The Changing Landscape for Renewable Energy Developers
The “build it and they will come” era of renewable energy development is over. For developers operating in the Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) market, the rules of engagement have fundamentally shifted.
Today’s corporate buyers have evolved from using PPAs to contract for an annual volume match of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). They are navigating a complex web of compliance obligations, financial risk, and procurement strategy. Concerns around Greenhouse Gas Protocol changes, PPA financial performance during periods of negative pricing or market volatility, and the relative merits of in-country multi-buyer PPAs versus single buyer pan-European Virtual PPAs are now standard boardroom conversations. Buyers are building PPA portfolios to diversify risk, manage smaller in-country volumes, and stay ahead of evolving market and regulatory expectations. It is no longer just about buying generation capacity to get RECs. It is about smart, customer-centric energy portfolio management.
Forward-thinking developers have recognised this shift. Rather than waiting for the market to come to them, they are proactively analysing buyer behaviour, evolving their internal capabilities, and redesigning their solution portfolios to align with their target customer’s actual needs. Amarenco, a leading independent solar energy producer who has already integrated biodiversity regeneration into their core business, is one such developer. Considering two of their five company values are ‘Commitment’ and ‘Pioneer’, it seems obvious that they took this course of action. Their story illustrates what that transition looks like in practice.
What Amarenco Was Looking For
Amarenco recognised this changing dynamic early and understood that adapting to this new market reality would require outside expertise. A genuine advisory partner.
They needed someone who understood the lived reality of the European Corporate PPA market, not from a distance, but from direct experience at the intersection where developer proposals meet corporate RFP evaluation processes. That meant an advisor who could do more than repackage publicly available information. Amarenco needed a partner who could bring real data, real market insight, actual PPA experience, and the intellectual rigour to constructively challenge their thinking, even when that meant questioning their current assumptions and direction.
The bar was high: deep sector expertise, a demonstrable track record, and the credibility to hold a room with senior stakeholders. What they were not looking for was a matchmaking service or a procurement shortcut. They wanted a strategic advisor.
Why Zeigo Network
Following a competitive tender process, Amarenco selected Zeigo Network, by Schneider Electric, as their preferred advisory partner.
Zeigo Network has been at the forefront of PPA data and advisory services for nearly nine years, working with many of Europe’s largest renewable energy developers. But what set Zeigo Network apart in this process was not simply tenure. It was the depth and quality of the insight on offer. Zeigo Network sits at a uniquely privileged vantage point: as part of Schneider Electric’s Advisory Services business, the team has direct access to a comprehensive, live database of PPA price data drawn from real corporate RFP processes. This is proprietary intelligence that no analyst report or industry publication can replicate.
Crucially, Zeigo Network’s value proposition goes beyond data. With many years’ experience of the interface between developers, corporates and the wider market, the team brings an intimate understanding of corporate buyer psychology, how procurement teams think, what drives their decisions, and how developer proposals are evaluated in practice. For Amarenco, this represented exactly the kind of market intelligence needed to reposition their business with confidence, and Zeigo Network was their gateway to access it.
The Engagement: Built Around Amarenco’s Needs
Zeigo Network took a deliberate, structured approach from day one, beginning not with a standard deliverable, but with listening.
The engagement opened with a deep-dive discovery phase, during which the Zeigo Network team worked to understand the goals and priorities of Amarenco’s key stakeholders. This allowed the team to design both the content and the delivery format around what would genuinely move the needle for Amarenco, rather than presenting an off-the-shelf solution. A named project lead was assigned from the outset, ensuring continuity, accountability, and a consistent point of contact throughout.
Progress was managed transparently, with regular check-ins that gave Amarenco’s team the opportunity to review interim outputs, provide feedback, and validate that the work was tracking against stakeholder expectations. This iterative approach proved particularly valuable as the engagement deepened. As Amarenco’s understanding grew, so did the sophistication of their questions, and Zeigo Network’s team was able to flex and respond in real time.
A cornerstone of the engagement was honest counsel. Zeigo Network was not engaged to validate existing plans or tell Amarenco what they wanted to hear. The advisory mandate was to provide the facts, including data and perspectives that might challenge or even redirect the client’s thinking. That willingness to bring difficult truths to the table, backed by evidence, is a hallmark of Zeigo Network’s consultancy approach.
The engagement culminated in a live, in-person delivery session in Amarenco’s Paris offices, with additional market experts joining virtually where needed. This format gave Amarenco’s team direct access to some of the most experienced voices in the sector, creating space for genuine dialogue, real-time questions, and the kind of nuanced discussion that written reports simply cannot provide.
The Value Delivered and What Comes Next
The outcomes for Amarenco were both immediate and strategic. Through the engagement, the team gained:
- Market intelligence: a clear view of established and emerging trends across the renewable energy and corporate PPA landscape
- Buyer insight: a deeper understanding of corporate customers, their technical structures, procurement drivers, risk concerns, and decision-making psychology
- Real price data: factual analysis drawn from live RFP data, including hybrid Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) PPA pricing, not available anywhere else
- Expert access: direct engagement with seasoned market practitioners, enabling the team to pressure-test assumptions and sharpen their strategic thinking
- Grounded confidence: the assurance that comes from working with a delivery team carrying nearly 40 years of combined energy sector experience, supported throughout by hard data
Importantly, the relationship does not end with delivery. The modular structure of the engagement means Amarenco can later seek further engagements to refresh their intelligence at regular intervals or take up a Zeigo Network subscription to maintain continuous access to the latest market developments. As the Corporate PPA market continues to evolve, that ongoing connection ensures Amarenco’s customer-facing strategy stays relevant, competitive, and ahead of the curve.
Quotes
“This engagement gave us the clarity and confidence we needed to refine our commercial strategy for the corporate market. Zeigo Network brought real data, real experience, and real challenge — exactly the combination we were looking for.” — Olivier Jacquemin, Head of Power Revenues, Amarenco
“ Amarenco exemplifies the kind of developer that succeeds in today’s market: proactive, willing to challenge its own assumptions, and committed to building solutions aligned with buyer needs. We were proud to act as their strategic advisor during this transition.” — Des Connolly, Senior Commercial Manager EU, Zeigo Network
About Amarenco
Amarenco is an independent power producer specialising in the development and operation of large‑scale solar PV and energy storage infrastructure across Europe. Founded in 2013, it has delivered more than 2,000 projects and employs over 200 people. Its regenerative business model integrates soil and ecosystem restoration at its project sites, contributing to the “4 per 1000” initiative.
About Zeigo Network
Zeigo Network, by Schneider Electric, is a strategic advisory and market‑intelligence partner to renewable energy developers. Zeigo Network’s Developer Advisory Services provides consultancy capabilities grounded in real PPA pricing data, corporate buyer insights, and nearly a decade of developer advisory experience.