Meet Carlos Cortiñas, our new Senior Energy Associate in Madrid

I'm excited to welcome Carlos to the Gridcog team - joining as our Senior Energy Associate in Madrid, focused on the Iberian market!

Carlos brings a varied background across energy markets, market advisory and structured finance, from analysing gas prices at Endesa, to advising on oil and gas opportunities at the Spanish Embassy in Algeria, to closing complex renewable financing deals at Grenergy. Now at Gridcog, he'll be helping strengthen our local market expertise and presence across Spain and Portugal, supporting sales and marketing, customer onboarding, and bringing an Iberian perspective into product development.

Read on to learn more!

What were you doing before Gridcog, and what got you into the energy space?

My first real experience in the energy sector was actually 9 years ago during an internship at Endesa, where I worked in the portfolio optimisation team. Part of my role was to update and analyse gas prices for Spain and Portugal and explain the main market movements on a daily basis.

A few years later, I joined the Economic and Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy in Algeria as a market advisor. Given the importance of oil and gas to the Algerian economy, that role allowed me to go much deeper into the energy sector, understand the market from a broader commercial and geopolitical perspective, and work closely with companies looking at opportunities in the country.

From there, I moved into renewable energy finance and spent the next two and a half years at Grenergy, working in structured finance. I was involved in closing complex transactions across solar PV, standalone BESS, and solar-plus-storage co-location projects.

So my path into energy has been quite varied — starting with energy markets, then moving into market advisory, and eventually into project and structured finance — which gave me exposure to the sector from several different angles.

What is your role at Gridcog?

I’ve joined Gridcog as Senior Energy Associate, based in Madrid and focused on the Iberian market, helping the company strengthen its local market expertise and presence across Spain and Portugal.

My role sits across three areas: supporting sales and marketing with local market insights and demos, helping customers with onboarding and project modelling, and bringing the Iberian perspective into product development and testing.

‍What attracted you to working with Gridcog?

Having worked directly on project financings, I saw first-hand how critical revenue assumptions are to both financing structures and investment decisions. A big part of my role was taking market due diligence and translating those outputs into financial models, so I became very aware of how important it is to make those forecasts as robust and realistic as possible.

At the same time, the energy market is becoming much more complex. With the growth of renewables, increasing grid constraints and the need for flexibility, battery storage and hybrid projects are becoming essential. They can access multiple revenue streams and participate across different markets, which makes modelling their value much more challenging.

That’s what initially drew me to tools like Gridcog. When the opportunity came up, I was really excited by the chance to understand how this modelling is built from the inside and to join a company that is directly influencing how investment decisions are made in the energy transition.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Outside of work, I’m happiest when I’m doing something active and completely switching off. Music and sport are a big part of my life, and I tend to organise my free time around the season.

In winter, you’ll usually find me skiing most weekends, while in summer I swap the snow for hiking and surfing. I really enjoy being outdoors, moving around and doing things that help me reset and come back with a fresh head.

What technology could you not live without?

Probably my DJ setup. I’ve been DJing for around 15 years, and over time I’ve built a setup that I’m really attached to.

Sometimes I’ll go into my studio thinking I’ll spend 30 minutes playing around and suddenly realise four three hours have gone by. It’s one of those things where I completely lose track of time, and it lets me experience and enjoy music in a very different way.

Reach out to the team if you're interested in modelling your energy projects in Spain.