 A year out from a leadership change that saw company co-founder Tom Buttgenbach buying out founder and CEO Martin Hermann, 8minute Solar Energy has a new name, an expanding footprint in new markets and a record-breaking solar-plus-storage project under contract with Los Angeles municipal utility. 8minute now ranks in the top five developers in the U.S., according to data from Wood Mackenzie Power Renewables. The California-based developer is increasingly garnering attention for its eye-popping project sizes and aggressive move into paired storage. The recent announcements are the culmination of years-worth of effort, said Sean Kiernan, the companys senior vice president of development, but theyre also the result of 8minutes focused development approach. The rift between Buttgenbach and Hermann stemmed in part from disagreements about whether to keep 8minutes developments in the U.S. or go global. With Buttgenachs U.S.-centric vision the winner, 8minute has been reaping the rewards. 