Founded in Warsaw in 2011 by Sergio Cardamas and Oscar Charro, KRD has evolved alongside the European renewable energy sector. What began with a strong focus on solar PV technology and projects has developed into an independent technical advisory business supporting investors, lenders, IPPs, developers and asset owners across utility-scale solar PV, wind and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

When KRD marked its tenth anniversary in 2021, the company had already been involved in more than 2.5 GW of renewable energy projects worldwide. Five years later, the scale and complexity of the assets it supports have increased significantly, with energy storage becoming a major part of its activities in Poland.

The anniversary also coincides with the company’s rebrand from KRD Global Group to KRD Renewables, reflecting its focus on independent technical advisory for energy and infrastructure investments.

“The renewable energy market we work in today is fundamentally different from the one we entered in 2011,” said Sergio Cardamas and Oscar Charro, co-founders of KRD Renewables. “Projects are larger, financing requirements are more demanding, grid constraints are more significant and energy storage has become a central part of the investment landscape. Our role is to give clients an independent technical view of those projects and the risks behind their decisions.”

FROM SOLAR PV TO LARGE-SCALE ENERGY STORAGE

Solar PV has been central to KRD’s development since its foundation. The company’s experience has spanned different parts of the solar value chain, providing a technical foundation for its current advisory activities.

In Poland, KRD has supported Goldbeck Solar on major renewable energy assignments, including independent technical advisory and due diligence services for Zwartowo Solar Park, a 290 MWp project and one of the largest operational solar PV plants in Central and Eastern Europe, covering the assessment of project bankability, technical risks and regulatory requirements. The collaboration has also included work on the qualification of renewable generation and battery storage assets as Balancing Service Providers (BSPs) for participation in Poland’s Balancing Market, assessing technical and operational requirements, market-entry considerations, associated costs and potential commercial opportunities.

More recently, BESS has become one of KRD’s fastest-growing areas of activity. The company has carried out technical due diligence and advisory work for large-scale battery storage developments in Poland, including a portfolio representing approximately 5.2 GWh of storage capacity.

The rapid growth of energy storage reflects broader changes in the Polish and European power markets. Increasing renewable penetration, grid constraints and the need for greater system flexibility are accelerating investment in utility-scale batteries.

This growth is also changing the nature of technical due diligence. Battery storage projects require assessment across multiple disciplines, including battery technology, system integration, grid connection, EMS and BMS architecture, fire safety, cybersecurity, contractual interfaces and long-term performance assumptions.

“Storage has introduced a new level of technical complexity into renewable energy investment,” the co-founders said. “Understanding a BESS project requires looking beyond the battery itself. Grid connection, controls, safety, degradation, warranties, contractual interfaces and operating strategy all influence the technical and investment risk.”

FIFTEEN YEARS OF TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE

KRD’s current advisory capabilities draw on experience accumulated across renewable energy technology, engineering, project development, construction and operational assets.

The company now applies that technical background primarily to independent technical due diligence and advisory, including technology and design review, grid and power assessment, energy yield and performance assessment, construction monitoring and operational technical review.

Poland remains one of KRD’s principal markets, supported by experience across Central and Eastern Europe and other international markets.

The company has also expanded its technical advisory activities into data centre investments, focusing on site suitability, power availability, grid infrastructure, planning and permitting constraints, environmental and climate risks, connectivity and energy resilience.

Despite the changes in technology and market scale, Cardamas and Charro say the principles behind the company have remained consistent.

“When we celebrated our tenth anniversary, we described trust and common sense as the foundations on which KRD had been built. Five years later, that has not changed. The technologies have evolved enormously, but the objective remains simple: understand the project, identify the risks that matter and provide clients with clear, independent technical advice.”

Looking ahead, KRD expects energy storage to remain a significant growth area as Poland and other European markets integrate increasing volumes of renewable generation and require greater flexibility, balancing capability and grid resilience.

At the same time, the company intends to continue strengthening its advisory capabilities across solar PV, wind, BESS and power-intensive infrastructure.

“Fifteen years is an important milestone, but we see it primarily as a foundation for the next stage of KRD,” the co-founders said. “The energy transition is creating larger and more technically demanding investments. Our focus is to continue building the specialist expertise needed to assess those projects independently and support better investment decisions.”