ADVERTISEABOUT USSUBMIT A STORYSUBSCRIBETERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY
Visit our family of Brands

Sunnova assets officially sold as founder launches new Houston energy startup

solar shift

Sunnova has been acquired. And its former CEO has launched a new startup. Photo via sunnova.com

Solaris Assets has completed its acquisition of the majority of Sunnova Energy International’s residential solar assets. Houston-based Sunnova filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this summer after piling up billions of dollars in debt.

Meanwhile, Sunnova founder and former CEO John Berger has launched a Houston-based home energy services startup, Otovo USA, which just received more than $4 million in seed funding.

Solaris now owns Sunnova’s residential solar services platform and its solar generation and storage portfolio, along with leases, loans and power purchase agreements. Sunnova’s operations are being shifted to SunStrong Management, an Austin-based asset manager for the renewable energy sector.

“By bringing together SunStrong’s asset management expertise with Sunnova’s nationally scaled customer base, we are creating a stronger, more capable leader in the solar industry,” Brendon Merkley, CEO of SunStrong, said in a news release. “Our priority is to maintain the highest levels of service for customers as we expand our footprint as a premier solar asset servicer.”

In June, Sunnova sold its new-home business to homebuilder Lennar for $15.2 million and sold certain assets to investment firm Atlas SP Partners for $15 million.

As of December, Sunnova’s debt totaled nearly $10.7 billion, Reuters reported. Sunnova faced numerous challenges in its quest to survive, including higher interest rates, the reduction of solar incentives in California, and a shakeup in federal subsidies for renewable energy.

Sunnova filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June. A month later, a bankruptcy judge approved the court-supervised sale of Sunnova. Solaris’ acquisition of Sunnova closed Sept. 3.

As SunStrong absorbs the bulk of Sunnova’s assets, Berger — who quit in March as Sunnova’s CEO — has formed a new business. He’s now the founder and CEO of Otovo USA, a partner of European residential power company Otovo.

Otovo USA offers solar power systems, solar batteries, standby generators, EV chargers, electric-load managers, and other power generation and management systems. Otovo’s AI-supported offerings are now available in Texas; the company plans to expand nationwide.

Otovo USA raised its seed funding from the EIC Rose Rock Venture Fund, which invests in energy startups.

“Otovo USA is here to help the millions of Americans with home energy services that are fed up with the complexities of warranties, juggling multiple vendors, and long repair times,” Berger said. The startup, he added, “is bringing customers what they really need: reliable power and a single partner accountable for keeping it up and running. It’s your power, backed by ours.”

From Your Site Articles
Under this partnership, Home Depot customers will be able to buy Sunnova’s Adaptive Home products, which includes solar power, battery storage, and smart energy management. Photo via Sunnova

Home Depot taps Houston company as exclusive solar, battery service partner

deal's on

Houston-based clean energy company Sunnova Energy International has been tapped as the exclusive provider of solar power and battery storage services for the more than 2,000 Home Depot stores in the U.S.

Under this partnership, Home Depot customers will be able to buy Sunnova’s Adaptive Home products. The Adaptive Home line combines solar power, battery storage, and smart energy management.

Sunnova didn’t assign a value to the Home Depot deal.

“Our goal is to make clean, affordable, and reliable energy services more accessible to everyone,” Michael Grasso, executive vice president and chief revenue officer at Sunnova, says in a news release. “As utility rates continue to skyrocket across the country, weather patterns worsen, and remote work becomes more prevalent, the need for resilient, affordable, and dependable power at the home is non-negotiable.”

In 2021, Sunnova rolled out its SunSafe solar and battery storage service at 100 Home Depot stores in hurricane-prone states like Florida, Maryland, and Virginia. A year later, Sunnova made the service available to all Home Depot stores in Puerto Rico.

In 2023, Sunnova expanded the SunSafe offering to 15 Home Depot markets, encompassing about 400 stores.

Publicly traded Sunnova, founded in 2012, had 419,200 customers at the end of last year.

The company recorded revenue of $720.7 million in 2023, up from $557.7 million the previous year. Its net loss in 2023 totaled $502.4 million, up from $130.3 million in 2022.

ALLY Energy celebrated over 50 honorees at its annual awards event. Photo via LinkedIn

Top Houston energy teams, individuals, and companies honored at annual awards

meet the winnenrs

The brightest stars in Houston's energy community celebrated wins at an annual awards event this week.

ALLY Energy, a company that works with its clients to make the energy industry more equitable, hosted its seventh annual GRIT Awards and Best Energy Workplaces on October 26 — and named its prestigious winners. EnergyCapitalHTX, as well as its sister site InnovationMap, was a media partner for the event.

“Every year, we are astounded at how many impressive, committed people are demonstrating leadership and grit in their work to advance the energy transition and build more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces,” ALLY Energy CEO Katie Mehnert says in a news release naming the finalists. “This year is no exception. This is the time to celebrate so many crucial achievements that may otherwise go overlooked in the energy sector and in broader society.”

In addition to naming its winners, ALLY celebrated three Lifetime Achievement Award honorees who have distinguished careers championing change in energy and climate in the private or public sector in the areas of technology, policy, and workforce: John Berger, CEO of Sunnova Energy; Rhonda Morris, vice president and chief human resources officer of Chevron; and Amy Chronis, vice chair, US energy and chemicals leader, and Houston managing partner at Deloitte.

The big winners of 2023 are as follows.

The Professional Award

  • Alex Loureiro, Scientific Director at EnerGeo Alliance
  • Crystal McNack, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisor at Enbridge Inc.
  • Dani Milling, Gulf of Mexico Environmental Engineer & Mexico HSE Coordinator at Chevron
  • Katie Zimmerman, Decarbonization Director, Americas at Wood
  • Mark Klapatch-Mathias, Sustainability Coordinator at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls
  • Natalie Valentine, Director - Business Performance at Worley
  • Syed Fahim, Global ESG Lead at SLB
  • Tane Bates, Regional Operations Manager at Certarus LTD
  • Ujunwa Ojemeni, Senior Policy Advisor - Energy Transition & Technical Assistance Delivery at E3G - Third Generation Environmentalism

The Executive Award

  • Cara Hair, SVP of Corporate Services, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at Helmerich & Payne
  • Emma Lewis, Senior Vice President USGC Chemicals & Products at Shell
  • Jeremy Campbell-Wray, Strategic Accounts and Enterprise Growth Market Executive at Baker Hughes
  • Maggie Seeliger, SVP & Global Head of Strategy, Energy & Resources at Sodexo
  • Max Chan, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development Officer at Enbridge
  • Megan Beauregard, Chief Legal Officer, Secretary, and Head of Policy and Regulatory Affairs at Enel North America, Inc.
  • Sarah Delille, Vice President of US Country Management at Equinor
  • Whitney Eaton, EVP, People & Sustainability at TGS Energy

The JEDI Award

  • Jason Limerick, Sustainability Strategy Lead at Woodside Energy
  • Melina Acevedo, Associate & Partnerships Lead at DE Shaw Renewable Investments

The Entrepreneur Award

  • Charli Matthews, CEO at Empowering Women in Industry
  • Mike Francis, Co-Founder and CEO at NanoTech

The ESG & Climate Champion Award

  • Andrea Hepp, Deal Lead at Shell
  • Brittney Marshall, Senior Advisor, Climate Strategy and Policy at Woodside Energy
  • Gabriel Rolland, Vice President, Corporate QHSE at TGS Energy
  • Sandhya Ganapathy, Chief Executive Officer at EDP Renewables North America

Gritty Girl Award

  • Deepasha Baral, Student at the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies

Best Affinity Group, Employee Resource Group Award, sponsored by ChampionX

  • Baker Hughes
  • ChampionX
  • Shell
  • TPI Composites
  • Women's Energy Network Houston
  • Wood Mackenzie
  • Worley

Best Energy Team Award, sponsored by Ovintiv

  • Advisian Material Handling
  • Halliburton Labs
  • NOV Marketing
  • Syzygy Plasmonics, Rigel Manufacturing & Launch Team

Best Energy Workplaces Award

  • Aera Energy LLC
  • Baker Hughes
  • ChampionX
  • EDP Renewables North America
  • Enel
  • Global Edge Group
  • Shell
  • Southwestern Energy
  • Sunnova Energy International
  • TGS Energy
  • Wood
  • Woodside Energy
Ad Placement 300x100
Ad Placement 300x600

CultureMap Emails are Awesome

Property Showcase

Houston energy startup launches to power AI data centers with Microsoft agreement

power move

Buoyed by a purchase agreement from Microsoft, Houston-based Joulent recently launched to build power plants that meet the electricity demands of AI data centers and other computing-heavy industries.

Joulent builds dedicated power-generating facilities that feed directly into data centers and other power-dependent facilities, eliminating the need for companies to siphon power from grids. Joulent’s plants combine generation, storage and smart controls in a modular, scalable setup, according to a news release.

Investment firm Engine No. 1 established Joulent in collaboration with energy technology company GE Vernova.

Joulent’s first project, the Project Kilby natural gas facility in West Texas, will be co-located with a Microsoft data center. It’ll deliver about 2.67 gigawatts of power under a 20-year deal between Microsoft and Energy Forge One, a subsidiary of Houston-based Chevron. Engine No. 1 and Chevron teamed up to build the plant.

GE Vernova will supply most of the plant’s power capacity, with additional capacity coming from Solar Turbines, a subsidiary of Irving-based construction and mining equipment manufacturer Caterpillar.

“Leadership in the AI era will be determined by who can deliver energy and compute the fastest, most reliably, and at the lowest cost,” Chris James, founder and CEO of Engine No. 1 and Joulent, said in a news release.

“By building new power-generating facilities, Joulent enables customers across industries to power the next chapter of American innovation, while reducing pressure on existing grids and maintaining affordability for ratepayers.”

6 Houston greentech cos. named world's best & more top energy headlines

Trending News

Editor's note: Summer is heating up with big news in the energy transition sector, from Time's World's Top GreenTech Companies of 2026 to ExxonMobil's new Texas legal HQ. Below are the five most-read EnergyCapitalHTX stories published June 15-30, 2026:

1. 6 Houston companies earn recognition on Time’s global greentech list 2026

Six Houston-area businesses appear on Time magazine’s 2026 list of the world’s top greentech companies, with a high-flying name leading the pack. The highest-ranked local company is Houston-based geothermal power producer Fervo Energy, which claims the No. 4 spot—up from No. 14 last year. Continue reading.

2. Houston-based Syzygy lands global customer for first commercial SAF plant

Houston-based Syzygy lands global customer for first commercial SAF plant

Houston-based Syzygy Plasmonics has secured a major future customer for its sustainable aviation fuel. Syzygy has entered into a capacity reservation agreement with World Fuel Services, a global fuel distribution and logistics company. Through the deal, World Fuel has reserved a portion of Syzygy's SAF production for future plants slated for Central and South America. The clean fuel will be produced at Syzygy’s NovaSAF-1 facility in Uruguay, which is moving toward construction. Continue reading.

3. Fervo promotes strategy leader to COO as flagship geothermal project nears launch

Houston geothermal unicorn Fervo Energy has named Sarah Jewett as its new COO. Jewett steps into the role as the company prepares for its flagship Cape Station geothermal project to deliver its first power later this year. Jewett joined Fervo in 2020 as director of strategy and most recently served as the company's senior vice president of strategy. Continue reading.

4. UH study finds Gulf Coast best positioned for emerging carbon removal technology

The Gulf Coast is an ideal spot for deploying a new ocean-based carbon removal technology that uses seawater to capture and store carbon dioxide, according to a new study from the University of Houston. The study was led by UH Cullen College of Engineering Professor Mim Rahimi and published in Nature’s Communications Sustainability journal. Abdelrahman Refaie, a PhD student at UH, authored the paper. It aimed to develop a plan for implementing an electrochemical marine carbon dioxide removal (e-mCDR) technology that treats seawater to increase the ocean’s ability to absorb and store carbon dioxide from the air. Continue reading.

5. ExxonMobil announces date to move legal headquarters to Texas

Energy giant Exxon Mobil Corp. has set a date to move its legal headquarters to Texas. The Spring-based company announced that the redomiciliation from New Jersey to Texas is expected to be effective July 1. Exxon's board of directors unanimously recommended redomiciling in the Lone Star State in March, and shareholders approved the move to Texas at the company’s annual meeting in May. Continue reading.

Baker Hughes signs deal to install 500 MW of geothermal power

geothermal growth

Baker Hughes has made a deal to further expand its geothermal operations.

The Houston-based energy giant has signed an agreement with Mantle Reach Power to develop geothermal energy projects across North America. The companies say they aim to install up to 500 megawatts of geothermal power in the next five years, according to a news release.

Through the new agreement, Baker Hughes will provide subsurface technology and solutions while Mantle Reach Power will lead project development, ownership and financing. Mantle Reach Power is a geothermal development company backed by the $47 billion EnCap Energy Transition Fund III.

According to the release, the deal aims to help solve one of geothermal energy's fundamental problems by aligning capital with expertise and technology, and enhancing "pre-construction bankability."

“Geothermal is a clean power solution that is proving to be a vital contributor to advancing sustainable energy development, with incredible potential to enhance U.S. energy security, support digital infrastructure, and ensure energy remains accessible and affordable ... Today’s announcement celebrates the commercial architecture the industry has been missing: a repeatable, financeable model that can be deployed at the speed and scale to meet global energy demands,” Baker Hughes Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Simonelli said in the news release.

“Integrating Baker Hughes’ subsurface-to-surface expertise with our capabilities in project development, finance, and execution positions Mantle Reach Power to commercialize geothermal assets at scale,” Nick Karambelas, CEO of Mantle Reach Power, added in the release. “This structure provides the construction and operating certainty necessary to access conventional project financing and accelerate our growth as an independent power producer.”

Baker Hughes has launched multiple geothermal partnerships in recent months. The company announced a deal with Oklahoma-based Helmerich & Payne Inc. (H&P) in May to develop a geothermal rig, where H&P will provide a geothermal-capable land drilling rig and Baker Hughes will contribute technology.

In March, the company announced support for XGS’s geothermal extraction projects in New Mexico, which are being used to meet the increasing demands of data centers in the state. Last year, Fervo Energy selected Baker Hughes to supply equipment for its flagship geothermal project in Utah.

View All Listings