SolaREIT Spotlight: March

George Winsten

At SolaREIT, our mission to accelerate the clean energy transition is powered by a diverse team of passionate and talented individuals. Each team member is crucial in delivering innovative financing solutions to solar and battery energy storage developers and landowners. As a minority and women-owned business, we know that the unique contributions of every person on our team drive our collective success. 

This month, we're happy to shine the spotlight on George Winsten, our Vice President of Business Development working with clients up and down the East Coast and beyond. George brings deep expertise to our team with his extensive background in renewable energy and tactical power solutions–both in the field and at the beach! 

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. 

I’ve been interested in energy and the environment for a long time. I studied Environmental Science with a focus on Energy at Stetson University, where I was able to learn from experienced leaders there who emphasized the importance of power generation, energy storage, and grid resilience. I live in Jacksonville Beach, Florida with my wife, our one-year-old daughter and a whole bunch of pets. 

What inspired you to join SolaREIT? 

I have been in sales since high school, starting with selling Cutco Knives as a 16-year-old, then transitioning to residential solar sales in college. With graduation approaching, I had scoured northeast Florida for renewable energy jobs and found a Stetson Alumn running a military power company. I worked in tactical power for almost six years, getting my hands on expeditionary solar, batteries and power management, all over the world. I had been looking for a new challenge in the energy space that allowed me to maintain family time while making an impact. After looking at several companies, none matched SolaREIT for leadership acumen, experience in the field, reach across the country, and emphasis on the importance of family/life outside of work. SolaREIT has the hunger of a startup with the experienced team of a seasoned company—it has been a perfect fit for me. 

What has been your most rewarding experience at SolaREIT? 

SolaREIT has moved mountains to close several portfolios over the years but being point as we closed a recent portfolio within 45 days over the holidays was truly a feat. Our partner needed the capital to be on time and we were able to make it happen. 

How do you see the future of renewable energy, and SolaREIT's role in it? 

Land will continue to remain crucial  for the future of energy resilience . My take is that two things will be integral for the energy future: Long term energy storage (batteries) and effective distributed power sources like solar. Through a relatively unique financing approach, SolaREIT helps move the needle in making both of these more common. The world will require more BESS and distributed generation sources, and SolaREIT will help facilitate getting these built through our tailored finance solutions. 

What has surprised you most about working at SolaREIT? 

The world of solar and BESS development is both huge and tiny all at the same time. SolaREIT has emphasized the importance of building significant, long-term relationships, and I think this helps our relatively small team have an enormous reach in every major market. We are constantly finding new developers to work with–but we hear common experiences and pain points across the sector. I am excited to see us grow our impact across the states 

What do you enjoy doing outside the office? 

I love being outdoors, usually playing beach volleyball, fishing, or running with our dogs on the beach. Our daughter loves all things water, so swimming in the pool or the ocean is always a blast. I will never turn down a new food and love to cook, especially grilling.