Leveraging Specialized Knowlege to Found an Enterprising Business in Renewables - Ira Ribeiro

The Germany Expat Business Show

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Thermodemand, founded by Irapua Santos Ribeiro, is a consultancy focused on sustainable energy solutions for industrial applications, particularly in solar and renewable process heat technologies.

His company aims to help industrial clients reduce their carbon footprint and operational costs. Ira has started the business as a sole proprietorship, but plans to expand by forging strategic partnerships and delivering innovative, high-quality services worldwide.

Irapua an impressive professional background in renewable energy. He earned degrees in Mechanical Engineering, an MBA in Business and Project Management, and a European Master in Renewable Energy, specializing in Solar Thermal Energy.

He’s also the father of twins (two little girls) and sports enthusiast who also writes on his free time about life related subjects.

In this episode we talked about:

🇧🇷 How he moved from Brazil to Australia and then to Europe to pursue a career in renewable energy

🇪🇺 Why it was easier to get his qualifications recognized in Europe rather than Australia

🤓 Per my request, Ira explained solar thermal energy to me ‘like I’m five years old’ (basically, it’s using solar to generate heat rather than electricity)

🧠 How his specialized knowledge in the industrial solar space was an opportunity to found a consulting business

💼 The gap between what’s happening in academia and useful products and services being brought to the market

💪 Why he went directly to work in the industry after getting his mechanical engineering degree to get out of the ‘research mindset’

🤝 How his extensive industry network provides an immediate customer base

⚙️ Why he is spending a lot of time working on SOPs and documenting his processes in this early phase of the business

🕶️ Why (for now) he’s remaining an Einzelunternehmer instead of a UG

You can find this episode and all episodes as well as show notes for each at www.eleanormayrhofer.com/podcast
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1. Leveraging Specialized Knowlege to Found an Enterprising Business in Renewables - Ira Ribeiro (00:00:00)

2. From Brazil to Germany (00:00:03)

3. Renewable Heat Technology Services & Consulting (00:07:28)

4. Transitioning From Research to Business (00:18:52)

5. Navigating Renewable Heat Technology Regulations (00:28:11)

6. Starting a Business in Germany (00:40:26)