of Koy Clothing, about building a fashion brand inspired by Kenya and combining commercial success with genuine sustainability.

The episode covers Koy's pledge to donate 20% of profits to Kenyan projects, their sand dam water project, education and sports initiatives, plastic-free packaging, customer volunteer trips, and practical advice for businesses wanting to give back authentically.

Visit the Koy Clothing website: http://www.koyclothing.com

Emily Copeland, Marketing Manager for Zeigo Network and SE Advisory Services Supply Chain Decarbonization for Renewables programs, celebrates the Renewable Roundup podcast's 1-year anniversary by interviewing founders Russell Reading and Ian Lawrence. They reflect on the show’s evolution, memorable guests and episodes, lessons learned from community wind projects, on-site energy, and the rising roles of AI, storage, hydrogen, and fusion.

The hosts also discuss market surprises, common misconceptions about the energy transition, practical advice for businesses pursuing sustainability, and bold predictions for the year ahead. Subscribe to catch more market insights and future episodes.

Enjoy!

On this episode of the Renewable Roundup, host Russell Reading speaks with Mark Chappell, a PPA expert with Zeigo, about the UK’s proposed voluntary wholesale contract for difference (CFD) and its potential to stabilise wholesale prices.

They discuss how the CfD could affect corporate PPAs, market distortion risks, credit barriers for buyers, CPPA consultation feedback, and possible design changes that might support multi-buyer deals and standardisation in the market.

With many details still undecided, the Russ and Mark highlight uncertainties and next steps for developers, suppliers, and corporate buyers as the UK PPA market evolves.

Pascal Olin of Alight joins Russell Redding to dive into on‑site solar and behind‑the‑meter PPAs. They explain why on‑site solar plus storage can deliver bigger savings and resilience than offsite deals, outline key stakeholder, insurance and commercial risks, and share practical advice on structuring RFPs and scaling across multi‑site portfolios for faster deployment.

What is onsite solar and why is it important?

On-site solar is when a company installs solar panels directly at its facility, such as on a rooftop, parking canopy, or unused land, to generate its own renewable electricity. This allows the business to reduce energy costs, lower emissions, and increase energy independence by producing clean power where it's used.

Be sure to listen to an episode earlier this year with Pascal and Russell as they discussed the growing value of on-site (behind‑the‑meter) solar and battery storage for corporates.
Listen HERE: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/vjcx4rgbevft7ecw/RR_Week_33-_330_Pascal_ALIGHT8l3id.mp3

In this episode Russell Reading interviews Leticia Hermida, Global Corporate PPA Director at Acciona Energy, about hybrid PPAs, contracts that combine generation technologies (most often solar PV and battery storage) to deliver more stable, predictable renewable energy to corporate buyers. They cover why hybrids are gaining traction, the role of storage duration, and how these structures manage price volatility and volume risk.

Leticia explains common hybrid structures, regional trends (notably in Spain, Europe, the US and Chile), common misconceptions, and practical advice: define your objectives, assess value beyond headline price, and explore flexible PPA designs to meet decarbonization and risk-management goals.

Host Russell Reading speaks with Gabor Szabo, Renewable Energy and Carbon Advisory Senior Consultant, from Schneider Electric about Hungary’s evolving renewables landscape, with strong solar growth, an emerging PPA market and corporate interest from the automotive and industrial sectors.

The episode covers wind development challenges and recent regulatory changes, grid constraints, and how upcoming GHG protocol guidance and a new government could shape corporate decarbonization and future renewable projects.

Russell Reading speaks with Stefano Dessi, Offtake Manager for Italy and France, of Uniper Renewables about Italy’s fast‑evolving clean energy market — solar overtaking hydro, rising battery storage deployment, and hurdles for onshore/offshore wind amid north–south transmission constraints.

They explore current and upcoming support schemes (FER‑AX and the proposed FER‑Z), zonal pricing, corporate PPA demand, and developer strategies — and why these shifts could reshape investment and revenue models through 2028 and beyond.

Host Russell Reading talks with Stephanie Moran, Energy & Sustainability Procurement Manager of Coveris, about upcoming changes to the GHG Protocol and SBTi v2 drafts, and what they mean for PPAs, hourly matching, additionality, and corporate reporting. They also discuss Coveris' no‑waste packaging vision and CO2 clean demonstration plant as examples of practical decarbonization.

The episode highlights concerns that uncertainty, added complexity, and potential costs could slow corporate action and affect renewable deployment, while exploring possible market and policy outcomes as the final standards emerge.

On this episode of the Renewable Roundup, Russell Reading speaks with Kenny Schoolcraft of Zeigo Network about “Powered Land” — land that comes bundled with grid access or interconnection privilege. Kenny explains what Powered Land means, why it’s suddenly in high demand, and how it shortens development timelines and reduces execution risk for data centers, renewables and investors.

They discuss how market differences (ERCOT, PJM, MISO, CAISO, etc.) shape the value of powered land, why transmission and interconnection queues are the current bottleneck, and how hyperscalers and corporates are adapting their strategies to secure quick, reliable power.

Host Russell Reading interviews Dr. Calum McDonald, Business Director of the Point and Sandwick Trust, about the UK’s largest community‑owned wind farm in the Outer Hebrides.

The episode explains the Scottish community trust model, the commercial scale and governance of the 9MW project, local projects funded by revenues, challenges in development, and advice for groups considering community energy.

Host Russell Reading and Zander Dale, a Managing Consultant at Schneider Electric, dive into the second conversation about insetting. They discuss what it is, why it matters, and how companies can build credible value-chain climate programs. They discuss core requirements like linking actions to the value chain, additionality and causality, robust quantification and traceability, handling co-claims and permanence, safeguards for communities and nature, and the role of independent verification.

Practical examples include regenerative agriculture, biochar, low-carbon industrial processes, and logistics fuel switching; plus advice on next steps, integrating insetting with procurement and supplier engagement, and using digital tools and standards to ensure transparent, verifiable outcomes.