SMP 306: How AI Is Changing Utility Scale Solar Design?

Episode Summary Can artificial intelligence help solar developers design more constructible projects and identify costly site challenges earlier? In this episode of the Solar Maverick Podcast, Benoy Thanjan speaks with Orçun Başlak, Co-Founder and CEO of PVX AI, about how AI is changing utility scale solar design. Orçun explains why PVX AI starts with terrain before placing modules and racks, how AI can work directly within AutoCAD, and why reducing design rework matters as much as increasing speed. He also shares how soil conditions, foundation requirements, and early site selection can influence project construction costs. The conversation covers AI adoption, software security, battery storage placement, and PVX AI’s expansion into the U.S. market. Orçun offers practical advice for energy entrepreneurs and companies looking to incorporate AI into their daily workflows. Celebrate 300 Episodes of Solar Maverick

Join Benoy and the Solar Maverick community for a networking celebration marking 300 episodes of conversations about solar, entrepreneurship, and the energy transition.

November 5 | 6:00–9:00 p.m. | Jersey City, New Jersey

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Biographies Benoy Thanjan

Benoy Thanjan is the Founder and CEO of Reneu Energy, a solar development and consulting firm, and the host of the Solar Maverick Podcast. He also serves as a strategic advisor to multiple cleantech startups.

Over his career, Benoy has developed more than 100 MWs of solar projects across the United States, advised on more than 1 GW of energy projects worldwide, helped launch some of the first residential solar tax equity funds at Tesla, and brokered approximately $50 million in renewable energy credit transactions.

Before founding Reneu Energy, Benoy worked in Tesla’s Project Finance Group as an environmental commodities trader, where he managed one of the company’s largest environmental commodities portfolios. He originated renewable energy credit transactions and worked with senior leadership to develop monetization and hedging strategies supporting the company’s expansion into East Coast markets.

Benoy also served as Vice President at Vanguard Energy Partners, a solar and energy storage construction company, where he developed project finance solutions for commercial-scale solar portfolios. At Ridgewood Renewable Power, a private equity fund with approximately 125 MW of U.S. renewable energy assets, he evaluated investment opportunities, supported portfolio strategy, and played a key role in the sale of the firm’s renewable energy portfolio.

Earlier in his career, Benoy worked in Energy Structured Finance at Deloitte & Touche and in Financial Advisory Services at Ernst & Young. He also completed an internship on the trading floor at D. E. Shaw & Co., a global investment and technology development firm.

Benoy holds an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics from the NYU Stern School of Business, where he was an Alumni Scholar.

Connect with Benoy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bthanjan

Learn more: https://reneuenergy.com https://www.solarmaverickpodcast.com

Guest Bio: Orçun Başlak

Orçun Başlak is the Co-Founder and CEO of PVX.AI, a solar power plant design software company. Based in Istanbul, Turkey, he has worked in the solar industry since 2008, combining experience in utility-scale solar engineering and consulting with a background in software development.

Orçun studied electrical and electronics engineering before completing a master’s degree in software and system security in the United Kingdom. His experience designing projects on challenging terrain led him to develop tools that address construction constraints early in the design process.

Through PVX.AI, he focuses on helpi