Industry Insights

A perspective from our Principal and Founder on uncovering a critical market gap in 2012, building a specialized brokerage dedicated to renewables, and our growth journey since. It started with a workers\' comp claim My first exposure to a renewable energy account occurred in 2012 while I was employed at…

Article by Ross Kiddie, Sr. BESS Risk Manager for Renewable Guard As we live through the transformation brought about by technological advancements in North America’s power grid, the importance of energy resilience and cybersecurity risks is becoming increasingly significant. This concern extends beyond grid operators and regulators; risk managers and…

The following are green flags associated with cheaper insurance at better terms (while also complying with lender requirements): SPACING ≥ 8 feet spacing expected between rows of BESS units. This is used to calculate the biggest potential thermal runaway cascade.  INFORMATION Site layout with spacing labelled  Warranties What is and…

 This Protocol describes best industry practice for our solar PV clients during the claims process.  Generally speaking, in claim situations you should act as though you were a prudent uninsured – i.e. as if you didn’t have insurance. Acting in this way should mean you minimize the risk of incurring…

The 2025 Solar Risk Assessment report, recently released by kWh Analytics, has sparked significant discussion among industry professionals about the evolving challenges facing renewable energy assets. To explore the report’s findings in depth, kWh Analytics convened its Renewable Energy Broker Council, bringing together leading insurance brokers specializing in solar and…

By: Geoffrey Lehv (kWh Analytics), Ross Kiddie (Renewable Guard), and Mark Mirek (Brown & Brown) Originally posted on Energy Storage News The high-profile fire at the Moss Landing battery energy storage facility has generated significant attention within the renewable energy industry. Industry professionals specializing in insurance and risk management for Battery…

Renewable Guard conducts Q&A with over a dozen insurance carriers to address concerns over coverage for increased costs due to tariffs.  Here are our findings and recommendations. Whether you are taking a wait-and-see approach or believe tariffs are here to stay, many renewable energy developers are asking if they have…

By Keaton Carlson, Renewable Guard, and Bobby McFadden, kWh Analytics As the renewable energy sector matures, moving a solar project from concept to operation has become increasingly complex. The days when securing basic property and casualty coverage was enough to break ground are gone. Today’s projects encounter a web of interconnected…

Renewable Guard – Experts in Solving Advanced Insurance Issues for the Renewable Energy Industry We are thrilled to announce the addition of Jim Bowen to our team as the newest Senior Advisor at Renewable Guard. As a highly respected leader in the insurance industry with years of experience as the…

By Adam Shinn, data science manager, kWh Analytics, Michael Cograve, agency principal, Renewable Guard & Ross Kiddie, senior risk manager, Renewable Guard The energy landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, with battery energy storage systems (BESS) at the forefront of this change. The BESS market has experienced explosive growth in…

Jason KaminskyCEO. kWh Analytics – Climate Insurance for Renewable Energy Assets August 7, 2024 The 2024 Solar Risk Assessment report has sparked a lively discussion among industry professionals about the evolving landscape of renewable energy insurance. To facilitate a deeper exploration of the report’s findings, our team at kWh Analytics…

Originally published on PV TechBy Bobby McFadden, kWh Analytics, and Keaton Carlson, Renewable Guard As a renewable energy managing general agent (MGA) and a broker, one of the most common questions we hear from solar and battery asset owners is: “Why do my insurance premiums keep rising, even though I…

Renewable Guard is pleased to announce that agency Principal Mike Cosgrave has been featured in Insurance Journal’s 2021 National Agents of the Year report. This report honors 25 agents who defined what is meant to be a successful independent agent in 2021. With a focus on servicing the renewable energy industry, the…

Featured in Reuters Events Excerpt from the Article: Industry action Last year, Renewable Guard launched a “parametric” hail insurance policy that is triggered when an event exceeds agreed thresholds, such as hailstones larger than two inches in diameter. Hail size is measured by an independent weather data provider using advanced…

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (April 22, 2020) – Renewable Guard Insurance Brokers, LLC a leading independent renewable energy insurance brokerage firm, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Hailsure Underwriting Managers, LLC to deliver a new parametric hail insurance program to renewable energy developers. Hailsure is a leading specialist in…

Solar Developers Safe Harboring in 2019 could lose 4% ITC in 2020 if there’s a loss – An Insurance Strategy to Help BY: Michael Cosgrave, CIC, CRM | Renewable Guard Certified Risk Manager All around the country right now, Solar Developers are storing large amounts of solar equipment in an effort to preserve…

6 Hurricane Insurance & Loss Prevention Strategies Renewable Energy Owners Should Implement Today BY: Michael Cosgrave, CIC, CRM | Renewable Guard Certified Risk Manager Hurricane season runs between June 1st and November 30th and you need only look back to 2017 to find a year of records for the insurance industry…but for all…

In a recently published article, the Wall Street Journal looked at how new tax laws could impact 15 major industries in the United States, including Renewable Energy. It is believed that the proposal in the House tax bill would reduce or sunset federal tax credits for wind and solar projects. This…

RENEWABLE ENERGY RISK MANAGER MICHAEL COSGRAVE AND ENERGY CONSULTANT SAM JENSEN TEAM UP TO EXPLAIN WHY RENEWABLE ENERGY DEVELOPERS AND NOT THEIR EPC CONTRACTOR NEED TO OWN THE BUILDERS RISK INSURANCE POLICY ON THEIR PROJECTS Who should control the insurance when constructing your next renewable energy project? Recently, the insurance risk managers here at RenewableGuard teamed up…

Own a building and adding solar? Or, your building owner wants to simply add your solar array to their building’s insurance? Don’t do it and here is why… SCENARIO: There is common ownership of the building and the roof mounted solar being installed or already installed. Should I just add the solar…

Let the Risk Managers at RenewableGuard help you reduce your risk and insurance premiums by leveraging a free software tool that provides loss potential data of natural hazards occurring anywhere in the world Renewable energy companies spend billions of dollars each year on the development and operation of high tech energy producing…

The Paris Climate Agreement shows us how Political Risk can impact the Renewable Energy Industry, while also shedding light on the need for increased private financing. Bill Gates and his Breakthrough Energy Fund shows us just how to get that done… http://Bill Gates Launches $1 Billion Breakthrough Energy Investment Fund RenewableGuard.com,…

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) HAS A NEW CHIEF AND THERE IS GROWING SPECULATION ON WHAT THAT MIGHT MEAN FOR THE RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRY & ITS FEDERAL INVESTMENT TAX CREDITS (ITC) – HERE’S A LOOK AT MANAGING POLITICAL RISK In an article I wrote almost a year ago titled “Finding…

NO POWER? NO INCOME? NO PROBLEM. HOW TO GET PAID BY YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY WHEN YOU’RE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT GOES UP IN FLAMES! California is home to some of the world’s most notable renewable energy companies and projects. It’s also become a state prone to substantial wildfires due to recent…

THE OLYMPICS ARE DRAWING ATTENTION TO RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ADVANCING RENEWABLE ENERGY SUPPLY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES The 2016 summer Olympics are just getting under way in Brazil with what the country promised to be the “greenest games” ever, but a closer look at the countries politics/economy/security is also uncovering the…

HOW CYBER ATTACKS HAVE FORCED ENERGY COMPANIES & GOVERNMENTS TO MANAGE NEW RISK It was a cold day December 23, 2015 in Kiev and it got a lot colder when hackers attacked the energy grid in western Ukraine.  After shutting down substations, the hackers proceeded to jam the power company’s…

CONGRESS GREEN LIGHTS RENEWABLE ENERGY TAX CREDITS: $73 BILLION EXPECTED TO SURGE INTO THE INDUSTRY BUT WITH IT COMES RISK In early December, 2015, Congress made an impact decision to extend valuable tax credits to the Renewable Energy Industry, with arguably the most significant benefit tied to Wind (Production Tax…

MITIGATING WEATHER RISKS AND THEIR IMPACT ON RENEWABLE ENERGY ASSETS USING THE 5 STEPS TO THE RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS Strong tornadoes are a common sight in the southern and central High Plains of the United States. But not in November. On November 16, 2014, a trio of EF3 tornadoes tore through…