Building businesses, leading energy transitions, and making an impact around the world.
A clean energy executive, lifelong entrepreneur, and culture-first leader.
Over two decades building and growing businesses across the globe.
Andy Klump is a clean energy executive, lifelong entrepreneur, and culture-first leader who spent over two decades building and growing businesses across the globe. Andy draws on his experience founding and scaling companies in Asia, serving on the IPO deal team for Trina Solar, and leading quality assurance across complex international supply chains.
Andy founded and built Clean Energy Associates (CEA), one of the global solar industry's most respected technical advisory firms. Under his leadership CEA served developers, IPPs, EPCs, and financial institutions across 85 countries. He scaled CEA operations across 15 countries and guided the firm through a successful acquisition in 2022. All the while, Andy transformed the company's internal culture, creating a bottom-up framework to support and develop leaders.
His work blends hard-won operational intelligence with an emphasis on integrity and purpose.
In 2020, he co-founded IDefine, a nonprofit working toward treatments and cures for Kleefstra Syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder impacting his daughter Natalya.
Today, based in Boston, Andy brings two decades of global operational intelligence, culture leadership, and platform-building experience to founders, executives, and organizations.
From Chinese manufacturing floors to Boston boardrooms
Andy's cross-functional leadership spans the full arc of global clean energy, culture transformation, and complex supply chains.
Climate & Energy
Andy has spent two decades helping advance and deploy clean energy, working toward the goal of bringing solar energy to every country on the planet. He was a founding force behind one of the global solar industry's most respected quality assurance platforms, and remains active in Boston's energy storage ecosystem. Andy delivers the operational intelligence, supply chain credibility, and platform-building experience that the next chapter of clean energy requires.
Company Culture & Leadership Development
Andy led a full-scale culture transformation at CEA, collaboratively defining values and embedding them within every aspect of the organization. He believes leaders should live and celebrate their company's values, and worked to scale leaders within CEA. With a focus on bottom-up and decentralized leadership, Andy views company culture as a strategic asset that's crucial to fostering employee growth and organizational coherence.
Building in Asia
Many told Andy it'd be too challenging to succeed in Asia but he established his career there and thrived against the odds. Across nearly two decades, Andy learned Mandarin, navigated the complexities of Chinese manufacturing, and established Trina Solar as one of the first globally recognized Chinese brands in the industry. He developed a strategic and cross-cultural expertise that no single market can produce. Today, he brings a global perspective to the local opportunities that matter most.
Solar projects in 85 countries — working toward every one.
For Andy, the most important aspect of a leader's work is what they can build for others.
His commitment to making a positive impact extends beyond the companies he's led and the markets he's served, encompassing rare disease research, entrepreneurial education, and philanthropic pursuits.
IDefine
Inspired by his daughter, Andy co-founded IDefine to identify life-changing treatments and cures for those with Kleefstra Syndrome, funding critical research and raising awareness for rare genetic conditions. What began as a deeply personal mission has grown into a platform connecting researchers, families, and funders.
Education & Stewardship
Andy believes access to entrepreneurship should not be determined by background or circumstance. Through speaking engagements, academic partnerships, and programs like Aspire, he offers insights, lessons, and advice for the next generation of entrepreneurs.
Philanthropy
The organizations and causes Andy supports, with a short note on why each one matters to him.
Through articles, conversations, and more, Andy delivers honest insights on energy storage and transition, culture-first entrepreneurship, and the need for a global business perspective.
Writing on the transition
Solar market dynamics, supply-chain strategy out of China, energy transition, and bottom-up leadership.
Podcasts & interviews
Conversations on China, Trina, quality, and scaling clean energy worldwide.
#1 repeat guest · Freeing Energy
Keynotes, panels & lectures
For investors, entrepreneurs, energy professionals, and students — keynotes, panels, fireside chats, and university lectures.
Field notes & posts
Ongoing thought leadership and observations from the front lines of the energy transition.
Follow→On why the next decade of clean energy is won on execution, not ambition.
Lessons from two decades navigating Chinese solar manufacturing at scale.
Why building culture bottom-up beat any top-down mandate at CEA.
What upstream quality assurance really protects, and who pays when it's skipped.
On the difference between scaling a company and scaling yourself.
Advice to founders entering markets everyone says are too hard to crack.
How a personal mission became IDefine, and what it taught me about purpose.
Off the clock, Andy is still climbing — 50 peaks and counting.
The same drive that scaled companies across 85 countries shows up on the mountain: patience, preparation, and a long view. Andy has summited 50 peaks and continues to chase the next one.
Let's build something together.
Andy is always interested in conversations with founders, executives, investors, and organizations building at the intersection of clean energy, culture, and what comes next.
If you're navigating a leadership inflection point, exploring a board or advisory partnership, developing a new platform in the energy transition space, or simply want to connect, reach out.