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SolMicroGrid to Provide Solar-Powered Microgrid Energy System to Wendy’s Restaurant in California

NEW YORK, NY – January 6, 2025—SolMicroGrid, an Energy-as-a-Service microgrid company focused on the commercial and industrial (“C&I”) market, announced plans to deploy a solar-enabled microgrid solution that will provide renewable energy and cost savings to a Wendy’s restaurant operated by Dependable Foods in Wasco, California.

Through a combination of a PV solar array and an on-site battery energy storage system, all controlled by an intelligent energy management system, the microgrid will provide clean energy at a significant discount to grid power. SolMicroGrid provides these benefits on an energy-as-a-service basis, which means that the system is owned and maintained by SolMicroGrid who will provide green power and other energy services to Dependable Foods.

Ron Dhillon, Wendy’s franchisee and CEO of Dependable Foods said, “Partnering with SolMicroGrid to install a microgrid system at our restaurant is a game-changer for us. This energy-as-a-service agreement allows us to reduce energy costs and improve sustainability—without any upfront expenses. We’re proud to lead the way in adopting innovative energy solutions that benefit our business and the environment. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Dependable Foods on this groundbreaking renewable energy installation,” said Kirk Edelman, CEO of SolMicroGrid, “This project represents a major step forward in advancing clean energy solutions for the quick service restaurant industry. By integrating sustainable, distributed energy resources at the local level, we’re helping Wendy’s reduce energy costs at its restaurants. This is just the beginning of what’s possible as we work together to redefine how businesses efficiently power their facilities.”

The Wendy’s Company is committed to reducing their Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 47%, and Scope 3 emissions from franchisees by 55% per restaurant by 2030. Initiatives like on-site solar can be helpful to Wendy’s and their franchisees in mitigating their climate impact. More information and progress toward Wendy’s climate and energy goals can be found in their most recent Corporate Responsibility report.

SolMicroGrid is positioning itself for rapid growth as it scales its operations to meet the increasing demand for sustainable, distributed energy solutions. With an expanding customer base in California and the addition of experienced leaders driving operations and business development, the company is well-equipped to continue its growth, expand its operating fleet and deliver innovative microgrid systems across a range of industries.

About SolMicroGrid

SolMicroGrid is a differentiated developer and operator of solar-enabled microgrid systems, offering energy resiliency and efficiency to commercial and industrial customers. The company’s service solution reduces operating expenses without the need for customer capital investment. SolMicroGrid is a portfolio company of Morgan Stanley Energy Partners. 

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Barry Sanders

Managing Principal, Merle Management

Barry Sanders is the Managing Principal of Merle Management LLC and is based near Boston. Mr. Sanders advises ClimateTech clients with growth and funding strategies and tactics. He also coaches executives and key investors to maximize potential.
He is also a Columbia Technology Ventures – New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) Entrepreneur-In-Residence. Mr. Sanders currently sits on the Board of Directors of ClimateTech companies.

Prior, he launched American DG Energy Inc. in the US and EuroSite Power Inc. in the UK from start-up through IPO. He was the President and Chief Executive Officer. The companies provided Energy-As-A-Service (EaaS) in the form of electricity, heat, hot water and cooling for C&I customers. He grew business to over $350 million in contract value.

Also, Mr. Sanders served in Executive roles with MicroLogic, Inc.; Schneider Electric (Andover Controls Corp.); Thermo Fisher (Tecogen Inc.); and NYSERDA. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Rochester and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from the Lally Business School at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Barry Sanders

Robert Duva

Senior Vice President, Operations

Bob Duva leads our Operations and Project Management teams. He brings over 38 years of experience in construction, energy efficiency technologies, automation, and renewables. His background includes growing talented engineering teams, managing projects across the continental U.S. and Hawaii, and developing creative solutions in the fields of demand response, solar production, battery integration, and remote automation and control.

Additionally, Bob has served as Engineer of Record for many Solar projects in the NJ/CT/MA area since 2010, being Licensed in those states as a Professional Engineer, as well as NY and PA. He also holds an Electrical Contracting License in NJ.

Bob Duva

Bill Gifford

Vice President, Business Development

Bill Gifford is focused on our business pipeline, building our business development team, and exploring new opportunities to expand our network of microgrid customers. He’s a seasoned industry veteran in C&I renewable energy sales and project management. Gifford joined SolMicroGrid from Dynamic Energy where he worked in various senior business development and revenue origination roles for five years. His previous experience includes roles at SolarCity which was acquired by Tesla. Gifford started his career as a solar installer in 2015, which provided valuable hands-on experience.

Gifford graduated from Hunter College with a BA in Political Science and Rutgers University with a Master of Public Administration.

Smiling white guy in blue suit in front of blurred building

Ryan Jordan

Executive Director, Morgan Stanley Energy Partners

Ryan Jordan is an Executive Director of Morgan Stanley and is based in New York. Mr. Jordan joined Morgan Stanley in 2009 as an Analyst in the Investment Banking Division, working in the firm’s Natural Resources Group in Houston. He joined Morgan Stanley Capital Partners (MSCP) in New York in 2011 and focused on investments in the energy sector, prior to joining Morgan Stanley Energy Partners (MSEP) upon its inception as a separate investing team in 2015. Mr. Jordan currently serves on the Board of Directors of Sterling Energy, a portfolio company of MSCP, and of Specialized Desanders, M.G. Bryan, SolMicroGrid and Durango Midstream, all MSEP portfolio companies. Mr. Jordan holds a B.B.A. in Finance and the Business Honors Program from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. in the Plan II Honors Program from the University of Texas at Austin.

Ryan Jordan

Andrew Griffin

Executive Director, Morgan Stanley Energy Partners

Andrew Griffin is an Executive Director of Morgan Stanley and is based in Houston. Mr. Griffin joined Morgan Stanley Energy Partners in 2017 after completing graduate school. From 2013 to 2015, Mr. Griffin was an Associate at Lindsay Goldberg and, from 2011 to 2013, he worked as an Analyst in the Mergers & Acquisitions group of Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Catalyst Energy Services, Mission Creek Resources and SolMicroGrid, all current MSEP portfolio companies. Mr. Griffin holds an A.B. in Economics, magna cum laude, from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where he was a Palmer Scholar.

Andrew Griffin

John Moon

Head of Morgan Stanley Energy Partners

John Moon is a Managing Director of Morgan Stanley and Head of Morgan Stanley Energy Partners (MSEP). He is based in New York and Houston and has 25 years of investing experience. Mr. Moon served as a senior member of the Morgan Stanley Capital Partners (MSCP) team from 1998 to 2004 and then rejoined Morgan Stanley in 2008.

Prior to his return to MSCP, Mr. Moon was a Managing Director of Riverstone Holdings LLC where he served on the Investment Committees of the Carlyle/Riverstone Global Energy & Power Funds III and IV. Prior to Riverstone, Mr. Moon was a founding partner, Managing Director and member of the Management Committee of Metalmark Capital LLC, which sub-advised Morgan Stanley on investments held by MSCP III and MSCP IV beginning in September 2004. He is a former member of the Investment Committees of MSCP III and MSCP IV and Metalmark Capital Partners I.

Mr. Moon served on the Board of Directors of the following MSCP Fund portfolio companies: Aventine Renewable Energy, Cantera Resources, Canyon Gas Resources, Concert Capital Resources, Triana Energy/Columbia Natural Resources, Triana Energy II and Union Drilling. He currently serves as a director of Sterling Energy and Trinity CO2, both MSCP portfolio companies, and M.G. Bryan, XRI, Presidio Petroleum, Specialized Desanders, Durango Midstream, Mission Creek Resources, SolMicroGrid and Catalyst Energy Services, all MSEP portfolio companies. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 1998, Mr. Moon worked in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs in New York.

Mr. Moon holds an A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard College. He also holds an A.M. and Ph.D. in Business Economics from Harvard University. Mr. Moon is an adjunct professor of finance at Columbia Business School.

John Moon

Richard Grosdidier

Executive Vice President, Commercial Execution

Richard Grosdidier brings more than 35 years of domestic and international experience in tax equity, project and structured finance, banking, treasury, M&A, project development, team leadership and complex transaction management to SolMicroGrid. He has also been instrumental in the creation of several startup companies in both structured finance and renewable energy.

Grosdidier has held senior finance and development positions with leading companies in the energy/renewable energy industry such as Innogy SE, NRG Energy, Next Era Energy Resources, DZ Bank AG, Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation, Signal Capital and AT&T Capital. He was Senior Vice President of Commercial Execution at NRG and helped the company build a 1.8 GW utility scale solar portfolio through greenfield development and M&A. At Next Era Energy, Grosdidier was Senior Director of Project Finance and Analysis and played a key leadership role in multiple complex financings and M&A transactions. As Senior Energy Banker at DZ Bank, he developed several new markets for the bank. Grosdidier also was based in Asia for 8 years with responsibility for project finance leading the execution of numerous cross border financings. Early in his career he spent 10 years as an Institutional Tax Equity Investor focused on the energy sector.

Grosdidier holds a BS in Commerce & Finance from Wilkes University and an MBA and Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton.

Kirk Edelman

Chief Executive Officer

Kirk Edelman is focused on expanding business opportunities and driving organizational change to position SolMicroGrid for its next phase of growth. He is a driven leader and proven energy executive with a 25+ year history of success managing multi-cultural teams focused on investing in power, oil gas, natural resources, and infrastructure projects. Edelman served as President and CEO of Siemens Financial Services, Inc. where he built a $15 billion investment portfolio. He has held senior positions in financial services firms like Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and TD Securities and has led several energy investment organizations including those within Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, and GMAC. He was the Chief Commercial Officer of Safari Energy – a leading solar company which is now part of Carlyle’s Aspen Power platform – where he helped build a $300 million portfolio of operating assets. In 2022, Edelman became the Chief Commercial Officer of Verdagy, Inc., a pre-revenue green hydrogen company before accepting the CEO position at SolMicroGrid. He started his career as an engineer with Exxon and transitioned into more senior roles with companies like Catalyst Energy, Translink Transmission and Siemens.

Edelman graduated from Bucknell University  with a BS in Civil Engineering with honors and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School  with an MBA in Finance.  Board memberships have included The German American Chamber of Commerce, New Jersey Institute of Technology’s Martin Tuchman School of Management and Cornell University’s Program in Infrastructure Policy.

Kirk Edelman