Q: Popular Power has described itself as the “intelligence layer” for solar operations. How does the platform convert generation data into real-time operational decisions for the firms you serve?

SZ: We are an intelligence layer for solar developers and operators, specializing in the management and optimization of distributed solar energy. We use generation monitoring as our data foundation, and from there we apply machine learning models and artificial intelligence to deliver the insights and operational intelligence our clients need, helping them prioritize maintenance, identify portfolio risks, and take targeted action where it has the greatest impact.

The goal is to help operators use their data as intelligently as possible to ensure that every asset in their portfolio is performing at its peak, and, ultimately, to generate more renewable energy and more revenue for the people who operate those assets.

Q: Distributed generation became the dominant growth segment in Mexican solar a few years ago. How has Popular Power’s product offering evolved in response to how that market has developed?

SZ: Popular Power launched in mid-2024, so we have always been focused on distributed generation. While large-scale utility projects stalled under the previous administration for a range of well-documented reasons, distributed generation was the segment that continued to grow. Popular Power was built to ensure that not only are more distributed installations happening, but that the ones already in place are operating at full capacity.

Our focus is fundamentally post-installation: once a solar asset is in the ground, how do you ensure it generates as much energy as possible, performs reliably, and remains well-maintained over its full useful life? That operational question is where we concentrate our energy.

MB: When this sector was younger, the norm was to sell a system and move on: minimal post-sale service and minimal accountability for performance. That model generated a lot of problems and eroded trust in certain parts of the market. The industry has matured considerably since then. The best operators now understand that energy is increasingly delivered as a service. Whether through PPAs, long-term lease structures, or performance guarantees, sophisticated developers are committing to the ongoing success of their installations, not just the initial sale.

End users have matured in parallel. Large commercial and industrial customers are investing millions of dollars in solar assets and expect those assets to deliver measurable value in savings and energy resilience for 25 years or more. That shift is profound, and it is precisely what Popular Power is built to support. Every kilowatt-peak we help manage should be generating renewable energy at maximum efficiency for as long as technically possible. That is our north star.

Q: Popular Power announced that it generated US$500,000 in revenue with I-RECs with a goal of US$1 million for 2026. What are the main drivers behind this development in terms of attending energy needs for clients?

SZ: Several factors converged last year to create a genuinely significant opportunity. First, the renewable energy certificate market in Mexico experienced a notable price increase. Certificates that were trading at one to US$1-1.5 two years ago started the year at around US$3 and reached US$7 by year-end. That repricing matters enormously, because it changes the economics for smaller distributed generation assets that had previously been priced out of the certification process.

Historically, I-REC markets were designed around utility-scale projects. Certifying a single 5MW plant is a very different undertaking from certifying two hundred commercial and industrial sites operating under a shared portfolio. The latter had always been effectively impractical to do manually, and the economics did not justify the effort when certificate prices were low.

What changed is that we built the automation infrastructure to make it viable at scale. Through API integrations with inverter manufacturers, we standardized and centralized the data required for certification across large distributed portfolios, including a portfolio of 3,000 residential sites and dozens of commercial and industrial installations registered in a single process. We also applied AI-driven tools to handle document extraction, including single-line diagrams, contracts, and supporting materials, at a scale that would have been impossible through manual processes even a year or two ago.

The combination of rising certificate prices and our automation capabilities allowed us to unlock a market that had been structurally inaccessible for distributed generation operators. That is what drove last year’s results, and it is why we expect to scale significantly in 2026.

Q: There is a lot of discussion about the potential of data extracted from solar plants, but the real question is what you can actually do with it. How does Popular Power move from monitoring and data collection to tangible financial value for a client’s portfolio? 

SZ: On the I-REC side, the value creation is quite direct: by automating data collection and standardizing it through our platform, we remove the manual friction that previously made certification unviable for distributed portfolios. We then monetize that data in a market that was historically closed to smaller assets. The message to our clients is straightforward: for every kilowatt-peak you put on our platform, we can generate additional revenue by monetizing the environmental attributes you are already producing.

On the operational intelligence side, we apply machine learning models trained on historical site data, including generation patterns, local climate conditions, and equipment behavior, to generate predictive insights. Rather than responding to problems after they occur, operators can anticipate them. We surface prioritized recommendations: if you act on these three things in your portfolio, you will generate X additional megawatt-hours, which translates to X additional revenue. The platform makes it concrete, quantifiable, and actionable.

MB: I also want to be precise about the scale of that value: based on our data, clients who act on our recommendations and insights have the opportunity to generate an additional US$30,000/MW installed per year. That is a substantial figure, and closing that performance gap through more precise insights, clearer recommendations, and increasingly automated implementation is central to everything we build.

Q: What do you find most often holds clients back from adopting solutions like yours, and how do you address that?

MB: The solar industry, while it has roots going back two or three decades, has only really scaled in the past 10 years. It remains a young, rapidly evolving sector where the competitive landscape, the technology, and the regulatory environment can shift meaningfully within a single month.

What that means for us is that we are not competing against a set of established alternatives that clients are already familiar with. Operators do not typically wake up thinking, “I need an intelligence layer; let me evaluate three vendors.” The category itself has to be introduced, explained, and validated. It is analogous to the early days of CRM software: before someone invented and commercialized the concept, sales teams did not know they needed it. Someone had to build the category, educate the market, and make the case for a fundamentally different way of operating.

Our approach is to lead with the most sophisticated operators: the developers and portfolio managers who already understand that they are leaving performance on the table, who know that centralizing monitoring across hundreds of sites is a prerequisite for running meaningful AI models, and who can see how a 7% performance gap across their portfolio translates to a concrete revenue opportunity. Once you have that conversation with someone who has identified the pain point, the value proposition is clear.

Q: What are your primary objectives for 2026 and what are you most excited about this year?

MB: Our core focus is consolidating and expanding the strong position we have built in Mexico and Latin America. We believe we are already the reference solution in this market, and we want to deepen that standing considerably.

On the I-REC side, our goal is to at least double the volume we achieved last year with Steph. Like any new product line, the first milestone takes the most effort; the second tends to follow much more quickly as the infrastructure and processes are already in place.

We are also targeting meaningful growth in platform subscription revenue, and clients will see a significantly more powerful product this year as we integrate agentic AI capabilities more deeply into the platform. This will change how clients interact with their portfolio data, making it easier to understand what is happening, why it is happening, and what actions to take, with less friction at every step.

Ultimately, everything we are building points toward the same outcome: helping our clients close the gap between where their portfolios are performing and where they could be. That US$30,000/MW per year opportunity is real, and getting every client to fully realize it through better insights, clearer recommendations, and more automated execution is what drives us.

 

Popular Power is an intelligence layer for solar developers and operators, specializing in the management and optimization of distributed solar energy. It uses generation monitoring, machine learning and AI to deliver insights to users.