This webinar will explore how proactive resilience engineering — supported by FM’s data, tools, and expertise — can debunk common renewable energy myths, mitigate evolving risks, and ensure projects are built to last.
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This pv magazine Webinar will explore the critical importance of engineering resilience from the outset of renewable energy projects. The session will open by debunking five common myths in the industry—ranging from misconceptions about hail risk and insurance autonomy to assumptions about solar standards and project viability.
FM experts, Mike Perron, renewable energy market lead, and Riaz Thanduparakkal, senior underwriter renewable energy at FM, will use real-world data and case studies to show how resilience is not just a design choice but a strategic imperative. The presentation will highlight how FM’s engineering-led approach, proprietary research, and rigorous testing protocols help clients navigate evolving risks and build future-proof assets.
Attendees will be introduced to FM’s publicly available tools, including hail maps and battery spacing guidelines, which offer immediate value in project planning and risk mitigation. The webinar will also emphasize FM’s consultative role, guiding clients from design through operation to ensure projects are not only built on time, but built to last.
By combining technical depth with strategic foresight, the session aims to shift the conversation from reactive risk management to proactive resilience engineering.
pv magazine Webinar content:
- How collaboration with insurers like FM enhance project resilience and long-term viability.
- How FM’s investment in proprietary research, real-world testing, and data analysis accelerates standards development and supports smarter design decisions.
- Showcase FM’s publicly available resources — such as hail maps and engineering guidance documents — that can be immediately applied to improve site selection, layout, and risk exposure .
- Gain insight into FM’s testing protocols for hail resilience, which go beyond industry norms by “testing to failure” to ensure real-world durability.
- Q&A
Questions can be submitted beforehand in the comments window when registering or in the chat during the live webinar. Ryan Kennedy, editor at pv magazine USA, will be the moderator of this webinar.
Registration for this pv magazine Webinar is free of charge.
Speakers
Mike Perron, renewable energy market lead, FM
Michael Perron is the renewable energy market lead for FM. He cultivates key broker relationships and helps to develop and execute the strategy of FM’s renewable energy unit, which was announced in May 2024. Prior to joining FM, Perron spent 20 years placing insurance for large clients focusing on energy, chemical, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and other engineered risks. Perron is a licensed insurance broker and a licensed professional engineer. He has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Villanova University and an MBA from the Rutgers Graduate School of Management.
Riaz Thanduparakkal, senior underwriter renewable energy, FM
Riaz Thanduparakkal is a seasoned energy insurance professional with over two decades of experience in the London market as both an underwriter and broker. As senior underwriter for FM Renewable Energy, Riaz brings deep technical expertise and a strategic perspective to the evolving landscape of clean energy risk. Riaz holds a Master of Science in Insurance & Risk Management from Bayes Business School.
Moderators
Ryan Kennedy | Editor, pv magazine USA
Ryan joined pv magazine in 2021, bringing experience from a top residential solar installer, and a U.S.-based inverter manufacturer. He holds a degree in Management with a certification in Sustainable Business Practices from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is currently pursuing a Master of Energy and Environmental Management degree at the University of Connecticut.
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