Few clean energy entrepreneurs are as familiar with the bumpy road from coal to clean energy as Kiran Bhatraju. The son of an immigrant doctor, Kiran grew up in a rural Kentucky town where the economy practically depended on coal. For much of his youth, he saw first-hand how dependent his local community had become on the extraction and commercialization of coal for energy. And he saw how the decline of that sector is taking a toll on rural America.
His knowledge on the subject is deep enough and his perspective unique enough that he even wrote a book on the subject. From author (see book links below!) to Capitol Hill, Kiran has learned how to read people, policy and trends well enough to predict the nexus and go where the puck is headed (as our friends from the great North would say). Which is what led him, through sales and start ups, to the energy sector, and ultimately to found Arcadia. When Arcadia first began, there simply were no meaningful ways for retail consumers to purchase clean renewables-based electricity for the vast majority of the US market, but Kiran and his team saw the way forward. So they set out to create a platform to enable both Utilities and consumers to benefit from a fair exchange of clean electrons.
They synced the first utility account with their platform in 2014. Since then, utilities nationwide use Arcadia to unlock and standardize energy data, helping innovators create the products and services to decarbonize our grid and make energy cleaner and smarter, and helping customers around the country connect to renewable energy sources. Many think of Arcadia as an energy broker; but, I often refer to them as “the Comcast of Solar” because they provide more than just simple energy brokerage services. They truly have a data platform that empowers consumers, solar developers, and utilities to maximize their respective benefit from the booming Community solar sector, and beyond. And, like Comcast, they are able to offer services at prices lower than other competitors thanks to the scale of their platform, quality of the data, and integration with other providers.
Today on SunCast, Kiran shares his secrets to building a power-team, holding on to enthusiasm and attracting employees that are on a mission. And Arcadia has a bold mission to decarbonize the grid and empower utilities and communities with affordable clean energy...want to learn how?
Tune in to today’s episode.
BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
NOTEWORTHY QUOTES:
“No one has given them the transition….” - Kiran on the coal miners of Kentucky
“You can have your best day and worst day on the same day.” Kiran on running a startup.
“Stale, male and pale” - Rubina Singh, Arcadia
TERMS DEFINED:
Community Solar - The U.S. Department of Energy defines community solar as any solar project or purchasing program, within a geographic area, in which the benefits of a solar project flow to multiple customers such as individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and other groups.
NARUC - National Association of Regulatory Utilities
Energy Toolbase’s cohesive suite of project modeling, storage control, and asset monitoring software products enables developers to confidently deploy solar and energy storage projects.
ABOUT THE HOST OF SUNCAST:
Nico Johnson is the creator and host of SunCast, consistently rated a top solar podcast in the clean energy sector. The content of the show is geared towards listeners looking for insights on where the markets are headed, how to position themselves or their companies, and what today's market leaders do to stay ahead of the pack.
Nico is an Investor, Executive Coach, and 15-year veteran of the solar industry, having led development in the US and Latin America for global companies like Trina Solar and Conergy.
You can connect with Nico Johnson on Twitter, LinkedIn or email.
If you’ve been second-guessing your work decisions or maybe trying to reconsider how you "fit" in the renewable energy industry -> grab 20min on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.