kWh Analytics CEO Richard Matsui joined 3,000 structured finance professionals in Miami to discuss the nascent solar asset class. With the continuation of the low interest rate environment, the investment community was eager to learn about this new investment opportunity–but were also equally wary of the risks inherent in this new frontier.

He spoke on a panel entitled “Risk Mitigation: Industry Response on Key Concerns in the Solar Sector” with fellow panelists Winston Chang (S&P), Michael Mendsohn (NREL), Dale Vander Woude (OneRoof), and Michel DiCapua (Bloomberg).Richard and other panelists addressed a standing room only audience on various topics:

• Equipment performance concerns

• Historical performance data and standardized documentation

• Tax equity credit expiration and impact on appetite for issuing solar ABS

• Understanding the solar deal structure, and the risk profile of each tranche

Richard spoke about the industry’s experience with the asset class, drawing upon the industry database of 40,000+ operating PV projects in the US.