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I said it when we released the episode with Cary Hayes back in January (Ep 438 btw) that the REC Solar “mafia” has deep roots. Today’s guest, Catlin Mattheis, is proof as he and his co-founders are one of the many “alumni organizations”, as we might call them, from that long heritage REC has given us in California. When you hear the origin story of his company, Fracsun, you’ll get a sense of appreciation for the level of attention to detail, forward-thinking and courage Catlin and his team have embodied and how it carries through to their commitment now to ensure every PV plant out there is harvesting the maximum kWh possible!
Fracsun specializes in on-site soiling loss measurement using their patented ARES soiling management system. Want to eliminate uncertainty and enable your team to confidently monitor and manage soiling loss with ease? Listen in.
You’ll also get a healthy dose of humor as Catlin and I really had a great time in what was one of my first in-person interviews of the year! Grateful for Catlin who drove down several hours to meet me when I was last in SoCal, and excited to see the Fracsun team finally getting the recognition (and funding) they deserve!
Timestamps
(4:08) Nico meets Catlin for the first time
(5:33) Catlin's early days
(7:23) Where Catlin got his engineering spirit
(11:03) First exposure to solar
(14:02) A business opportunity in correcting assumptions
(20:05) The ultimate goal
(23:23) How the competitive landscape has evolved
(25:36) What Fracsun does
(27:02) How to mitigate losses
(32:24) How the early years were financed
(35:27) Getting clients like NRG and Spower
(40:39) What needed to be done to scale
(41:41) The first big decision on how to spend the influx of capital
(42:19) An investor from the oil & gas industry
(47:41) Who comes to mind when you think about success stories
(51:13) Advice for entrepreneurs getting started
(54:52) Recommended books
(58:24) Where to connect with Catlin
(59:07) Catlin's bold prediction
(1:01:02) Wrap up
BOOKS MENTIONED AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
NOTEWORTHY QUOTE:
“It was one of the first things we did in the very, very early days. Because in order to determine whether or not it was worth pursuing, the first thing we realized we needed to do was kind of a patent search.”
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SUNGROW focuses on integrated energy storage system solutions, including PCS, lithium-ion batteries and energy management system. Pleae visit https://www.mysuncast.com/sungrow
Intersect Power is at the intersection of transformative energy technology and the changing needs of our society. Intersect is a clean infrastructure company bringing efficient, innovative, and scalable low-carbon solutions to its customers in energy and commodity markets.
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 20 minutes on Nico's calendar and discuss whether having him as Your personal coach might be the right next step.